Print Serving in Depth

This document discusses Microplex print server:

Compatibility Issues

Network Protocols

Microplex's current print server models support multiple environments simultaneously including:

Printers

All printers containing a serial port or a standard Centronics interface will be supported by the Microplex print server line. This means 10-year old printers to the latest high-speed printers on the market today are supported as long as they have a serial or Centronics interface. This is the only compatibility requirement.

Job Types and Sizes

The type and size of a print job never matters to the Microplex print servers. The print server takes a few bytes at a time passing them off to the attached printer and never cares what type of data it is or how big the overall file is. However, the print server can be told to look at the type of data if something like ASCII to PostScript conversion or automatic emulation switching (e.g. PCL to PostScript) is turned on.

Architecture and Design

Physical Design

The key parts of a Microplex print server's physical design are: This is an example front and rear view of a Microplex print server - the M202 model.

Logical Design

Print path

When a print job comes through the print server, there's a certain logical print path it follows before it gets to the attached printer. It's not as simple as saying the job goes directly to the I/O port; it must first go through a sequence of logical steps in case there's any extra processing to be done to the data. The print path looks like this:

The overall print path for a print job going to a Microplex print server then is:

Note:
Most print methods direct print jobs to the destination/queue in the initial print setup but in some cases, the print job can be sent directly to the I/O port. However, every single job that comes to the print server (no matter whether it's directed to a destination/queue or an I/O port) will still find its way through the associated models and logpaths.

Destinations/Queues

For every I/O port on the print server, there is atleast one pre-defined logical print queue or destination to accept print jobs destined for it. This is where print jobs get sent to with most print methods offered. For example, if there was a printer attached to the COM1 port, the print jobs might be sent to a pre-defined destination called "d3com1" in the print setup rather than to the I/O port, COM1, directly. These logical queues or destinations are pre-defined by Microplex but the names can be changed.

Models

For every pre-defined destination/queue on the print server, there is a pre-defined associated model which defines how the print job will be processed as it passes through to the printer. Models are like a set of mini filters that add something to the data to change or help the printer output. In most cases, the print server will not touch the data but there are special circumstances when extra processing may be desired. For example, maybe the printer needs to output the data in two-sided landscape form or maybe the ASCII data coming through needs to be converted to PostScript for the attached PostScript printer. It is within the models that these options get set. Once again, the models are pre-defined by Microplex but can be changed.

Logpaths

With every destination comes a pre-defined logpath as well which determines what type of print job and printer logging will be done by the print server for a given I/O port. These too are pre-defined by Microplex but can be changed.

Built-in Command Shell (npsh)

Within each Microplex print server, a command shell is built in to the firmware. It's called "npsh" and allows manipulation of objects like destinations, models, and logpaths. It also provides some viewing capabilities for monitoring print queues and I/O ports.

These methods can be used to access "npsh":

When commands are referred to within this document or within the product manual, these are commands executed once logged into "npsh". The four main command prefixes within "npsh" are: Note:
If the "store" command is used, the print server must be repowered to make the changes take effect. If the "set" command is used, a "save" command must be done so the settings are retained after power cycles. However, a reset is not necessary since the changes take effect immediately.

Print Job Spooling and Queueing

Microplex print servers can support up to four printers simultaneously while supporting multiple hosts and network protocols. They are smart enough to queue up jobs for every I/O port based on a first come, first serve algorithm and they have the ability to manage all of this queueing for every I/O port.

At any given time, the print servers will only hold approximately 3000 to 4000 bytes per I/O port. This means the majority of the print job's data will reside on the host and through standard flow control methods, the data will quickly pass over to the print server's buffers on to the printer's. Though the print server only holds a few kilobytes per I/O port, it is not the bottleneck in the print path. The printer is always the bottleneck and comes down to its I/O port speed and its buffer size.

Configuration and Printing

Configuration Tools

The following tools are available for Microplex print server configuration:

Configuration Steps

To use a Microplex print server, the basic configuration steps are:
  1. Attach the print server to the network, attach printers, and power up the devices.
  2. Configure the print server with its network settings if needed.
  3. Configure a host to print to the print server.

Attaching to the Network

These steps are necessary to attach Microplex print servers to the network:
  1. Plug in the network connection.
  2. Attach peripherals to the appropriate I/O ports and power them up.
  3. Plug in the print server's power supply and watch the power-on self test cycle through. When this test is complete, the POWER LED should be on and STAT should be flashing.

Configuring the Print Server for Use

TCP/IP - Unix

Environment Description - Unix hosts running operating systems like Solaris, SunOS 4.1.x, HP/UX, SCO, etc.

Requirements for Use - IP address and subnet mask configured on the print server at the minimum and a print setup on Unix host saying where to print to on the print server

Configuration Methods - EZSETUP shell script from Microplex, manual "arp -s" command, RARP, and BOOTP

Print Method Options - LPD, RSHD (i.e. remote shell command for System V printing), FTP, and direct socket printing through a proprietary Microplex binary like NPD or NPWRITE or through a custom application

Suggested Setup:
Use EZSETUP to configure the print server's IP settings and the print setup on the Unix host.

The steps to do this are:

  1. Log in as root or superuser on a Unix host.
  2. Insert the Microplex Unix host software medium into the drive.
  3. "cd" to a directory with atleast three megabytes of free space.
  4. Transfer the compressed tar file from the media onto the Unix host.
    5. tar xvf /dev/devicename
    where devicename is usually "fd0" for a diskette.
  5. Uncompress this file.
    6. uncompress npdist.tar.1.Z
  6. Untar this file.
    7. tar xvf npdist.tar.1
    A list of files displays and scrolls up on the screen as tar executes. Several files and sub-directories are created including a copy of EZSETUP, the Unix script used for print server configuration.
  7. [Optional] Assign an IP address and IP name to the print server in the host table (/etc/hosts, hosts nis map, or DNS name tables).
  8. Run EZSETUP from the command line.
    9. ./ezsetup
    Note: If running ezsetup on an HP/UX system, you need to explicitly set the Korne shell by running this command instead: 
    ksh ./ezsetup
  9. Answer the first few prompts that appear so EZSETUP can learn about the Unix host it's running on.
  10. At the Main Menu that displays, enter the number for "Configure New Unit".

  11. Follow the prompts on each screen as EZSETUP steps through the configuration of the print server's IP address, subnet mask, optional default router/gateway, and optional root and guest passwords.
At the end of the unit configuration section, EZSETUP will automatically lead into the "Configure Host Print Setup" section of the script. This will help install a print setup on the Unix host to print to the Microplex print server. Simply follow the prompts on each screen until EZSETUP is complete and once done, try printing using the appropriate Unix print command:

Things to be Aware of with EZSETUP

When going through this host print setup part of EZSETUP, these things should be considered:

TCP/IP - third party TCP software

Environment Description - PCs, Macs, minis, or mainframes running third party TCP stacks (e.g. PC running FTP Software's OnNet or NetManage's Chameleon; MVS mainframe system running TGV's MultiNet)

Requirements for Use - IP address and subnet mask configured on the print server at the minimum, TCP/IP loaded on the PC and an IP address and subnet mask assigned to this PC, and a print setup on the PC saying where to print to on the print server

Configuration Methods - manual "arp -s" command

Print Method Options - LPD (or LPR)

Suggested Setup:
Use manual "arp -s" command and a Telnet session to configure the print server's IP settings and then do a manual LPD print setup.

The steps to do this are:

  1. Find the "arp" executable on the PC running the third party TCP stack.
  2. In a DOS window, "cd" to the directory containing this executable.
  3. Find the Ethernet address for the Microplex print server on the bottom of the device. It must be entered as part of this process.
  4. Use the "arp" command to add an entry for this print server into the PC's ARP table. This is the most common syntax:
    5. arp -s printserverIPaddress printserverEthernetaddress
    Example: 
    arp -s 192.1.1.1 00:80:72:00:1c:1a
  5. telnet to the print server's IP address either from the DOS window or using a Telnet program under Windows.
    6. telnet printserverIPaddress
  6. Log in to the print server as root.
  7. At the password prompt, press ENTER since there is no password set by default.
  8. At the prompt that displays (i.e. "ipaddress:root"), store the IP address and subnet mask into EEPROM on the print server so that it can remember its IP settings after power cycles. The possible commands are:
    9. store net ifnum addr IPaddress
store net ifnum mask subnetmask
    or: 
    store net ip IPaddress
store net mask subnetmask
    Note: ifnum is the index to a network interface on the print server. With all print server models except the M204, this will always be the number "1". On the M204, however, this number will depend on which slot is used for the PCMCIA card. The slot numbers are labeled on the print server for easy identification.
  9. Verify the IP address and subnet mask stored in EEPROM on the print server.
    10. list stored net
  10. Exit the Telnet session with "quit" and repower the print server by unplugging and plugging in the power supply.
  11. Wait 30 seconds and then try to telnet back to the print server's IP address from this PC.
    12. telnet printserverIPaddress
    At this point, the print server can be seen on the network. Now a print setup must be configured on this PC to print to a printer off of the print server.

    With most third party TCP stacks no matter what type of system they run on, an LPD (or LPR) print setup is used for TCP/IP printing. This LPD print setup differs between TCP stacks so it's important to follow the product documentation provided with this software. However, the basic elements of an LPD print setup on a PC running a third party TCP stack are:

    1. Start an ongoing program or redirector to watch over a certain device on the PC (e.g. LPT1). Every time data comes to this device, this program will redirect the data over to the remote printer (i.e. the printer off of the Microplex print server) defined in the LPD print setup.
  12. Define an LPD print setup in Windows consisting of:
    1. the name of the remote host (i.e. the printer server IP address or host name in this case).
    2. the name of the printer on the remote host (i.e. a pre-defined destination/queue (e.g. "d1prn1") on the print server in this case).

TCP/IP - Windows NT

Environment Description - PC running Windows NT version 3.5 at the minimum

Requirements for Use - IP address and subnet mask configured on the print server at the minimum, TCP/IP loaded on the NT station with an IP address and subnet mask assigned to this station, and a print setup on the PC saying where to print to on the print server

Configuration Methods - manual "arp -s" command and NPWin, Microplex's Windows utility

Print Method Options - LPD (or LPR)

Suggested Setup:
Use manual "arp -s" command and a Telnet session to configure the print server's IP settings and then do a manual LPD print setup.

The steps to do this are:

  1. Find the "arp" executable on the PC running Windows NT.
  2. In a DOS window, "cd" to the directory containing this executable.
  3. Find the Ethernet address for the Microplex print server on the bottom of the device. It must be entered as part of this process.
  4. Use the "arp" command to add an entry for this print server into the PC's ARP table. This is the most common syntax:
    5. arp -s printserverIPaddress printserverEthernetaddress
    Example: 
    arp -s 192.1.1.1 00:80:72:00:1c:1a
  5. telnet to the print server's IP address either from the DOS window or using a Telnet program under Windows.
    6.   
telnet printserverIPaddress
  6. Log in to the print server as root.
  7. At the password prompt, press ENTER since there is no password set by default.
  8. At the prompt that displays (i.e. "ipaddress:root"), store the IP address and subnet mask into EEPROM on the print server so that it can remember its IP settings after power cycles. The possible commands are:
    9. store net ifnum addr IPaddress
store net ifnum mask subnetmask
    or: 
    store net ip IPaddress
store net mask subnetmask
    Note: ifnum is the index to a network interface on the print server. With all print server models except the M204, this will always be the number "1". On the M204, however, this number will depend on which slot is used for the PCMCIA card. The slot numbers are labeled on the print server for easy identification.
  9. Verify the IP address and subnet mask stored in EEPROM on the print server.
    10. list stored net
  10. Exit the Telnet session with "quit" and repower the print server by unplugging and plugging back in the power supply.
  11. Wait 30 seconds and then try to telnet back to the print server's IP address from this PC.
    12. telnet printserverIPaddress
    At this point, the print server can be seen on the network. Now a print setup must be configured on this NT station to print to a printer off of the print server.

    With Windows NT version 3.5 and higher, the best print setup under its built-in TCP/IP support is LPD (or LPR). To create a new LPD printer on this Windows NT box, the steps are:

    1. Go to the Main program group.
  12. Double click on "Control Panel".
  13. Double click on "Printers" which loads up the Print Manager.
  14. Select "Create a Printer" from the "Printer" menu.
  15. Define a printer name and driver to use for this LPD print setup in the dialogue box that displays.
  16. Under the "Print to" field, select "Other...".
  17. Select "LPR port" from the list that displays and click on OK.
  18. A dialogue box will display asking for the IP address or host name of the remote server and for the printer name on that remote host. The "remote host" being referred to is the Microplex print server so the print server's IP address should be filled in for the "remote host name". A pre-defined destination/queue (e.g. "d1prn1") should be put in the field for the "remote printer name". This tells the LPD print setup where to send the print job on the print server.

    19.  

     
     
     

    Note: When defining the "remote printer name" with a pre-defined destination/queue on the print server, be sure to watch out for case sensitivity. All pre-defined destination/queue names are lowercase.

  19. Click OK when done specifying these two fields.
There is now a Windows NT printer defined which uses Windows' own LPR client to send data to the Microplex print server's built-in Line Printer Daemon (LPD).

NetBIOS over TCP/IP - Windows 95 and Windows for Workgroups

Environment Description - PC running Windows 95 or Windows for Workgroups

Requirements for Use - IP address and subnet mask configured on the print server at the minimum, TCP/IP loaded on the Windows station and an IP address and subnet mask assigned to this station, and a print setup on the PC saying where to print to on the print server

Configuration Methods - NPWin, Microplex's Windows utility

Print Method Options - Print Manager/Browsing setup

Suggested Setup:
Use NPWin to configure the print server's IP settings and then do a manual print setup using the Print Manager.

The steps to do this are:

  1. Insert the Microplex diskette labeled "NPWin and Novell Host Software" into the floppy drive.
  2. Load up the File Manager or Winfile and look under the floppy drive for an NPWin zip file.
  3. Double click on this NPWin zip file to extract all files within it to a directory on the Windows station.
  4. Once extracted to a directory, find the "install.exe" file and launch it to install NPWin.
  5. Answer the prompts in the install program.
  6. Once the install process is complete, the Readme file will automatically load. Read this over and close when done.
  7. Find the new NPWin program group and double click on the "NPWin Configure" icon to load NPWin.
  8. At the "Open Print Server Session" dialogue box that appears, click on ADD to configure a new print server with TCP/IP network settings.

    9.  

     
     
     

    Note:
    If prompted for the type of network before this dialogue box, select "IP".

  9. At the "Add IP Print Server" dialogue box that displays, fill in the IP address, subnet mask, and serial number for this print server. The IP name is optional and depends on whether host names are used on the network. The serial number is the five digit number on the bottom of the device.
  10. Press OK when done so NPWin looks for a BOOTP request to come from the print server. To speed up this process, the print server can be power cycled.
  11. Once a message saying "Assignment Packet Sent" displays, click OK. The print server now has these IP settings in its current memory.
  12. Back at the "Open Print Server Session" dialogue box, select this print server and click OK.
  13. Select "View and Change Configuration" from the dialogue box that appears next and fill in the SNMP password at the bottom. By default, the password is "default" in lowercase letters.
  14. Click OK to bring up a graphical view of the print server similar to the one shown below. The IP settings now have to be stored into the print server's EEPROM so they are remembered after power cycles. Currently the settings are only in its current memory.

    15.  

     
     
     

  15. Select "IP Interface" from the "Network" menu.
  16. Confirm the IP address, subnet mask, and IP name (optional) that display next are correct.
  17. Click on STORE.
  18. At the "Reset Unit" dialogue box that displays, select "Reset without Saving" to repower the print server. This ensures the new settings stored to EEPROM (i.e. the IP settings) are being used.
Now the print server can be seen on the network so a print setup must be configured on this Windows station to allow printing to a printer off of the print server.

The best print setup for Windows 95 and Windows for Workgroups stations is a Print Manager one. This simply involves finding the print server on the network by browsing and then selecting a pre-defined destination/queue on it to print to. The steps to do this are:

For Windows 95

  1. Select "Add Printer" icon under the Settings:Printers folder.
  2. Select "network printer" from the first window of the "Add Printers" wizard that loaded.
  3. At the next window, click on BROWSE to help fill in the network path to this printer.
  4. At the "Browse for Printer" dialogue box that displays, double click on the appropriate workgroup containing the print server. By default, the print server falls under the workgroup, "WORKGROUP", but this can be changed on the print server by issuing the command "store pserver smb workgroup workgroupname" followed by a power cycle.
  5. From the list of registered devices within this workgroup that displays, double click on the print server.
  6. A list of pre-defined destinations/queues on this print server should appear. Select one that involves the I/O port with the printer attached on the print server.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Back at the network path window, this path should now be filled in. It should be in the format "\\printservername\destination" (e.g. \\M_001C1A\d1prn1). Select NEXT.
  9. Select the appropriate printer manufacturer and model for this printer being set up and then click on NEXT.
  10. At the next window, fill in the printer's name. Type in any name or go with the default and then click NEXT.
  11. When prompted to print a test page, select either "Yes" or "No" and then click on FINISH.
Note:
Windows may ask for the disk or CD-ROM to load the appropriate printer driver to complete this print setup.

There should now be a new printer icon within the "Printers" folder.

For Windows for Workgroups

  1. Open Print Manager.
  2. Select "Connect Network Printer" from the "Printer" menu or click on the appropriate toolbar icon.
  3. From the list of workgroups that displays, double click on the workgroup name that has been set for this print server. By default, the print server falls under the workgroup, "WORKGROUP", but this can be changed on the print server by issuing the command "store pserver smb workgroup workgroupname" followed by a power cycle.
  4. From the list of registered devices within this workgroup that displays, double click on the print server.
  5. A list of pre-defined destinations/queues on this print server should appear. Select one that involves the I/O port with the printer attached on the print server.
  6. Click OK when done.
There is now a print setup using NetBIOS over TCP/IP available to print to a printer off of the Microplex print server.

Novell NetWare 3.x

Requirements for Use - no configuration is necessary on print server but new printer must be defined on file server

Configuration Methods - PCONSOLE for the print setup and Microplex's npsh.exe for additional configuration options on the print server

Print Method Options - PSERVER and RPRINTER

Suggested Setup:
Do PSERVER setup using PCONSOLE.

The steps to do this are:

  1. Log in to Novell as supervisor.
  2. Enter PCONSOLE.
  3. Select "Print Queue Information" from the PCONSOLE Main Menu.
  4. Press INSERT to add a new queue to the list of currently-defined queues showing.
  5. Type in the name of this new queue when prompted and press ENTER.
  6. Press ESCAPE to return to the PCONSOLE Main Menu.
  7. Select "Print Server Information" and press ENTER.
  8. Press INSERT when the list of existing print servers displays.
  9. Type the name of the print server when prompted for a print server name and press ENTER when done. By default, Microplex print servers have the name "M_xxxxxx" where "xxxxxx" equals the last six digits of the device's Ethernet address (e.g. M_001C1A for a print server showing an Ethernet address of 00:80:72:00:1c:1a).
  10. Back at the print server list, select this newly defined print server and press ENTER.
  11. Select "Print Server Configuration" from the menu that displays.
  12. Select "Printer Configuration" from the next menu to display a list of configured printers.
  13. Select the first item listed as "NOT INSTALLED" and press ENTER.
  14. At the next window, type in the name for this printer at the top. This name must be one of the pre-defined destinations/queues on the print server. For example, if there's a printer off of the PRN1 port on an M202, the printer name might be "d1prn1" in lowercase letters.
  15. Go to the "Type" field and press ENTER to see the possible types.
  16. Select "Defined Elsewhere" from this list.
  17. Press ESCAPE and select "Yes" to save the changes to this new printer.
  18. Press ESCAPE again to return to the "Print Server Configuration" Menu.
  19. Select "Queues Serviced by Printer".
  20. Select the new printer from the printer list that displays and press ENTER.
  21. At the empty queue list that displays, select the queue created earlier in these steps and press ENTER.
  22. When prompted for the priority, press ENTER to select the default.
  23. Press ESCAPE until back at the PCONSOLE Main Menu.
  24. Repower the Microplex print server by unplugging and plugging in the power supply.
  25. Wait approximately 30 seconds to a minute and then select "Print Queue Information" from the PCONSOLE Main Menu.
  26. Select this new queue and from the menu that displays, select "Currently Attached Servers" to see which print server is servicing this queue.
At this point, the print server that was defined earlier (e.g. M_001C1A) should show within this window. This means the Microplex print server knows about a Novell queue it must service as a PSERVER under Novell. It will poll this queue every five seconds by default looking for jobs to service from now on.

Novell NetWare 4.x - Bindery Emulation

Requirements for Use - no configuration is necessary on print server but new printer must be defined on file server

Configuration Methods - PCONSOLE for the print setup and Microplex's npsh.exe for additional configuration options on the print server

Print Method Options - PSERVER and RPRINTER (or now called NPRINTER)

Suggested Setup:
Do PSERVER setup using PCONSOLE.

The steps to do this are:

  1. Log in to Novell as supervisor.
  2. Enter PCONSOLE.
  3. At PCONSOLE's Main Menu, hit F4 to enter bindery emulation mode.
  4. Select "Print Queues" from the PCONSOLE Main Menu.
  5. Press INSERT to add a new queue to the list of currently-defined queues showing.
  6. Type in the name of this new queue when prompted and press ENTER.
  7. Press ESCAPE to return to the PCONSOLE Main Menu.
  8. Select "Print Servers" and press ENTER.
  9. Press INSERT when the list of existing print servers displays.
  10. Type the name of the print server when prompted for a print server name and press ENTER when done. By default, Microplex print servers have the name "M_xxxxxx" where "xxxxxx" equals the last six digits of the device's Ethernet address (e.g. M_001C1A for a print server showing an Ethernet address of 00:80:72:00:1c:1a).
  11. Back at the print server list, select this newly defined print server and press ENTER.
  12. Select "Printers" from the menu to display a list of defined printers.
  13. Press INSERT to add a new printer to this list.
  14. When prompted, type in the name for this new printer and press ENTER when done. This name must be one of the pre-defined destinations/queues on the print server. For example, if there's a printer off of the PRN2 port on an M202, the printer name might be "D2PRN2".
  15. Select this new printer and press ENTER to bring up this printer's settings.
  16. At the "Type" field, select "Defined Elsewhere" or "Parallel".
  17. At the "Print Queues Assigned" field, press ENTER.
  18. Select the queue defined earlier in these steps and press ENTER. If it's not there, press INSERT to bring up a queue list to choose from.
  19. Press ENTER to accept "Priority 1" when it displays.
  20. Press ESCAPE and select "Yes" to save the changes to the new printer.
  21. Press ESCAPE until back at the PCONSOLE Main Menu.
  22. Repower the Microplex print server by unplugging and plugging in the power supply.
  23. Wait approximately 30 seconds to a minute and then select "Print Queues" from the PCONSOLE Main Menu. Bindery emulation mode should still be active.
  24. Select this new queue and from the menu that displays, select "Attached Print Servers" to see which print server is servicing this queue.
At this point, the print server that was defined earlier (e.g. M_001C1A) should show within this window. This means the Microplex print server knows about a Novell queue it must service as a PSERVER under Novell. It will poll this queue every five seconds by default looking for jobs to service from now on.

AppleTalk

Requirements for Use - no configuration necessary on print server and EtherTalk in use rather than LocalTalk

Configuration Methods - Chooser

Print Method Options - Chooser

Suggested Setup:
Do standard Chooser print setup.

The steps to do this are:

  1. Select Chooser from the Apple Menu.
  2. Select the LaserWriter icon.

    3.  

     
     
     

     A list of available printers will appear. By default, Microplex-related printers will have a name in the format "printservername_papname" where printerservername is the name of the print server and papname is the name of an I/O port on the print server. The printservername by default is "M_xxxxxx" where "xxxxxx" is the last six digits of the device's Ethernet address. For example, an M202 with the Ethernet address 00:80:72:00:1c:1a and a printer off of the COM1 port will have an available printer under the LaserWriter driver called "M_001C1A_com1".

  3. From the list of printers, select one to print to.
This printer is now a valid printer to print to from the Macintosh station.

Management

Microplex print servers offer the following management tools:

Additional Features

Microplex print servers are the most feature-rich print servers on the market. With a comprehensive built-in command shell, npsh, multiple features are provided through simple commands. These are just some of the main options:

Advantages over Competitors

The Microplex print server family has the following advantages over current print server competitors:

Common Troubleshooting Tips

These are some of the most common problems reported with Microplex print servers. For each problem, a description is given along with steps to solve the problem.

For TCP/IP

Print Server Won't Talk on Network

Sometimes the print server won't communicate over the network from the beginning or it will suddenly stop communicating after working for a while. In these cases, customers most often think something has gone wrong with the device meaning an RMA is needed, but 75% of the time, the problem is related to configuration or network problems. Therefore, the things to check when this happens are:

Nothing Prints

Most often when nothing prints, the problem is with the configuration whether it be the host configuration or the print server configuration. Rarely is it a problem with the hardware (e.g. I/O port interface) unless it's the printer cable or printer itself having troubles.

What's important to find out with this problem is where exactly is the print job faultering. Therefore, start with the basics (i.e. take the network right out of the picture) and work backwards towards the host end. The steps to consider when this happens are:

Stair-Stepped Output

This refers to any Unix output that starts on the top left of the page but every line thereafter, starts a little more over to the right rather than coming back properly to the left margin. It also refers to Unix jobs that print one line at the top of the page but then follow that with blank pages rather than the rest of the job.

The reason for this funny output is the lack of carriage returns in the job. The printer may be told to do a linefeed but this may not be followed by a carriage return to start the next line at the left margin. Therefore, the printer does a linefeed but then starts the next line where the previous line left off.

This should only happen with Unix text jobs and to avoid this, some type of carriage return insertion must be added in the print path. The easiest and most common location is on the print server itself within the approprite model. The feature is called "onlcr" and to see the correct command on the device to set this on or off, enter "set model" once logged in. Then pick the command referring to "onlcr".

Note:
Be careful not to double up on this carriage return insertion or else the output will be double-spaced.

No Formfeed or Extra Page Comes Out

Unix text jobs may also have problems kicking the last page of the print job out of the printer especially if the LPD print method is used. This means the formfeed button has to be pressed right on the printer to get this last page out.

To make this process automatic, tell the print server to handle the manual formfeed by setting this feature on in the appropriate model. The command structure on the print server is "set model modelname trailer $FF" (e.g. "set model m1 trailer $FF"). The "$FF" is a pre-defined variable on the print server which equals the proper hexadecimal code for a formfeed.

Note:
Be careful not to double up on the formfeed or else the job will eject properly but with an extra blank page at the very end.

Garbled Output

Garbled data means any output that does not look as it should. This can range from missing or overlapping characters to funny spacing. Most often it is caused by some extra unwanted processing done to the job as it passes through its print path or else it may be related to the hardware involved. No matter what, 99% of the time it is fixable without having to bring a print server back for repair. Therefore, the things to consider if this happens are: Note:
The most common extra processing that causes garbling is onlcr which provides carriage return insertion for Unix text jobs. This tends to garble any jobs coming from non-Unix hosts so be sure to have this off with any non-Unix printing. If printing from both PCs and Unix hosts is needed, two separate setups are recommended: one with onlcr on and one with it off.

For Novell

NPSH.EXE Fails to See the Print Server (all NetWare versions)

npsh.exe is the Microplex executable that allows a telnet-like session with the print server in a Novell environment. It simply allows a NetWare workstation on the same LAN segment to log in to the device and use its command shell, npsh. It is not mandatory but is there if some extra configuration is desired. However, sometimes this fails to work so these points should be considered: Note:
If npsh.exe fails and a certain setting has to be configured on the print server, a Telnet session can be used if TCP/IP is available or a laptop/PC/dumb terminal can be attached to one of the serial ports for a login session.

NetWare 3.x - No PSERVER Connection

The most important aspect of a Novell setup is getting the connection from the Microplex print server to the Novell file server. If this doesn't happen, printing will never happen. Jobs may go to the file server print queue but they will never get any further until this network connection has taken place. Therefore, the things to consider if this happens are:

NetWare 4.x - No PSERVER Connection

Most of the problems and suggestions listed under the "NetWare 3.x" section above apply to NetWare 4.x environments as well but there are a few additional points to consider if a PSERVER connection fails under NetWare 4.x: The last thing to remember with NetWare 4.x PSERVER setups is that bindery emulation mode is dealt with. This means anything to do with this setup must be viewed under this mode at all times.

For Windows NT

Windows NT printing is fairly straight-forward and simple so there's not a lot to troubleshoot. However, since TCP/IP is used as the core network protocol, feel free to use the tips listed under "For TCP/IP" found earlier in this section.

Printer Errors

In addition to the TCP/IP-related issues, there may sometimes be situations where various printer errors come up on the NT box. If it happens when defining a new LPR printer, be sure that the right IP address (or IP name) for the print server is defined and the right pre-defined destination/queue name is given. Most often this second field is entered incorrectly causing setup errors so be sure to: If printer errors occur later when trying to print, check that the printer attached to the print server is ready to go and make sure the Windows station can still communicate with the print server over the network. "ping" is a good test for this. If all attempts fail, a reboot of the Windows station is sometimes the only option left but it works almost every time.

For Windows 95 and WfW

If there are communication problems under either of these environments, be sure to check out the problems and suggestions listed under For TCP/IP found earlier in this section since TCP/IP is involved. If there are printing issues, continue on.

Can't Browse the Microplex Print Server

Sometimes when defining a new NetBIOS over TCP/IP printer using the browsing technique, the print server doesn't always show right away. If this is the case, be sure to check: If help is still needed, look to "Getting Help with Microplex Products".
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