Using Virtual Printers

To implement a virtual printer, you must perform the following steps:

1. Define the virtual printer as an ACB in a major node in SYS1.VTAMLST(newname). Use the ACQ parameter to give the ACB acquire authority.

   CT/Engine passes all data to the physical printer unchanged. For this reason, the device characteristics of the virtual and physical printers must be identical. You might need to specify the DLOGMOD parameter on the virtual printer APPL statement in SYS1.VTAMLST(newname) to ensure proper coordination with the physical printer's characteristics. It is recommended to use the logmode DSC2K for SNA printers and S3270 for non-SNA printers. For example,

   ACB16 APPL AUTH=(ACQ,NVPACE), ACBNAME=ACB16, PARSESS=YES,

   DLOGMOD=DSC2K

   or

   ACB16 APPL AUTH=(ACQ,NVPACE), ACBNAME=ACB16, PARSESS=YES, DLOGMOD=S3270

2. Issue the VPRINTER command, either from the startup command list,

&rhilev.RLSCMDS(KLSSTART), or as an operator command. The VPRINTER command opens the ACB and associates the virtual printer with the physical printer. For example,

VPRINTER ACB16 SYSOUT CLASS=S DEST=RMT5

For detailed information on the VPRINTER command, see the Operator's Guide.

Now your users simply specify a virtual printer name instead of a physical printer name when they print. Or you can let the NAM database or the application select the virtual printer, making the selection transparent to the user. See klscg185.html#klscg185.

Once you issue the VPRINTER command, it opens the ACB. Any of the following actions closes the virtual printer ACB:

• issuing the CLOSE command
• shutting down CT/Engine
• issuing the VTAM® VARY INACT command

If you are going to use virtual printers frequently, you will probably want to add the VPRINTER commands as the last few lines in your startup member.