TCP/IP-attached printers

You can print to a TCP/IP-attached printer from CICS® TS. Printing to a TCP/IP-attached printer can be accomplished by using z/OS® Communications Server (VTAM®) or by using a printing software.

Using z/OS Communications Server (VTAM)

TCP/IP-attached printers can be defined to VTAM and the corresponding VTAM resources can be acquired and used by CICS just like any other VTAM printer LU. No additional software beyond z/OS is required.

CICS TS talks indirectly through the TCP/IP Telnet to print to a TCP/IP-attached printer (or a TCP/IP-attached PCOM terminal). The printer communicates with the TCP/IP Telnet, so CICS sends the printout to the Telnet LU and the TCP/IP Telnet passes it onto the printer.

Therefore, you should define the printer as a regular VTAM LU just like you did when using SNA, except the LU name is one of the LUs in the pool of TCP/IP Telnet LUs. CICS does not know that it is communicating to a TCP/IP-attached printer. It does not even know it is talking to TCP/IP Telnet. To CICS, it is just a VTAM luname. For more information about how to define the printer, see Advanced LU name mapping: The associated printer function in the z/OS Communications Server: IP Configuration Guide.

Using a printing software

You can print to a TCP/IP-attached printer by using a printing software such as the IBM® z/OS Infoprint Server.

If you use the IBM z/OS Infoprint Server, you can use NetSpool to simulate a VTAM printer and write the printing output to the MVS job entry system (JES) SPOOL. Then you could use IP PrintWay to send the print output from the SPOOL to the TCP/IP-attached printer. NetSpool and IP PrintWay perform complementary functions. NetSpool converts print requests from VTAM applications into S/390® line data and creates output data sets on the JES spool, using information in a NetSpool print-characteristics data set created by the installation. IP PrintWay can transmit data sets created by NetSpool from the JES spool to printers in a TCP/IP network.