Printing to a TCP/IP printer from CICS TS

Answer

Printers can be defined to TCP/IP, and the corresponding VTAM resources can be acquired and used by CICS just like any other VTAM printer LU. No additional software beyond z/OS is required. CICS TS talks indirectly through TCP/IP Telnet to print to a TCP/IP attached printer (or a TCP/IP attached PCOM terminal.) The printer communicates with TCP/IP Telnet so CICS sends the printout to the Telnet LU and the TCP/IP Telnet passes it on to the printer.

Therefore, you should define the printer as a regular VTAM LU just like you did when using SNA, except the LU name will be one of the LUs in the pool of TCP/IP Telnet LUs. CICS does not know that it is communicating to a TCP/IP attached printer. It does not even know it is talking to TCP/IP Telnet. To CICS, it is just a VTAM luname. See Associated Printer Function in section 2.2.1.4.12 Advanced LU name mapping topics of the z/OS V1.13 Communications Server: IP Configuration Guide (SC31-8775-20) for more information on how to define the printer.

Printing to a TCP/IP attached printer can also be accomplished by using printing software. If, for example, you use the IBM Infoprint Server printing software you could use NetSpool to simulate a VTAM printer and write the printing output to the MVS job entry system (JES) SPOOL. Then you could use IP PrintWay product to send the print output from the SPOOL to the TCP/IP printer.

NetSpool and IP PrintWay perform complementary functions. NetSpool converts print requests from VTAM applications into S/390 line data and creates output data sets on the JES spool, using information in a NetSpool print-characteristics data set created by the installation. IP PrintWay can transmit data sets created by NetSpool from the JES spool to printers in a TCP/IP network.