Can VPS send data to a RS/6000 running PSF/6000 to

ITEM: RTA000094437



Q:                                                                              
ABSTRACT:     Can VPS send data to a RS/6000 running PSF/6000 to                
              drive 3160s?                                                      
SEARCH ARG:   3172 sna afp                                                      
TOPIC THREAD: PRINT                                                             
              AFP                                                               
              PRINTER_HARDWARE                                                  
              3160                                                              
..                                                                              
Client has a 3172 connected to a Ethernet LAN, they have a requirement          
to print from a host that has VPS that can handle TCP/IP, older levels          
of PSF/MVS 1.3. and need faster print speeds remotely.                          
                                                                                
There is an opportunity for ten 3160 if we can figure out a solution            
that will send the files from the host to the 3160s attached on the            
Ethernet LAN.                                                                   
                                                                                
We think that VPS can LPR the file over to a RS/6000 - 570 class                
machine that is on this LAN.  VPS is required because it is "panel              
driven" for end users for ease of use.  Can this VPS send to the RS/6000        
which we know can then route to the 3160s attached natively to the              
Ethernet LAN?                                                                   
A:                                                                              
You should confirm this with Levi Ray & Shoup for VPS/TCPIP, but from           
the year-old flyer I have, I don't see why it wouldn't work (although           
it hasn't been tested and therefore isn't formally supported). The flyer        
says that "Mainframe reports are sent to the TCP/IP printer using the           
LPR/LPD protocol, without operator intervention."  To me, that means            
that they can route print to any AIX queue (which is LPD-based),                
including a PSF/AIX queue.  This flyer also says that you can send files       
down in "transparent (non-translating)" mode or you can use customizable        
EBCDIC to ASCII translation tables.  It's not clear if you can pass AFP         
parameters down to PSF/AIX; you might have to set up a different                
AIX queue for each combination of defaults you want.                            
                                                                                
Although you said that the customers require the panels of VPS/TCPIP,           
if the customer is at TCP/IP for MVS V3.1, then you should investigate          
the free optional NPF (Network Printing Facility) feature.  It's                
similar to what it sounds like VPS/TCPIP can do--without the panels--but        
with the additional capability (through an input record exit provided           
with PSF/AIX for use exclusively with NPF) to pick up and pass the JCL          
OUTPUT parameters (such as pagedef, formdef, and so on.)  The level of          
PSF/MVS doesn't matter as it's not involved or used in any way.                 
                                                                                
If the customer were at PSF/MVS V2.2, then I'd recommend MVS Download          
as the most robust and best performing solution since it uses TCP/IP            
sockets rather than the slower LPR.                                             
                                                                                
I hope that helps.                                                              
                                                                                
S e a r c h - k e y w o r d s:                                                  
CROSS MVS AIX PSF/6000 PSF FOR AIX VPS TCP/IP NPF MVS DOWNLOAD                  
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                               


WWQA: ITEM: RTA000094437 ITEM: RTA000094437
Dated: 02/1996 Category: XPSF6000
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