HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
What is the native mode spooler?
The native mode spooler (NMS) is an MPE/iX subsystem used to manage and
control print files and printing devices. Spool is an abbreviation for
simultaneous peripheral operation online. A spooler allows numerous user
processes requiring a printer to run simultaneously. This means that
many programs may share a single printer.
Generally, users perform eight functions to control standard files on an
MPE/iX system: create, list, print, alter, browse, copy, rename, and
purge. The MPE/iX native mode spooler provides an easy, powerful way for
you to perform the same functions with spool files because it has made
them regular, visible files.
With the advent of Release 5.5 of MPE/iX, you can use the spooler to
control printing on devices that are directly attached to an HP 3000 as
well as on devices that are attached via a network. Most of the
information in this manual pertains to both non-network and network
printers. Chapter 3 deals exclusively with network printing and explains
the configuration and operation of network printers in detail.
System requirements and restrictions
The native mode spooler is part of the fundamental operating system (FOS)
which you install on the HP 3000 with the INSTALL or UPDATE utility. It
runs on any Hewlett-Packard Precision Architecture HP 3000 systems that
have been updated to MPE/iX version A.40.00 (release 2.1 or later).
Network printing requires Release 5.5 or later of MPE/iX.
A note on device configuration
Your system manager is responsible for properly configuring the output
devices that are managed by the native mode spooler program. Configuring
channel-attached printers or plotters using the NMMGR utility is not
explained in this manual. For information, refer to the System Startup,
Configuration, and Shutdown Reference Manual (32650-90042), the HP
3000/iX Network Planning and Configuration Guide (36922-61023) and the
Configuring Systems for Terminals, Printers, and Other Serial Devices
(32022-61000). To configure a network printer, read Chapter 3 in this
manual.
Spooler commands, utilities, and user capabilities
To control spool files and spooled devices, you use an assortment of
MPE/iX command and three utilities, SPIFF, SPFXFER and PRINTSPF. Each of
these commands and utilities is briefly described in the table below.
The degree of control you have over the spooler and spool files depends
primarily on the user capabilities you have been assigned, or whether or
not you have access to the console. The four different levels of
capability include system manager (SM), operator (OP), account manager
(AM), and general user capabilities. The spooler commands behave
differently and display different information depending upon the
capabilities of the person issuing a command. Chapter 2, which explains
spooler management tasks, points out such differences.
Table 1-1. Summary of Spooler Commands and Utilities
Command Definition
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BUILD Creates and immediately allocates a new empty file on disk.
You may use the filecode parameter of this command to
specify the type of file. Three of these codes, appropriate
to spool files, have been reserved, one each to designate an
output spool file, an input spool file, and a checkpoint
file for an output spool file. You may also use the SPOOL
option of the BUILD command to create an output spool file
that is not linked to the spool file directory SPFDIR.
COPY Copies a nonprivate output spool file to another, new file
which is not linked to the spool file directory SPFDIR.
FILE Declares the file attributes to be used when a file is
opened, which may override programmatic or system default
file specificiations. Use the FILE command to declare the
type of file, to create an output spool file that is not
linked to the spool file directory, to mount special forms,
to declare a spool file private, and to have the spooler
save an output spool file after all copies have been
printed.
FORMSALIGN Initiates a forms message dialog with the system operator
when the current spool file includes a special forms
message. You issue this command for a specific LDEV or a
device class.
JOB Defines a job and allows you to specify if the output spool
file the job produces is private, and if it is saved after
all copies have been printed.
Table 1-1. Summary of Spooler Commands and Utilities (cont.)
Command Definition
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LISTEQ Displays all active file equations for a job or session so
that you can find out if a job's output spool file is
private or will be saved.
LISTF Displays a list of one or more files for the system, account
or group. The spool files you see listed depend upon your
capabilities. System managers (SM capability) can view all
files on the system. To list input and output spool files,
issue a LISTF for IN.HPSPOOL and OUT.HPSPOOL respectively.
LISTFILE Displays a list of one or more files in hierarchical
directories.
LISTSPF Produces a listing of input and output spool files.
OPENQ Opens the spool queue for a specifiedlogical device, device
name, or all devices of a device class.
OUTFENCE Defines the minimum priority that an output spool file must
have in order to be printed.
PRINTSPF Displays the data and the special overhead area of each
record of a spool file.
PURGE Deletes a file (including a spool file) from the system.
RENAME Allows you to change the identity (file name, lockword,
and/or group name) of a spool file to which you have access
and that is not linked to the spool file directory.
RESTORE Copies nonprivate, native mode output spool files from
backup media to an MPE/iX system that also has the native
mode spooler.
SHOWDEV Reports the status of a specific device or all devices in a
single device class (such as LP).
SPFXFER Transports spool files between MPE/iX systems that have the
native mode spooler and MPE system that do not.
SPIFF Allows you to list, manipulate, and transfer spool files.
SPOOLER The general command you use to control spooler processes.
This includes starting, stopping, suspending and resuming a
spooler, and enabling and disabling spooling for a specified
LDEV or device class
SPOOLF Allows a qualified user to alter, print, or delete one or
more output spool files.
STORE Copies nonprivate, native mode output spool files to backup
media for transfer (via the RESTORE command) to another
MPE/iX system that also has the native mode spooler.
For detailed documentation on the commands, refer to chapter 4. For
details on the utilities, refer to chapter 5.