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This page contains answers to frequently asked questions
regarding Advanced Printing Software for Tru64 UNIX and the
Xerox PrintXchange printing system.
- Why should I consider using Advanced Printing Software
rather than the built-in lpr/lpd printing system?
Answer: You don't have to choose. You can use both. Users and legacy
applications that require an lpr/lpq interface can continue to do so
using the Advanced Printing Inbound Gateway. Print jobs and status
queries will be transparently handled by an Advanced Printing Software
spooler.
Advanced Printing Software is a standards-based client-server system
that offers many advantages over the lpr/lpd printing system alone:
- Graphical and command line interfaces for users and administrators.
- Distributed Name Service - employs NIS/yp map and Lightweight
Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) to make printers and servers visible
to clients.
- Access control - particular users or groups can be designated
as print system administrators, printer operators, or end-users,
regardless of whether they a have access to the "root" account.
- Resource-constrained FIFO queueing - jobs are scheduled for
printing only when requested printer features are ready. Jobs can
be scheduled to print after a set time, and can be retained after
completion, in case there's a need to resubmit.
- Fan-in and fan-out queues - you can configure a "logical" printer
that represents several physical devices. Similarly, you can define
several logical printers with distinct defaults and direct their
jobs to one or more physical devices.
- Operator notification when printers need attention - when a
printer jams, runs out of paper, stalls, or is busy printing for
another server, the server can send a notification event to an
operator or administrator, either by email or on a system console
window.
- User notification when jobs complete - Users can request to
be notified about common print job events, such as when a job is
completed, when a job fails to print, and when completed job is
being discarded.
- What version of Tru64 UNIX is required to run Advanced
Printing Software?
Answer: The currently shipping version of Advanced Printing Software,
V1.2, runs on Tru64 UNIX V4.0F and later.
- Can I use Advanced Printing Software and the lpd-based
printing system at the same time?
Answer: Yes. Advanced Printing can be configured to be completely independent
of the lpr/lpd printing system. But it can also be configured to interoperate
with it, so users can continue to use legacy print clients, such as
lpr and PC integration, yet submit their jobs to Advanced Printing
queues.
- Does Advanced Printing Software use my /etc/printcap
file?
Answer: No. It uses a different means for maintaining and distributing
printer information. It can use local file naming, where server
names and printer names are stored in /etc/printers.conf, and it can
distribute that information to clients through a NIS/yp map or with
LDAP. With a printer NIS map or LDAP directory in place, clients instantly "see" the
printers and servers in their domain with minimal client-side administration.
- How can I obtain the software?
Answer: Advanced Printing Software is distributed on the Associated
Products CD-ROM set that accompanies the Tru64 UNIX Operating System
media kit.
You can also download a Advanced Printing Software
kit and documentation from this site.
- Is there a license? How much does it cost?
Answer: No software license PAK is required other than OSF-BASE. Your
operating system license covers the use of Advanced Printing Software
for no added cost.
- I previously installed an earlier version of Advanced Printing Software
and I want to upgrade to the latest version. Will my configuration
be saved?
Answer: Yes. When you de-install the older version, all configuration
data is saved. When you install the new version, your configuration
will be restored.
- I'm running TruCluster Server software and I previously installed
an earlier version of Advanced Printing Software. I want to upgrade
to the latest version. Can I perform a "rolling upgrade", of Advanced
Printing Software, one cluster host at a time?
Answer: No. Removing the product from any host removes and saves your
configuration and directories. That would cause the software running
on a surviving host to fail. You need to plan a time when you can shutdown
all Advanced Printing server processes, perform the upgrade, then restart
them.
- I previously installed the PrintXchange Early Access Kit. How do
I migrate to Advanced Printing Software?
Answer: Your server databases and /etc/printers.conf files are completely
compatible with Advanced Printing Software. Shut down PrintXchange,
de-install all PXCEA*100 subsets and then install the corresponding
Advanced Printing subsets. Your databases and configuration will be
saved and restored automatically. See the Advanced Printing Software
Installation Guide and README.txt file for more information.
- I currently use the Advanced Server for UNIX (ASU) product for PC
integration. How does PC integration work with Advanced Printing?
Answer: The Advanced Server software sends print jobs directly to the
lpd daemon's spool file area. There, they must be processed by lpd.
The Advanced Printing Inbound Gateway daemon communicates with lpd
to transfer those print jobs to an Advanced Printing spooler. This
gives you the additional administrative flexibility of Advanced Printing
with no client-side changes or changes to Advanced Server administration.
- Is Advanced Printing Software the same as the Xerox PrintXchange
product?
Answer: No. Xerox is currently selling and supporting PrintXchange
for Windows NT and Sun Solaris platforms. Advanced Printing Software
is based on PrintXchange V1.0, which was codeveloped by Xerox, Digital
Equipment Corporation and Sun Microsystems. While they share the same
heritage, the two products use different client-server protocols.
- Can I install both Advanced Printing Software and Xerox PrintXchange?
Answer: Not on the same host. The products have a common but different
set of command utilities, server processes, database directories,
and so forth. However, if you install PrintXchange on one set of
hosts, and Advanced Printing Software on another set, they can interoperate
by using the lpd gateways supplied with each product.
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