Lindy - There are numerous ways to do this but there are several things that
can make it very difficult. One way would be to use IP PrintWay assuming a site
has the software installed and configured. Generally speaking, if the PDF
document is still in its original ASCII format then I expect that most sites
would prefer to offhand the CPU cycles to perform the rendering on another
platform or to a device that can handle the PDF format involved. Nowadays I
would expect that most large shops can deliver the data directly from the
mainframe over an LPR/LPD conversation to a UNIX or Windows print server or can
somehow drive a direct attached IP printer. The secret in this case is to make
sure the original ASCII document is not translated to ASCII again and thus
destroying its content. Locally we reserve JES SYSOUT class T to mean
transparent assuring that any binary document (graphic image of any flavor
or any other file for that matter including PDF) is not retranslated. In the
last several years several major vendors such as Levi, Ray Shoup, Inc. have
added such transparent data delivery support directly to direct attached IP
printers or to printer cap queues hung off an LPD server. We have over 900
printers that use this facility and the only cycles we spend on the mainframe
for printing this type of document are those used by TCP/IP to deliver the
document to the printer or the LPD server and those used by the subsystem
interface to read the data from the JES spool. When sending data from the
mainframe in this manner to an LPD server it is generally a requirement to copy
the file from the JES spool to a temporary work file since the LP data/control
lines sent as part of a control/data line pair at the first of the file
requires an exact byte count (ignoring several RFC extensions with that comment
that may not require this) for the file being sent at the first of the print
file. I can assure you that rendering a PDF document on a mainframe will cost
you significantly more than just handling the work to some
cheap UNIX LPD server for direct delivery to the printer or simply directly to
a capable printer. Encryption facilities are available for end-to-end printing
in this manner if confidential documents are to be sent in this manner but
you'll need to check with your systems staff and read the applicable printer
documentation and LP daemon server info assuming they're ready for this.
Hopefully this can give you some ideas.
J. Hamlet
-Original Message-
From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Lindy Mayfield
Sent: 04 Januarie 2008 12:59 nm
To: IBM-MAIN@BAMA.UA.EDU
Subject: Re: Printing a PDF or PS doc
That was my first thought. I've worked in places that have that sort of
setup.
The question I got was so bizarre to me, something like: How do I print
a PDF on the mainframe? When I print it, it comes out with the source
code of the PDF.
One the surface it seems like a reasonable enough question. In my
wildest imagination I expected the answer to be something like: Yes,
certain IBM printer models have a dual mode of operation and can handle
Postscript. Just add xyz to the SYSOUT parms on your JCL. Or even
better: No, sorry. Send it to a PC printer if you need that. (Like
you said.)
Or even better than that: Check which model printer you have and read
the fine manual. Some do, some don't.
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