Selecting the direct sockets protocol (basic and extended mode)

In an IP PrintWay printer definition, you can select the transmission protocol that IP PrintWay uses to transmit output data sets from the JES spool to the printer, print server, or email destination. IP PrintWay supports these transmission protocols: LPR, direct sockets, IPP, and email.

Select the IP PrintWay direct sockets protocol if you want IP PrintWay to use the TCP/IP direct sockets printing protocol to transmit data sets directly to a designated port on a printer or print server. When you select this protocol, the printer or print server must support direct sockets printing.

Tips:

Some printers support the direct sockets printing protocol and other protocols, such as the LPR protocol. For large data sets, the direct sockets printing protocol can provide better performance. However, you might want to select the LPR protocol to take advantage of the formatting options that IP PrintWay can specify in the LPD control file. For example, printing a banner page.
When you select the direct sockets protocol, IP PrintWay extended mode can record the number of printed pages in the SMF type 6 record and can restart printing after the last page that printed successfully. For information, see Tracking the number of printed pages (extended mode).

When you select the direct sockets protocol, IP PrintWay transmits data to the printer or print server at the IP address (or host name) and port number that you specify in the printer definition. A job submitter can override the IP address and port number that is specified in the printer definition by specifying the IP address in the DEST=IP: parameter and the port number in the PORTNO parameter on the OUTPUT JCL statement.

Because the job submitter can override the IP address and port number, you can create one printer definition for several printers that share attributes. To use this printer definition, the job submitter must specify the name of the printer definition, the IP address, and the port number on the OUTPUT JCL statement. If the job submitter does not specify the name of the printer definition on the OUTPUT JCL statement, IP PrintWay uses printer attributes that are specified in the default IP PrintWay printer definition that is described in Creating an IP PrintWay default printer definition (basic and extended mode). For more information about job submission, see z/OS Infoprint Server User's Guide.

Because the direct sockets printing protocol cannot print multiple copies of a single data set, IP PrintWay prints multiple copies by transmitting the data set to the printer the requested number of times.

Related customization tasks: These IP PrintWay customization tasks are related to the direct sockets protocol:

Customize the TCP/IP component of z/OS® Communications Server.
When more than one copy is requested, IP PrintWay extended mode writes temporary files to the /var/Printsrv/printway directory. If necessary, increase the amount of space available to this directory.
When you specify a value in the Maximum document size field, or select the Delete form feed option, IP PrintWay basic mode writes temporary files to hiperspace. If necessary, increase the amount of available hiperspace in the IP PrintWay FSS definition.

For information about how to do these tasks and other customization tasks that are related to the direct sockets protocol, see z/OS Infoprint Server Customization.

Procedure for specifying attributes

Add a printer definition. On the Choose a Definition Type and Protocol panel, select IP PrintWay direct sockets. If you copy a printer definition, select an IP PrintWay printer definition that uses the direct sockets protocol.
On the Direct Sockets Protocol panel, specify these fields:
IP address

Specify the host name or IP address of the printer or print server. If another printer definition refers to this printer, use the same uppercase and lowercase letters when you type the host name. If you run IP PrintWay extended mode, the IP address can be in dotted decimal or colon-hexadecimal format. If you run IP PrintWay basic mode, the IP address can be in dotted decimal format, but not in colon-hexadecimal format.
Limitation: IP PrintWay basic mode does not support IPv6. Only IP PrintWay extended mode supports it.

Tip: If you run IP PrintWay extended mode and specify a host name, define the host name in the domain name server (DNS) before you save the printer definition. If you create the DNS entry after you save the printer definition, Infoprint Central cannot display the printer for this printer definition until someone submits a print job to the printer definition or until you modify an attribute in the printer definition.

Port number
Specify the port number at which the printer or print server supports printing. To determine the correct port number, see the documentation for the network interface card or printer.
Tip: Some common port numbers are:
- Port 9100, which is used by some Ricoh printers, most HP printers, and most Lexmark printers.
- Port 2501, which is used by some Ricoh printers.
Record pages printed for accounting

(Optional) IP PrintWay extended mode records the number of printed pages in the SMF type 6 record. For more information, see Tracking the number of printed pages (extended mode).

Restart printing after last successful page

(Optional) IP PrintWay extended mode restarts printing after the last page in the print job that printed successfully. For more information, see Tracking the number of printed pages (extended mode).

Example

These ISPF panels show how to specify the direct sockets protocol in a printer definition.

When you use the Add function to create a new printer definition, you can use the Choose a Definition Type and Protocol panel to select the protocol type.

                   Choose a Definition Type and Protocol
 Option ===> 2
   Type             Protocol
 1 IP PrintWay      LPR
 2 IP PrintWay      direct sockets
 3 IP PrintWay      IPP
 4 IP PrintWay      VTAM
 5 IP PrintWay      email
 6 PSF
 7 General

To display this Direct Sockets Protocol panel, press Enter on the Custom values field for the Protocol section on the main panel for the printer definition.

                             Direct Sockets Protocol
 
 Printer definition name . myprinter        
 Operator security profile
      . . . ____________________________________________________________
 
 Printer IP address . 99.999.123.456                                  (extend)

 Port number. . . . . 2501 

 Printer Job Language (PJL) options:               
    _ Record pages printed for accounting          
    _ Restart printing after last successful page

Result: IP PrintWay uses the direct sockets protocol to transmit data sets to port number 2501 at IP address 99.999.123.456. IP PrintWay transmits only a data file, without a control file.