PSF/AIX questions:log file, accounting, operator console messages
ITEM: RTA000144351
Q:
ABSTRACT: PSF/AIX questions: log file of printed files; operator
interface panel (smit); PSF messages directed to console
SEARCH ARG: aix psf6000
TOPIC THREAD: PRINT
PSF/AIX
..
Customer has just completed the installation of PSF/AIX V2.1 and
an RS/6000 39H. They have several systems that print to the queues
that have been setup: Sun queues, SCO UNIX queues, Windows NT queues,
and VAX queues. All are working well and some questions surfaced
pertaining to the printing and the operator panel (run_op_smit).
Q1) The first question is, does PSF/AIX offer any method of having a log
of all jobs that come into the queues. Customer sees the jobs with
the 'lpstat' command. The jobs when printed are of course gone.
Is there a log file that we can build and if so where is it or how can
we build it? End users will question if a job gets printed and this
way the operator can say it was received and printed.
Q2) The next question pertains to the operator panel that is built. I
followed along in the Print Admin book for installing the production
print operator interface. We are running AixWindows and Aix 4.2.1
and when I login as the operator, I have to open an aixterm and then
execute 'smit'. The smit is the normal smit and not just limited
to psf. The user belongs to qprint group. The user can bring up & down
the queues, kill jobs..... But they can also make changes to the
printer configurations which I do not want them to do.
What does the smit panel really look like and what steps did I miss?
Is there a manual I can refer to?
Q3) Final question is the redirection of PSF messages to the console. I
have installed ascii interface installations and the PSF error messages
are routed to the console. The AixWindows interface does not get the
message at the console. Where do I change this so the customer can
receive the messages. I would like the operator to get the message at
the console and not have to read the error.log for each queue. I like
the error.log but could we also see them at the console? How do we do
that?
So there are three areas of questions:
1) A log of printed files; showing date, time, name.....
2) The operator interface panel for production; need help on this....
3) The ability to have PSF error message appear on the system console
as well as written to the error.log.....
Thanks for your help
A:
I do need to do some additional research, but let me tell you what I do
know to this point.
R1) To get the information you want, you can activate the accounting
exit, "ainacclog", by printer. Accounting information will then be
accumulated in /var/psf/accounting.log for those printers for which
you've activated the exit. We provide some sample reporting programs.
For example, you could use the "ainurpt3" program to report on all the
print jobs for a particular user. Source for ainurpt1, ainurpt2, and
ainurpt3 is in /usr/lpp/psf/exits. Or you can code your own.
Reference S544-3817-03, PSF/AIX Print Administration, pages 203-205
and 229-232.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This program requires the specification of a
userid for which the report is to be generated.
Please enter the userid (up to 8 chars) :
Report for root
Start Start Printer Pages Job
Date Time ID Printed Name
________ ________ ________ _________ ____________________________
09/05/95 17:51:06 psf12 1 /home/peru/O1OVLY
09/05/95 18:03:08 psf12 8 /home/peru/output.afp
09/05/95 18:31:46 psf12 1 /home/peru/O1WAKA.OVLY38PP
09/08/95 17:04:54 psf12 1 /home/micr/test.afp
09/08/95 17:09:05 psf12 0 /var/psf/tmp/FJPAVAYAAA
09/08/95 17:14:40 psf12 0 /var/psf/tmp/EC9AVAYAAA
09/20/95 13:23:00 psf12 1 /home/byron/tstdat
09/20/95 13:27:10 psf12 1 /usr/lpp/psf/reslib/O1CAM010
09/20/95 13:37:16 psf12 1 /home/byron/tstdat
09/20/95 14:34:27 psf12 89 /var/psf/tmp/DwMAVAYAAA
09/20/95 14:42:20 psf12 1 /home/byron/tstdat
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
To activate the accounting exit:
smitty psf_main
Administer PSF for AIX
Manage a PSF for AIX Printer (such as Add and Remove Printers)
Show/Change Characteristics...
User Exit Programs
Accounting
Set "ACTIVATE accounting exit?" to "yes", and "ACCOUNTING PROGRAM name"
to "ainacclog".
R2) The PSF Operator Panel was developed before AIX V4 and CDE, and
assumes that the user interface is AIXwindows. It is possible to
change the system user interface for all users to AIXwindows, but I
don't think that's an acceptable solution. I need to research further
on how to change it for an individual user. However, you mention
that you are already using AIXwindows (rather than CDE?). I may need
to check with Development if you're having the problems you describe
with AIXwindows.
As far as your operators with printq authority being able to add,
delete or change printers, that's a standard part of printq authority.
You should be able to use acledit on the /etc/qconfig file to enable
extended permissions, denying access for those users in printq for whom
you wish to restrict that capability.
Reference: acledit -- see AIX publications or InfoExplorer.
R3) In AIX V4, when you login, your session is lft0. If you're running
CDE, the desktop will come up and "hide" lft0, which is the default
destination for the console. I've not tried it, but this is probably
also true if you come up in AIXwindows. If you're really running CDE,
in the Application Manager object on the CDE bar at the bottom of a
screen, if you go into Desktop_Tools and start a Terminal Console, that
will start a dtterm terminal emulator as the console. In 4.1.4, I was
told that was part of the Personal Productivity package from the AIX
media.
You can also use the swcons command to switch the console to the window
of your choice; use the tty command to determine the name of the current
window. If you're really running AIXwindows and not CDE, this may be
what you'll have to do; I'll have to check with the AIX Support Center
or transfer this item to their queues.
That by itself will get some, but not all of the PSF messages that get
written to the error.log file. Are there particular messages that
you're interested in?
Summarizing:
1) Please verify that you are running AIXwindows and not CDE. Then
I can investigate the issues regarding the PSF operator interface.
2) Which PSF error messages that you currently find in the error.log
file(s) are you interested in seeing on the console?
If I've missed anything, let me know.
Q:
Sorry for the delay....
Q2) The customer is using CDE. If we log in via Xwindows, the operator
panel is what the book says it should be. The customer does want to
login via CDE so they can live with the full smit memu. If there is
a little change we can make to CDE to get the panel that would be worth
trying for us. Please let me know....
Q3) We opened up a console term (CDE) and we still do not get any
messages. We would like all messages written to the console as well as
the /var/psf/printername/error.log. How do we redirect these messages
to the console as well as the error.log?
Thanks for your time.....
A:
Researching...
A:
I wanted to give you an update. I got called out of the country on a
critsit, but sent your information to the developers and my backup
before leaving. If they get an answer before I return tomorrow
afternoon, they will update the item. Otherwise, I will get you an
answer as soon as I can after I get back.
While on the critsit, I have had an opportunity to start an AIX terminal
console on an AIX 4.1.4 system, and all the PSF error.log messages are
indeed being reflected on that terminal console window as well. I do
have access to a 4.2.1. system at home and can try again there when I
get back, but it does work as I described above on a 4.1.4 system.
Did you also try the swcons command I mentioned earlier? If so, what
were the results?
Leaving open.
Q:
We did open the 'console' aixterm but did not see errors written.
The types of errors we were expecting were the ones that are written
to the /var/psf/printername/error.log (i.e. printer needs attention or
transport open or stacker full.... etc.) It seems that the ascii
consoles that I have installed all have the error redirected to both
the console and the error log. If we look at the 'Error Log and Trace
Options' in 'smit psfcfg' panels; the dialog entry for:
"Path to error and trace logs" ===> . which means the above error.log
file. (see page 183 of the PSF for AIX: Print Administration manual)
Could we add something additional to also write to the console as well
as the error.log?
The 'swcons' did not seem to work as we expected. Again we are running
AIX 4.2.1 and CDE.
The 3900 printer is close enough for the operator to see what is
happening, so if there is nothing that can be done.... that will be fine
but if there is something simple.... we are willing to explore.
Thanks so much for your continued help...
A:
I've spoken with Boulder, and because you're encountering things not
working as designed (messages to the console, which does work for
me here on a 4.2.1 system, and the operator interface under CDE), the
change team would like for you to open a PMR to get this into the formal
problem management and change team process.
I apologize that you've waited so long to get an answer here, with the
end result that you're now asked to open a PMR. However, since things
are not working as designed, the PMR process is really the way to go so
that any defects that may be found get fixed in the product for all
customers.
Thanks for your patience.
S e a r c h - k e y w o r d s:
psf/6000 psf/aix psf aix run_op_smit operator console swcons terminal
log accounting error.log lft0 error messages CDE interface ppo
WWQA: ITEM: RTA000144351 ITEM: RTA000144351
Dated: 03/1999 Category: XPSF6000
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