March 10th 1997 Mirror Sites ![]() Download the Software Network Card Drivers ![]() Features User's Guide Help ![]() Search Distribution Rights Listserv Shareware Links ![]() Order the Software Help Us Promote NetSoft LAN Dealer Enquires Welcome Home Page | http://www.netsoft.ie/ CHAPTER 6 Network PrintingTo print on a network printer, you must configure the print server and the printer client. This is done by loading the Printer Spooler (SPOOLER.COM) on the print server machine, and the printer redirector (PRNREDIR.COM) on the client machine. Data sent to the printer is redirected by the Printer Redirector to the Printer Spooler. The diagram below shows the data path of printed data. ![]() The Printer RedirectorThe printer redirector program (PRNREDIR.COM) is responsible for capturing all data sent to your local printer port, and redirecting the data to the network printer. The data is sent across the network to the print server's printer spooler. The spooler queues each print job and prints them in turn.Your application software would normally print to a device called PRN or LPT1. If you have more than one printer, your software may also print to LPT2 or LPT3. When you connect to a network printer using the NET USE command, or the Station Manager, a link is established that associates the local printer device name (such as LPT1) with the network printer on the print server machine. Each time you print to the local device LPT1, the data is redirected to the network printer, instead of the local printer. The printer spooler is responsible for the actual printing process. Some software print using the PC BIOS INTERRUPT 17H calls. These calls are also redirected by the printer redirector. Loading PRNREDIR.COMThe PRNREDIR.COM program must be loaded on a client configuration (using either CLIENT.COM or DOSNET.COM). To load the Printer Redirector, type the following at the DOS command line.cd\dosnet prnredir Once loaded, you may connect and print to network printers from within your application software. The Printer SpoolerThe printer spooler program (SPOOLER.COM) is responsible for queuing and printing jobs sent from the client machine's printer redirector program. Each time a new job is started, the printer spooler creates a spool file in the spooler's designated sub directory.The filenames of the spool files are always in the form of SPOOLXXX.YYY. The YYY is the node number of the client machine which sent the print job. The XXX is the number of print jobs sent by that client. This value is incremented for each print job which is sent by that particular client. The structure of the filenames ensure that duplicates cannot occur, because each node number must be unique on the network. Loading SPOOLER.COMThe SPOOLER.COM program must be loaded on a server configuration (using either SERVER.COM or DOSNET.COM). To load the Printer Spooler, type the following at the DOS command line:cd\dosnet spooler Once loaded, the printer spooler scans the spool sub directory (normally C:\SPOOL) for files. If any files are found in this directory, they are printed. Peer-to-Peer PrintingWhen a user on a server machine wishes to send a print job to a network printer, they firstly load the Printer Redirector and Printer Spooler, and secondly connect to the network printer using the NET USE command, or the Station Manager, even though the printer is local.If this is not done, DOS will print to the same printer at the same time as the printer spooler. The diagram below shows the data path of all print jobs sent to a local network printer. ![]() All print jobs are passed from the local printer redirector to the local printer spooler. This allows the spooler to gain complete control over local and network print jobs. Printer MenusBoth the printer spooler and printer redirector have a comprehensive set of menu commands. These commands facilitate the network printer management. To use these menus, the Popup= parameter in the DOSNET.INI file must be set to 1.The printer menus are accessed through the DOS-NET Main Menu by using the network pop-up keys. These are normally CTRL+ALT+Right Shift keys. From the DOS-NET Main Menu, select either Printer Redirector or Printer Spooler respectively. Printer spooler menus![]()
![]() For printer management functions, select a queue entry and press the Enter key. ![]() There are six functions that may be performed from this menu. These are detailed below:
Printer status![]() ![]() Printer commands![]() The printer commands are not executed if the selected printer is busy or off-line. These commands include:
2. Send Form Feed:- Prints current page on the selected printer. 3. Send Line Feed:- Prints a blank line to the selected printer. Fine tuning the spooler![]()
Retry/Busy Slice:Change Busy Slice timing. Foreground Slice:Change Foreground Slice timing. Print Method:Use PC BIOS or print direct to Printer Port. Send Print Output to: PRINTER, SCREEN, or DUSTBIN.
If the spooler has not received any data for a particular print job within the specified number of seconds the job is automatically queued. NOTE DOS-NET cannot detect the end of a print job, if the job was printed through the PC BIOS. This feature will automatically truncate those print jobs when the time-out expires. Viewing the print buffer![]()
Printer redirector menusThe printer redirector menus allow the client to control the individual print jobs from the client machine.Viewing a print queue![]()
If the selected print queue is empty, the message Queue Empty is displayed. If the printer spooler is not loaded on the printer server, the message No Spooler is displayed. Keeping print jobs together![]() Keeping print jobs separate![]() Queuing print jobs![]() Changing the print mode![]() Viewing printer set-up strings![]() Truncating print jobsThere are five ways to truncate (end) a print job. Usually, print jobs are queued automatically by the printer redirector. If your print job does not print, do one of the following:
[Table of Contents] [Home Page] | |
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |