Specifying attributes in a printer definition

The characteristics of a printer and print jobs that you specify in a printer definition are called printer attributes. When you use ISPF panels to create or edit printer definitions, you specify printer attributes as values in panel fields. If you use the Printer Inventory Definition Utility to create or edit printer definitions, you specify printer attributes as keyword and value pairs. Although you can specify many attributes in a printer definition, you do not need to specify all of them because Infoprint Server and JES supply default values for many of the attributes.

Some attributes are used by all components of Infoprint Server. However, other attributes are used only by one component of Infoprint Server. Therefore, depending on which components of Infoprint Server you plan to use in your installation, you might not need to specify all of the attributes. For example, if you do not plan to use NetSpool to print VTAM® application data, you do not need to specify attributes that only NetSpool uses. The online help for each panel field describes which components use the field.

Most of the attributes that you can specify in a printer definition are divided into logical groups called sections. The sections of a printer definition are: Allocation, Processing, NetSpool Options, NetSpool End-of-File, IP PrintWay™ Options, and Protocol. Figure 1 shows the different types of printer definitions and the sections that each type contains.

Figure 1. Sections of printer definitions

ISPF panels shows the panels that you use to specify attributes in a printer definition.

Allocation section

The Allocation section contains attributes that tell NetSpool and Print Interface how to allocate output data sets on the JES spool. For example, in this section you can specify the output class, destination name, or job priority.

Each attribute in the Allocation section corresponds to a parameter that you can specify on an OUTPUT JCL statement. For a table that shows all field names in the Allocation section and the corresponding OUTPUT parameters, see Allocation attributes and corresponding OUTPUT or DD statement parameters. Because each field corresponds to an OUTPUT parameter, if you need more information about any of the attributes in this section, see z/OS MVS JCL Reference.

Some print-submission methods let the user specify the same attributes that you can specify in the Allocation section. In this case, the attribute specified during job submission overrides the attribute in the printer definition. For example, if the lp command contains the form-definition attribute, Print Interface allocates the job on the JES spool with the form definition name on the lp command.

ISPF panel for the Allocation section or component shows the panel that you use to specify attributes in the Allocation section of a printer definition.

Processing section

The Processing section contains attributes that tell NetSpool, Print Interface, and IP PrintWay how to process data. For example, in this section you can specify attributes that control the page-formatting done by NetSpool and IP PrintWay and attributes that control data transforms done by Print Interface.

The Processing section also contains attributes that Print Interface and IP PrintWay use to determine whether the document can print on the printer. These are called validation attributes. If the document cannot print on the printer, Print Interface rejects the print request, and IP PrintWay places the job on the system hold queue. For example, you can specify the types of data formats that the printer supports or the maximum size job that can print.

ISPF panel for the Processing section or component shows the panel that you use to specify attributes in the Processing section of a printer definition.

NetSpool options section

The NetSpool Options section contains attributes that tell NetSpool how to convert the input data stream before writing the data to the JES spool. NetSpool can convert the input data stream to either a line or PCL data stream. Or, you can request that NetSpool write the input data stream without change to the JES spool. ISPF panel for the NetSpool Options section or component shows the panel that you use to specify attributes in the NetSpool Options section of a printer definition.

NetSpool end-of-file section

The NetSpool End-of-File section contains attributes that tell NetSpool when to close the output data set on the JES spool so that the data can be printed. ISPF panel for the NetSpool End-of-File section or component shows the panels that you use to specify attributes in the NetSpool End-of-File section of a printer definition.

IP PrintWay options section

The IP PrintWay Options section contains attributes that tell IP PrintWay such things as how long to retain data sets on the JES spool after transmission to the remote system, how often to retry unsuccessful transmissions, or which exits to call while processing data. ISPF panel for the IP PrintWay Options section or component shows the panel that you use to specify attributes in the IP PrintWay Options section of a printer definition.

Protocol section

The Protocol section contains attributes that tell IP PrintWay which transmission protocol to use to transmit data sets to the remote system: line printer requester (LPR), direct-sockets printing, Internet Printing Protocol (IPP), VTAM, or email. This section also contains attributes that are specific to the type of transmission protocol you select. For example, in this section you can specify LPR options such as whether you want the LPD on the remote system to print a banner page.

The Protocol section also contains the name of the RACF® profile that controls who can work with a printer using Infoprint Central for the web. The RACF profile applies only if you run IP PrintWay extended mode.

ISPF panels for the Protocol section or component shows the panels that you use to specify attributes in the Protocol section of a printer definition.