Validating that data sets can print as requested

Before transmitting a data set to the printer, IP PrintWay™ uses information you provide in the printer definition to validate that the data set can print as requested on the printer. For example, IP PrintWay can validate that the data set does not exceed a size limit. You might want to specify limits because the printer itself has certain limitations, such as a small buffer that cannot receive large data sets, or you might want to specify limits for other reasons, such as you want to prevent job submitters from printing large data sets on slow printers.

Table 30 lists the fields in a printer definition that IP PrintWay uses to validate that a data set can print on the printer. The third column in the table indicates the JCL parameter that the job submitter specifies to request the print function, and the fourth column indicates the action IP PrintWay takes if the validation fails.

Table 30. Printer definition fields used for validation in IP PrintWay

Field name

Meaning

JCL parameter

IP PrintWay action if validation fails

Data format¹

Input data formats the printer supports. For more information, see Data formats.

None. IP PrintWay determines the data format.

IP PrintWay does not transmit the data set to the printer.⁵

Duplexes supported

Duplexing supported by the printer (simplex, duplex, and tumble)

DUPLEX

IP PrintWay does not transmit the data set to the printer.⁵

Maximum document size²

Maximum size (in bytes) allowed for all data sets (documents) in the output group (print job). If you run IP PrintWay basic mode, this number includes the size of all copies.⁴

None. IP PrintWay determines the document size.

If the output group contains only one data set, or if IP PrintWay is transmitting the data sets in a concatenation, IP PrintWay does not transmit any documents in the output group to the printer. Otherwise, IP PrintWay sends documents to the printer until the maximum size is reached and then does not transmit any more data sets in the output group.⁵

When you use the resubmit for filtering option in IP PrintWay basic mode, if the output from a transform exceeds the maximum document size, Print Interface writes an error message and does not write the output from the transform to the JES spool. IP PrintWay considers the document to have completed successfully.

Maximum copies ³

Maximum number of copies allowed. ⁴

COPIES

IP PrintWay transmits the number of copies allowed.

Notes:

IP PrintWay basic mode does not validate the data format.
If you select the VTAM® protocol in the printer definition, IP PrintWay does not limit the size of data sets that can print.
IP PrintWay ignores the Maximum copies field if the protocol does not support copies. For example, the email protocol and the VTAM protocol (IP PrintWay basic mode) do not support copies.
The number of copies specified in the form definition is not included when the number of copies or the size of a data set is calculated.
IP PrintWay retains the failed data sets on the JES spool if a retention period for failed transmissions is specified.

Print Interface and NetSpool also use these fields to validate that print requests can print as requested. If Print Interface or NetSpool determine that a data set cannot print, no output data set is allocated on the JES spool.