HP DECprint Supervisor (DCPS) for OpenVMS
System Manager's Guide


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3.3.3 Supplying the Library Logical Name (P3)

The name of the standard device control library is DCPS$DEVCTL. This is the default library name if this parameter is blank. Refer to Chapter 7 for more information about creating device control libraries and defining the device control library logical name.

3.3.4 Assigning Default PRINT Command Parameters to the Queue (P4)

You can specify default PRINT command parameters to associate with the queue. Any PRINT parameter can be associated by default with a queue. Default PRINT parameters are used when the print job prints on the specified queue, unless the user specifies different parameter values in the PRINT command line. The parameter values specified in the PRINT command line override the default queue parameters.

Place quotes around default PRINT parameters, as shown in the following example:


$ @SYS$STARTUP:DCPS$EXECUTION_QUEUE - 
    2UP -                               ! P1 - Execution queue name 
    "SERIAL/TTB4:" -                    ! P2 - Interconnect protocol/Device name 
    DCPS_LIB -                          ! P3 - Logical name for library(ies) 
    "SIDES=2"                           ! P4 - Default queue parameters 

How DECprint Supervisor Prioritizes PRINT Parameters

Parameters set by the /PARAMETERS qualifier of the PRINT command override any defaults set for the queue. DECprint Supervisor uses default values for parameters, from highest to lowest priority, as follows:

  1. Parameters specified in the PRINT command
  2. Queue defaults specified for the generic queue
  3. Queue defaults specified for the execution queue
  4. Defaults built into the DCPS software:
    DATA_TYPE=AUTOMATIC
    INPUT_TRAY=printer-specific1
    LAYUP_DEFINITION=no default layup definition
    MEDIA_TYPE=printer-specific1
    MESSAGES=NOMESSAGES
    NUMBER_UP=0
    OUTPUT_TRAY=printer-specific1
    PAGE_LIMIT=no limit
    PAGE_ORIENTATION=PORTRAIT
    PAGE_SIZE=(same as SHEET_SIZE)
    NOPUNCH
    SHEET_COUNT=1
    SHEET_SIZE=printer-specific1
    SIDES=printer-specific1
    STAPLE=NONE
    TAB=NOTAB

Some parameter values are controlled by the printer hardware and can be set through means other than the DECprint Supervisor software. DIGITAL PrintServer printers are affected by the PrintServer Software. Other printers are controlled through the printer control panel or switches.

3.3.5 Supplying Default Queue Attributes (P5)

You can supply a value to override or add to the default queue attributes. Do not use the INITIALIZE/QUEUE command to set these qualifiers. Enter them into the queue definition instead.

By default, the printer startup command procedure creates print queues with the following INITIALIZE/QUEUE qualifier settings:

Note

If you include more than one qualifier in the queue definition, enclose the values in quotation marks.

3.3.6 Setting the Speed for Serial Printers (P6)

You can set the communications speed for serial printers attached directly to your OpenVMS system. If this parameter is blank, the default is 9600 baud. To change the speed, replace the null string ("") with a value, such as "19200". For printers that utilize network connections, this parameter is ignored.

3.3.7 Supplying SET DEVICE Qualifiers to the Queue (P7)

You can specify the SET DEVICE command qualifiers for this queue. For example, to enable error logging, include the following string:


    "/ERROR_LOGGING" 

Now, all error messages reported by the printer are recorded in the error log file, SYS$ERRORLOG:ERRLOG.SYS. You can read this file using the ANALYZE/ERROR command.

This parameter is valid for serial printers only.

3.3.8 Enabling SET VERIFY When Initializing the Queue (P8)

You can specify the setting of the SET VERIFY command for the DCPS$EXECUTION_QUEUE.COM command procedure. The default setting is NOVERIFY, to save log file space and console log space. If P8 contains 1, then SET VERIFY is enabled, which is useful for diagnosing problems in the printer startup file. (Refer to the HP OpenVMS DCL Dictionary for more information about the SET [NO]VERIFY command.)

Note

1 These settings depend on the setting of the printer's PostScript interpreter.

3.4 Running the Startup Procedure in Setup Mode

The DCPS startup procedure, DCPS$STARTUP, can be run in a shortened "setup" mode. This mode would most commonly be used if your queues are autostart queues, and you wanted to speed up the execution of DCPS$STARTUP. In setup mode, logical names needed by DCPS are defined, but no queues are created, modified or started.

To run DCPS$STARTUP in setup mode, pass SETUP as the P1 parameter. For example,


  $ @SYS$STARTUP:DCPS$STARTUP SETUP 

To define logical names, DCPS$STARTUP now creates a "setup file" each time it runs in normal (non-setup) mode. This file is called DCPS$STARTUP_SETUP.COM and is run when DCPS$STARTUP is later run in setup mode. The setup file should not be modified and is only for use by DCPS$STARTUP.

Please note the following details concerning setup mode:

3.5 Customizing Execution Queue Behavior

You can alter the behavior of DCPS print symbionts and their corresponding execution queues in a number of ways, several of which are described in this section. Other options are listed in Appendix B, along with general guidelines for making the changes. Some customizations apply to all DCPS queues while others apply only to queues that you specify.

3.5.1 Running DCPS as a Multistreamed Process

DECthreads is used to implement the numerous functions of DCPS. All processes that use DECthreads execute periodically to determine if any threads can run. Even when no jobs are printing, DECthreads causes a DCPS process to run to determine if any threads can run. If there are many DCPS queues started on a system, the scheduling and periodic execution of all these processes can use a significant amount of CPU time. This problem is resolved by running DCPS as a multistreamed process, thereby reducing the number of symbiont processes that must execute.

When running multistreamed, one DCPS process can run more than one DCPS execution queue. A new DCPS process is not started every time a DCPS print queue is started, but only when all current processes are supporting a specified maximum number of queues ("streams"). The number of queues that a DCPS symbiont process will support is determined by the value of the logical name DCPS$MAX_STREAMS when the process is started.

DCPS can be configured to support up to 32 execution queues per DCPS symbiont process. The logical name DCPS$MAX_STREAMS is used to specify the number of queues per DCPS symbiont process. To define this logical, specify the following command in your DCPS$STARTUP.COM file (a template is provided in DCPS$STARTUP.TEMPLATE) and substitute the number of queues per process to use. If this logical name is not defined, a DCPS process will support only one (1) execution queue.


    $ DEFINE /EXECUTIVE_MODE /SYSTEM DCPS$MAX_STREAMS max-number

Execute your DCPS$STARTUP.COM file to define this logical name and start your queues with DCPS as a multistreamed process.

A DCPS process terminates only when all queues associated with the process are stopped.

3.5.1.1 Managing Print Queues When Running Multistreamed

The OpenVMS Queue Manager controls when a symbiont process is created and terminated. Generally a new DCPS symbiont process is created when there are no free streams in all existing DCPS symbiont processes.

The set of print queues that a DCPS symbiont process supports is determined by the order in which queues are started, and by any subsequent stopping ( STOP /QUEUE /RESET or STOP /QUEUE /NEXT ) and starting ( START /QUEUE ) of queues. DCPS defines a logical name which identifies the process ID for a queue ( Section 5.8). You can use these logical names to determine the process that supports a queue and the set of queues that are supported by the same process.

Although not likely, a problem observed with one queue could be the result of a problem that exists with another queue, because both queues are supported by the same process. It may not be sufficient to examine the state of one job on one queue to identify a problem. You may need to look at the state of the first job on all the queues supported by that DCPS process.

A DCPS queue should not be stopped by stopping the DCPS process that supports that queue. Stopping a DCPS symbiont process with STOP /IDENTIFICATION will stop all of the queues supported by that process.

3.5.1.2 Changing the DCPS Environment When Running Multistreamed

With a single-streamed DCPS symbiont process, changes to DCPS logicals names and other aspects of the DCPS environment may not take effect until after you have issued a STOP /QUEUE /RESET and then a START /QUEUE command for the associated queue, depending on what you are trying to change.

To change the behavior for a single DCPS queue that is associated with a multistreamed process, you may need to stop all the DCPS queues associated with that symbiont process and then restart them before the change will take effect. This is because some aspects of the environment are determined only when the DCPS symbiont process starts (rather than when a DCPS queue starts) and the symbiont process does not stop until all of its associated queues are stopped.

3.5.1.3 Determing the Proper Value for DCPS$MAX_STREAMS

There are several factors to consider to determine an appropriate number of queues per DCPS symbiont process including:

3.5.2 Interrupting Busy Printers When a Job Starts

DCPS normally waits for a Raw TCP/IP, LAT or serial printer to be idle before sending a new job to it. This is especially important in a networked environment where a printer can be shared among DCPS queues, LATSYM queues, Windows® and UNIX® hosts, etc.

Prior to version V1.2, DCPS used an aggressive synchronization sequence to gain control of a printer's PostScript interpreter. This scheme worked well in an all-DCPS environment, but in a multi-host environment it sometimes caused print jobs from other systems to terminate prematurely.

If you rely on DCPS's earlier behavior to abort errant PostScript jobs on one queue by starting a job on another queue, you can define the following system logical name to restore the more aggressive behavior:


    $ DEFINE /EXECUTIVE_MODE /SYSTEM DCPS$queue-name_INTERRUPT_WHEN_BUSY TRUE

3.5.3 Enabling PostScript Synchronization When a Job Starts

Before DCPS V2.7, DCPS began a job on a Raw TCP/IP, LAT or serial printer by synchronizing with its PostScript interpreter to ensure that the interpreter was ready to accept commands. However, some PostScript printers are not always in a state where they can recognize the synchronization control characters. In particular, some printers that support additional printer languages like PCL do not correctly respond to this sequence under certain circumstances.

Since using PostScript synchronization is not usually required, this step is no longer performed starting with DCPS V2.7. However, to allow synchronization for printers that might require it, you can define a logical name to cause the DCPS symbiont to send the synchronization sequence for printers that use a Raw TCP/IP, LAT or serial connection. The logical name has no effect when using printers connected via other means. Refer to Chapter 10 for printer-specific recommendations.

To enable the synchronization sequence for a print queue, use the following command:


    $ DEFINE /EXECUTIVE_MODE /SYSTEM DCPS$queue-name_SYNC TRUE

The absence of the synchronization step is not generally a problem for most modern serially-connected printers because such printers use flow control to hold off data when the interpreter is not ready to accept data. However, the printer is more vulnerable to printing "garbage" or losing jobs if communication parameters, such as baud rate and stop bits, are not set correctly. Depending on the configuration, it's also possible to lose print jobs if the printer data cable is disconnected or the printer is powered off.

3.5.4 Purging the Symbiont Process's Working Set

The DCPS symbiont purges its working set after it has been idle for a period of time in order to conserve system resources. The time delay is intended to help prevent the system from thrashing by keeping the program in physical memory while more work is apt to arrive.

By default, DCPS waits ten (10) minutes after becoming idle before purging its working set. You can increase this value, if desired, by defining a system-wide logical name:


    $ DEFINE /EXECUTIVE_MODE /SYSTEM DCPS$PURGE_TIME "0 hh:mm:ss.00"

where hh:mm:ss.00 is an OpenVMS delta-time value specifying the desired time delay. If the value is less than the default of ten seconds, the default is used.

3.5.5 Enabling Spooling for LPD Queues

Remote LPD queues, and some LPD printers, require the size of the job to be known before the job is sent. DCPS can produce a temporary spool file so the size can be determined. By default, DCPS LPD jobs are not spooled, so specific action must be taken to send DCPS LPD jobs to remote LPD queues or LPD printers that require it. Spooling can be specified for the whole system or for individual queues by defining logical names.

Because spooling requires an extra step to create the temporary spool file, you should enable spooling only for printers that require it. Common reasons to use spooling are:

You are printing to a remote LPD queue on another system.
Your printer does not print anything when using DCPS LPD without spooling.
Your printer is a larger multi-function device that does not work with DCPS Raw TCP or LPD without spooling.

To turn on spooling, define one of the following logical names. Neither of these logical names are defined by default.

To specify where temporary spool files will be created, the following logical name is used. This logical name is always defined.

3.5.6 Specifying Sheet Size for LPD Queues

The logical names DCPS$SHEET_SIZE and DCPS$queue-name_SHEET_SIZE are used to tell DCPS about the printer's default paper size. The system-wide logical name DCPS$SHEET_SIZE is defined in DCPS$STARTUP.COM to be LETTER. If you use a different paper size at your site, change or redefine the value of this logical name. You can also change the value for individual queues by defining a value for the queue-specific DCPS$queue-name_SHEET_SIZE.

For example, to specify A4 as the default paper size system-wide:


    $ DEFINE /EXECUTIVE_MODE /SYSTEM DCPS$SHEET_SIZE     A4

To specify LEGAL as the default paper size for a queue called LAWYERS:


    $ DEFINE /EXECUTIVE_MODE /SYSTEM DCPS$LAWYERS_SHEET_SIZE LEGAL

The definition of the DCPS$SHEET_SIZE logical name is in the new version of DCPS$STARTUP.TEMPLATE shipped with this version of DCPS. You should copy DCPS$STARTUP.TEMPLATE to .COM and edit the resulting DCPS$STARTUP.COM with your site-specific changes.

Note the following behavior concerning the sheet size logical name:

3.5.7 Specifying Product Name for LPD Queues

If you have a DCPS-supported printer that you want to use with a DCPS LPD queue, you must define the DCPS$queue-name_PRODUCT_NAME logical name. The value of the logical name is the PostScript product name of the printer as shown in Table 3-4. You must specify the product name exactly, including spacing. However, capitalization and trailing spaces are ignored.

For example, to set up a queue called MYMFP to an HP LaserJet 9000 MFP printer, use the following command:


    $ DEFINE /EXECUTIVE_MODE /SYSTEM DCPS$MYMFP_PRODUCT_NAME -
    _$ "HP LaserJet 9000 MFP"

Please note the following guidelines:

Table 3-4 Supported Printer Product Names
Colormate PS  
Colormate PS40  
Colormate PS80  
Colorwriter 1000  
Colorwriter LSR 2000  
Compaq Laser Printer LN16  
Compaq Laser Printer LN32  
Compaq Laser Printer LNC02  
Compaq Laser Printer LNM40  
DECColorwriter 1000  
DEClaser 1150  
DEClaser 1152  
DEClaser 2150  
DEClaser 2250  
DEClaser 3250  
DEClaser 3500  
DEClaser 5100  
DIGITAL Laser Printer LN15  
DIGITAL Laser Printer LN20  
DIGITAL Laser Printer LN40  
DIGITAL Laser Printer LNC02  
GENICOM Intelliprint cL160  
GENICOM Intelliprint mL260  
GENICOM Intelliprint mL402  
GENICOM Intelliprint mL450  
GENICOM LN21  
GENICOM LN28  
GENICOM LN45  
GENICOM LNM40  
GENICOM microLaser 170  
GENICOM microLaser 210  
GENICOM microLaser 280  
GENICOM microLaser 320  
GENICOM microLaser 401  
HP 9085mfp  
HP CM8050 Color MFP  
HP CM8050 Color MFP with Edgeline  
HP CM8060 Color MFP  
HP CM8060 Color MFP with Edgeline  
HP Color LaserJet 2500  
HP Color LaserJet 2550 Series  
HP Color LaserJet 2605dn  
HP Color LaserJet 2605dtn  
HP Color LaserJet 3000  
HP Color LaserJet 3700  
HP Color LaserJet 3800  
HP Color LaserJet 4500  
HP Color LaserJet 4550  
HP Color LaserJet 4600  
HP Color LaserJet 4610  
HP Color LaserJet 4650  
HP Color LaserJet 4700  
HP Color LaserJet 4730mfp  
HP Color LaserJet 5500  
HP Color LaserJet 5550  
HP Color LaserJet 8500  
HP Color LaserJet 8550  
HP Color LaserJet 9500  
HP Color LaserJet 9500 MFP  
HP Color LaserJet CM1015  
HP Color LaserJet CM1017  
HP Color LaserJet CM1312 MFP Series  
HP Color LaserJet CM2320 MFP Series  
HP Color LaserJet CM3530 MFP  
HP Color LaserJet CM4730 MFP  
HP Color LaserJet CM6030 MFP  
HP Color LaserJet CM6040 MFP  
HP Color LaserJet CP1510 Series  
HP Color LaserJet CP2020 Series  
HP Color LaserJet CP3505  
HP Color LaserJet CP3525  
HP Color LaserJet CP4005  
HP Color LaserJet CP6015  
HP LaserJet 1300 Series  
HP LaserJet 1320 Series  
HP LaserJet 2100 Series  
HP LaserJet 2200  
HP LaserJet 2300 series  
HP LaserJet 2410  
HP LaserJet 2420  
HP LaserJet 2430  
HP LaserJet 3052  
HP LaserJet 3055  
HP LaserJet 3390  
HP LaserJet 3392  
HP LaserJet 4 Plus  
HP LaserJet 4000 Series  
HP LaserJet 4050 Series  
HP LaserJet 4100 MFP  
HP LaserJet 4100 Series  
HP LaserJet 4200  
HP LaserJet 4200L  
HP LaserJet 4240  
HP LaserJet 4240N  
HP LaserJet 4250  
HP LaserJet 4250L  
HP LaserJet 4300  
HP LaserJet 4345 MFP  
HP LaserJet 4350  
HP LaserJet 4ML  
HP LaserJet 4MP  
HP LaserJet 4PJ  
HP LaserJet 4Si  
HP LaserJet 4V  
HP LaserJet 5000 Series  
HP LaserJet 5100 Series  
HP LaserJet 5200  
HP LaserJet 5200L  
HP LaserJet 5M  
HP LaserJet 5Si  
HP LaserJet 8000 Series  
HP LaserJet 8100 Series  
HP LaserJet 8150 Series  
HP LaserJet 9000 MFP  
HP LaserJet 9000 Series  
HP LaserJet 9000L MFP  
HP LaserJet 9040  
HP LaserJet 9040 MFP  
HP LaserJet 9050  
HP LaserJet 9050 MFP  
HP LaserJet 9055mfp  
HP LaserJet 9065mfp  
HP LaserJet III  
HP LaserJet IIID  
HP LaserJet IIISi  
HP LaserJet IIP  
HP LaserJet M1522n MFP  
HP LaserJet M1522nf MFP  
HP LaserJet M2727nf MFP  
HP LaserJet M3027 MFP  
HP LaserJet M3035 MFP  
HP LaserJet M4345 MFP  
HP LaserJet M5025 MFP  
HP LaserJet M5035 MFP  
HP LaserJet M9040 MFP  
HP LaserJet M9050 MFP  
HP LaserJet P2015 Series  
HP LaserJet P2055  
HP LaserJet P3004  
HP LaserJet P3005  
HP LaserJet P3010 Series  
HP LaserJet P4014  
HP LaserJet P4015  
HP LaserJet P4515  
Hewlett-Packard LaserJet IIISi  
IBM InfoPrint 32/40  
IBM Infoprint 21  
LN17ps  
LPS17  
LPS17/600  
LPS20  
LPS20+  
LPS32  
LPS40  
LPS40+  
LaserJet 4  
LaserJet II  
LaserWriter II NT  
LaserWriter II NTX  
LaserWriter IIf  
LaserWriter IIg  
LaserWriter Personal NTR  
LaserWriter Plus  
LaserWriter Pro 600  
LaserWriter Pro 630  
LaserWriter Pro 810  
LaserWriter Select 310  
LaserWriter Select 320  
LaserWriter Select 360  
Lexmark C720  
Lexmark C750  
Lexmark C910  
Lexmark Optra C710  
Lexmark Optra LaserPrinter  
Lexmark Optra S 1250  
Lexmark Optra S 1255  
Lexmark Optra S 1620  
Lexmark Optra S 1625  
Lexmark Optra S 1650  
Lexmark Optra S 1855  
Lexmark Optra S 2420  
Lexmark Optra S 2450  
Lexmark Optra S 2455  
Lexmark Optra Se 3455  
Lexmark Optra T610  
Lexmark Optra T612  
Lexmark Optra T614  
Lexmark Optra T616  
Lexmark Optra W810  
Lexmark T520  
Lexmark T522  
Lexmark T620  
Lexmark T622  
Lexmark W820  
PacificPage  
PaintJet XL300  
Phaser 200e  
Phaser 200i  
Phaser 220e  
Phaser 220i  
Phaser 300i  
Phaser 4500DP  
Phaser 4500N  
Phaser 4500X  
Phaser 4510DT  
Phaser 4510DX  
Phaser 4510N  
Phaser 5500DN  
Phaser 5500DP  
Phaser 5500N  
Phaser 5500X  
Phaser 6250DN  
Phaser 6250DP  
Phaser 6250DT  
Phaser 6250DX  
Phaser 6250N  
Phaser 7300DN  
Phaser 7300DT  
Phaser 7300DX  
Phaser 7300N  
Phaser 740  
Phaser 740E  
Phaser 740P  
Phaser 750DP  
Phaser 750DX  
Phaser 750N  
Phaser 7750DN  
Phaser 7750DX  
Phaser 7750GX  
Phaser 780GN  
Phaser 780N  
Phaser 8400DP  
Phaser 8400DX  
Phaser 8400N  
Phaser 850DP  
Phaser 850DX  
Phaser 850N  
Phaser III PXi  
RICOH Aficio 3035 PS3  
RICOH Aficio 3045 PS3  
RICOH Aficio 3235C PS3  
RICOH Aficio AP400N PS3  
RICOH Aficio AP410N PS3  
RICOH Aficio AP4510 PS3  
RICOH Aficio CL3500N PS3  
RICOH Aficio CL4000DN PS3  
RICOH Aficio CL7000 PS  
RICOH Aficio CL7100 PS  
RICOH Aficio CL7200 PS  
RICOH Aficio CL7300 PS  
RICOH Aficio MP 161 PS3  
RICOH Aficio MP 2510 PS3  
RICOH Aficio MP 3500 PS3  
RICOH Aficio MP 4500 PS3  
RICOH Aficio MP 5500 PS3  
RICOH Aficio SP 8100DN PS3  
RICOH Aficio SP C410DN PS3  
RICOH Aficio SP C411DN PS3  
RICOH Aficio SP C811DN PS3  
ScriptPrinter  
Xerox DocuPrint N2025  
Xerox DocuPrint N2125  
Xerox DocuPrint N24  
Xerox DocuPrint N2825  
Xerox DocuPrint N32  
Xerox DocuPrint N3225  
Xerox DocuPrint N40  
Xerox DocuPrint N4025  
Xerox DocuPrint N4525  
Xerox WCP 232  
Xerox WCP 238  
Xerox WCP 245  
Xerox WCP 255  
Xerox WCP 265  
Xerox WCP 275  
Xerox WCP 35  
Xerox WCP 45  
Xerox WCP 55  
Xerox WCP 65  
Xerox WCP 75  
Xerox WCP 90  
Xerox WCP C2128  
Xerox WCP C2636  
Xerox WCP C3545  


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