Using VPS to print from the MVS system

MVS print output includes host directed printing from the ADB, DB2 (ADBIS) reports, WYLBUR or TSO listings and batch jobs. VTAM Printer Support Service (VPS) allows MVS print requests to be printed on any printer accessible through NIHnet. All that's needed is an LPD server to accept and direct the print requests that are sent from VPS. Additional information available includes LPD server configuration and VPS Printer Registration.

Once a printer is defined to VPS, one or many persons may use it. For example, many ADB users can have their print requests routed to one VPS printer. An MVS printer name will also be provided upon VPS printer configuration. This designation is used to print from the WYLBUR/TSO/Batch MVS services. For example, if the MVS printer name is HP4SI then the user would use this name when routing print requests to this printer.

Print requests can come from

• WYLBUR
• TSO
• Batch
• ADB (or other IMS application)

Postscript printing is supported in VPS. The physical LPD server and printer must be capable of supporting postscript in order for this to work. The method used to print postscript files depends on the type of postscript being printed.

If the postscript file is readable in WYLBUR, then a WYLBUR LIST command can be used to route the postscript to the desired printer. If the postscript is a binary encoded file, or in ASCII, then a batch job must be used.

If the printer supports Hewlett Packard's PCL command language, then it is possible to imbed PCL commands in the print stream prior to sending the request to VPS. This allows control of printer functions like pitch, orientation, etc. This level of control is not available however, if the printer is an AppleTalk printer.

While there are no restriction on the number of print queues created, limited system resources are involved. Therefore, if a print queue is not used in a 6 month period, the user and/or the person who initially requested the print queue will be notified by e-mail that this particular VPS print queue is eligible for deletion/reassignment.

The general form of the command to print from WYLBUR to an VPS defined printer is:

       LIST PRINT "PRINT COMMAND NAME"  NOPAGE options

where PRINT COMMAND NAME is the name requested or provided that is associated with your printers queuename. NOPAGE eliminates some blank pages, options are options regularly used with the WYLBUR 'list' command. The PRINT COMMAND NAME will be provided in the mail that you receive once your printer has been defined to VPS.

For example, to list the default active file to the NIHC9999 printer, the following WYLBUR LIST command could be used:

      LIST PRINT NIHC9999 NOPAGE

The 'PRINT NIHC9999U parameter tells WYLBUR to send the print request to the VPS printers associated queuename. Other WYLBUR options (e.g. UNN) can be added to the command as well.

From TSO, the following command would send the file AAAAIII.DSN to the HP4SI printer:

PRINTDS DA('AAAAIII.DSN') DEST(NIHC9999)

The following batch job can be used to print the file AAAAIII.DSN to the HP4SI printer:

 //IIINNNNN JOB (AAAA,BOX,E,9999,999),YOUR.NAME
 /*ROUTE PRINT "PRINT COMMAND NAME"
 //*
 //*   Make the following modifications before
 //*   submitting this job ***
 //*
 //*  III = your MVS initials
 //*  NNNN= your chosen job name.(5 chars max)
 //*  AAAA= your DCRT account.
 //*  BOX = your DCRT box number.
 //*  YOUR.NAME = optional, your name(no spaces).
 //*  QUEUENAME= your printers queuename as recognized on the network.
 //*  INDENT = If indentation required, change '0' to desired number.
 //*           If carriage control and unnumbered required change
 //*           'OPTIONS' line to ...
 //*      //  OPTIONS='INDENT=0,CC,UNN'
 //*  DSN = dataset name.
 //*
 //*  after modifications submit the job.
 //*
 //EDS1 EXEC EDSLIST,NAME='AAAAIII.DSN',
 //     OPTIONS='INDENT=0'
 //SYSIN DD DUMMY

Please direct any comments or questions to TASC and specify that the comment or question regards VPS. TASC can be reached at (301) 594-3278 or by email at TASC@nih.gov