Product Overview
The Print System is an integral part of the MCP and related system software that controls how, when, and where data is printed. The MCP component builds print files, can spool them to an intermediate location disk and handles low level I/O tasks.
The Print System component is a subsystem within the MCP that controls printing on various kinds of printers. These include peripheral printers, networked printers, and programs termed “I/O handlers” or “virtual servers” that can act as printers by receiving lines of output and directing that data to devices or locations not known to the Print System
The Print System enables you to control all aspects of printing in the MCP Environment, from the system level to individual elements such as print requests, print devices, and files to be printed. You can specify the routing and delivery of printed output and define user and security settings.
You can control the Print System through PS (Print System) commands entered through the MARC or CANDE interfaces or through the Print Center graphical user interface described previously in this section.
General Features
Print System enables you to perform the following actions:
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Set system-wide default configuration values for various aspects and components of the system. For example, you can control whether or not printing is initiated automatically, when job summaries are generated, where output is routed, what size request can be sent to each device, and how output is formatted on each device. You can also control how print requests are created, what priority the Print System uses to select requests for printing, and when the system removes requests after printing.
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Manipulate and control individual print requests, print files, devices, and destinations. You can specify or modify properties for all of these components and set a wide variety of page formatting options at the print file, device, and destination levels.
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Define and modify printer groups to increase printing efficiency and performance. You can also establish predefined associations between the sources of printing input (ODTs, stations, and usercodes) and destinations so that print jobs are routed automatically to desired printers.
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Stop, start, and display the status of the Print System. Additionally, you can query for configuration details of the Print System as a whole or query for information about individual requests, devices, and other components.
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Manage, control, and select printer fonts and forms. You can identify new fonts to the Print System and easily configure the list of forms resident on a printer. Sample configurations exist for most supported printers.
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Specify the content of header, trailer, and banner pages.
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Create and modify site-defined header, trailer, and banner pages for one or more specific devices within the Print System. This capability enables you to use different feeders, stackers, and page layouts as needed.
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Create transforms, drivers, I/O handlers, and virtual devices.
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Handle international printing, including specification of EXTMODE mappings. The Print System also supports Arabic printing and the euro currency symbol.
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Identify when files in a request no longer reside on disk through the PS SHOWREQUESTS command.
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Use the REBUILDFL option to control how the Print System handles a missing SYSTEM/BACKUPFILELIST file at initialization.
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Use the COMPLETEDMAX and COMPLETEDMIN options to limit the number of completed and finalized print requests retained in the Completed queue, overriding the Print System behavior set by the time stored in the PRINTRETENTION and REQUESTRETENTION option values.
In addition to these capabilities, the Print System supports a number of industry-standard page description languages (PDLs), including Epson LQ/FX, Hewlett-Packard PCL, PostScript, PostScript 2, RTF, and HTML. Applications can exploit these page description languages directly, or they can emit device-independent data streams by having the Print System perform the translation automatically.
Remote Print System
The Remote Print System is an optional, separately priced product that enhances the Print System by enabling you to control devices connected to host servers through Transaction Server or BNA networks. With the Remote Print System, you can configure systems that have no locally connected printers. For more information about this product, refer to the description in a subsequent section in this catalog.
MCPPRT SSL/TLS Encryption
Print System validates the identity of the MCPPRT print server and encrypts printer data as it moves from MCP host to MCPPRT print server. The feature enhances the security of your printed output.
Enterprise Output Manager (EOM) SSL/TLS Encryption Support
The Enterprise Output Manager (EOM) ClearPath MCP component is a host Print System virtual server and I/O handler library that enables host print files to be printed on remote printers. Printer data can be encrypted as it moves from MCP host to remote printers. This feature enhances the security of your printed output.
Ordering Information
The Print System is included as part of the operating environment for ClearPath servers. Source code is available for this product. It is included as part of the operating environment source products, which you can license separately.
Product Information
Refer to the following documents for more information:
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Installing a Printer for MCP Print System Use (8807 6237)
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MCPPRT Help (3851 8072)
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Print System User’s Guide (8600 1039)
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Printing Utilities Operations Guide (8600 0692)
