Including components in printer definitions

Because a Printer Inventory might contain hundreds or thousands of printer definitions, changing information in many printer definitions can be time-consuming. Therefore, you might want to create more objects in the Printer Inventory, called components, and include them in printer definitions. Consider creating components when several printer definitions share attributes. To use components:

  1. Specify the shared attributes in a component, instead of specifying the same attributes in many printer definitions.
  2. Include the component in all printer definitions to which those attributes apply.

When you change the attributes in a component, all printer definitions that include that component pick up the new attributes.

Creating components is optional. Some printer definitions in the Printer Inventory might include components, while other printer definitions might not. Whether you use components, you can use the Printer Inventory Definition Utility (PIDU) to change many printer definitions at one time. For information about PIDU, see Using the PIDU program to manage the Printer Inventory.

When you create components, you do not need to specify every attribute in that component. Instead, you might want to specify some attributes in the printer definitions. For example, the Protocol component contains an attribute that defines the host name or IP address of the remote printer. Because the host name or IP address is usually unique for each remote printer, you can omit the host name or IP address from the component and instead specify it in the printer definition.

When you include components in a printer definition, you can override some of the attributes that are specified in the components by specifying a different value in the printer definition itself. For example, if one printer definition requires a longer retention time on the JES spool, you can override the attribute that specifies the retention time in the printer definition itself. You do not need to create a new component. However, notice that if you override an attribute in a printer definition, when you change the same attribute in the component, the printer definition does not pick up the new attribute.

You can create these types of components (one type for each section of a printer definition): Allocation, Processing, NetSpool Options, NetSpool End-of-File, IP PrintWay Options, and Protocol.

Tip: Another reason to create components is so that job submitters who use JCL can override printer attributes that are specified in the printer definition. Job submitters can specify a component name in the PRTOPTNS parameter of the OUTPUT JCL statement. The printer attributes specified in components with that name override the printer attributes specified in the printer definition. For more information, see Creating components for the PRTOPTNS JCL parameter (basic and extended mode).

Example of components for IP PrintWay printer definitions

Figure 1 shows an example of components that you can include in IP PrintWay printer definitions. After the figure is a description of the components.

Figure 1. Components for IP PrintWay printer definitions
Components of two IP PrintWay printer definitions. A detailed explanation follows this figure.
  1. Allocation component: Both IP PrintWay printer definitions that are shown include the same Allocation component. In this component, you can specify the work-selection criteria that are defined for the IP PrintWay FSA (basic mode) or in the IP PrintWay job selection rule (extended mode). For example, if IP PrintWay selects jobs in output class P, specify class P in this component.

    You might need to specify some allocation attributes in the printer definitions themselves. For example, if job submitters need to select these printer definitions with the CLASS, DEST, or FORMS parameters on an OUTPUT JCL statement, the value for the DEST or FORMS attribute must be unique for each printer definition. Because this value is unique, do not specify it in the component. Instead, specify the DEST or FORMS value in the printer definition itself. For more information, see Using DEST, CLASS, and FORMS to select a printer definition (basic and extended mode).

  2. Processing component: Both IP PrintWay printer definitions include the same Processing component. In this component, you can specify the data formats that the printer's print queues can accept. For example: line data, text data, and PCL data. You can also specify whether you want the printer's LPD to print a page header.
  3. NetSpool End-of-File components: Each IP PrintWay printer definition includes a different NetSpool End-of-File component.
    1. The IP PrintWay printer definition for Printer 1 includes NetSpool End-of-File component 3a.
    2. The IP PrintWay printer definition for Printer 2 includes NetSpool End-of-File component 3b.
    In these components, you can specify different end-of-file rules for NetSpool to use.

    Only printer definitions that are configured for use with NetSpool need to include a NetSpool End-of-File component. However, you can include a NetSpool End-of-File component even if NetSpool is not configured.

  4. IP PrintWay Options component: Both IP PrintWay printer definitions include the same IP PrintWay Options component. In this component, you can specify a retry time and a retention time for unsuccessfully transmitted data sets. You can also specify the name of an IP PrintWay exit program.
  5. Protocol components: Each IP PrintWay printer definition includes a different Protocol component.
    1. The IP PrintWay printer definition for Printer 1 includes Protocol component 5a. In this component, you can specify attributes for the LPR protocol.
    2. The IP PrintWay printer definition for Printer 2 includes Protocol component 5b. In this component, you can specify attributes for the IPP protocol.

    Because the host name or IP address (for the LPR and direct sockets protocols), the URL (for the IPP protocol), and the email addresses (for the email protocol) are typically unique, do not specify these values in the component. Instead, specify the IP address, URL, logical unit name, and email addresses in each printer definition that includes the component.

Tip: Neither printer definition in this example includes a NetSpool Options component.

Example of components for PSF printer definitions

Figure 2 shows an example of components you can include in PSF printer definitions. After the figure is a description of each component and printer definition.

You can include the same components in different types of printer definitions. For example, IP PrintWay and PSF printer definitions can share the NetSpool End-of-File components, if the same NetSpool end-of-file rule is appropriate.

Figure 2. Components for PSF printer definitions
Components of two PSF printer definitions. A detailed explanation follows this figure.
  1. Processing component: Both PSF printer definitions include the same Processing component. In this component, you can specify the data formats that the PSF printers support and the data transforms that you want to use.
  2. NetSpool End-of-File component: Each PSF printer definition includes a different NetSpool End-of-File component.
    1. The PSF printer definition for Printer 3 includes NetSpool End-of-File component 2a.
    2. The PSF printer definition for Printer 4 includes NetSpool End-of-File component 2b.
    In these components, you might specify different end-of-file rules for NetSpool to use.

    Only printer definitions that are configured for use with NetSpool need to include a NetSpool End-of-File component. However, you can include a NetSpool End-of-File component even if NetSpool is not configured.

Notes:
  1. Neither printer definition in this example includes an Allocation component because each PSF printer FSA in this example has unique work-selection criteria, which means that Print Interface and NetSpool must allocate data sets on the JES spool with different allocation values. Therefore, the allocation values are specified in the printer definitions themselves.
  2. Neither printer definition in this example includes a NetSpool Options component.