NetSpool
NetSpool intercepts
print data from VTAM® applications,
such as CICS® and IMS™; transforms the data streams
to EBCDIC line data, PCL, PDF, or other formats that the printer accepts;
and allocates output data sets on the JES spool. JES or PSF can
print the output data sets or JES can transmit them to other locations
for printing. IP PrintWay can transmit the output data sets to remote printers
in your TCP/IP network.
NetSpool supports
these data streams:
- SNA character string (SCS) data over a logical unit (LU) type
1 session
- 3270 data over an LU type 0 or type 3 session
- Binary data over an LU type 0, type 1, or type 3 session
You can configure NetSpool so that you do not need to change
existing VTAM applications.
That is, existing VTAM applications
can send print requests to NetSpool in the same manner as they currently
send print requests to SNA network printers.
Some of the benefits of NetSpool are:
- Data integrity
By placing VTAM application
output on the JES2 or JES3 spool, NetSpool lets you take advantage of the security,
checkpoint and restart, and reprint capabilities that JES provides.
- Printer sharing
NetSpool lets multiple VTAM applications direct output to the JES spool
for simultaneous printing on a single shared printer.
- Print broadcasting
NetSpool lets a single VTAM application simultaneously direct output to
the JES spool for printing on multiple printers.
- AFP formatting
Users
can specify AFP parameters,
such as page definition, form definition, and character sets, to take
advantage of AFP formatting
when printing on AFP printers.
- DBCS support
NetSpool supports DBCS data in both SCS and
3270 data streams.
- Transparent-data support
NetSpool supports transparent data in SCS data
streams and provides exits for adding and changing transparent data.
- Owner and job attribute support
VTAM application
programmers can embed the owner job attribute
and other Infoprint Server
job attributes in the application's print data that is sent to NetSpool.
Also, the administrator can specify a NetSpool default owner in the printer
definition.
- Transforms
NetSpool can
transform data streams from one format to another, such as from SCS
and 3270 data streams to:
- Line data streams for printing on AFP printers (does not require a separate transform
product)
- Line data streams and then to PDF data for viewing in an email
attachment (requires the AFP to PDF transform)
- PCL data streams for printing on network printers (does not require
a separate transform product)
When converting to PCL, NetSpool can
preserve additional print-formatting controls in SCS data streams
by generating corresponding PCL commands. This results in greater
print fidelity. For example, when converting SCS data, Infoprint Server
can:
- Preserve line-density and print-density controls
- Preserve paper-source, output-bin, job-separation, and duplex
controls
- Preserve portrait and landscape page-orientation controls
- Automatically change the page orientation and reduce the font
size, if necessary, page by page
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