Question

Emulate JetDirect box & capture output to txt file

Asked by: kdmackey

Original question as submitted to EE:
I have a situation where we are receiving print jobs directly to several JetDirect Printer servers.  We need to capture the printjob as plain text (printing to dot matrix printers) and process the jobs through a document management system.  The developers of the software app are not helping by saying they don't want to modify their server.

I'm hoping that there's some way that we can capture the print job and ftp the file somewhere based on what "printer" it printed to....

My question is almost identical...   host software application cannot be modified yet data needs to be captured and pre/post processed before printing (eg. need redirect to file/ftp/etc).

I have physical access to the JETDIRECT BOX and the two printers that are attached (one is an HP laserjet and one is an epson line printer).

CURRENT SITUATION:

legacy host application with no ability to change LPR/PORT/IP/ETC port printing settings

---------------------------------------------------|
LEGACY HOST APP----> JETDIRECT BOX /--- HP Laserjet
---------------------------------------------------\--- EPSON LinePrinter (parallel)

DESIRED SITUATION:

no change to legacy host application

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
LEGACY HOST APP ----> LINUX HOST w/ JETDIRECT emulation PORT 9100 capture ---> redirect to file
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Thanks.

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Asked On
2008-04-29 at 05:48:09ID23361789
Tags

emulate

,

jetdirect

Topics

Linux Printing

,

Operating Systems Miscellaneous

Participating Experts
2
Points
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Comments
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Answers

 

by: arnoldPosted on 2008-04-29 at 06:15:39ID: 21461877

An option could be to setup a unix/linux box with CUPs/LPadmin that would end up using the jetdirect IP.
http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/linux-networking/53105-how-make-cups-jetdirect-appsocket-print-server.html
http://www.cups.org/documentation.php/network.html
http://www.novell.com/documentation/suse91/suselinux-adminguide/html/ch05s05.html

Noticed you saw and posted on the above article. The host application will send the print job to CUPS. My guess is your concern is in the event the printer is out of paper or gets jams, whether the error from printer to cups will be relayed to the end user.

 

by: kdmackeyPosted on 2008-04-29 at 17:47:27ID: 21467383

Firstly, thanks for your interest....
Yes... I did post on that 'other' forum... hoping that I might widen my net for potential solutions.  AND You are also right by premempting one of my few possible objections with CUPS is that it can ACTUALLY handle status and control messages STATUS back to the host system.
I also need to know that CUPS can redirect spooled data to a file and not manipulate the spool file in any way.  It also needs to send back an ACKnowledgement to the host that the job has been successfully completed and update STATUS.
Anyone that can give me an outline of how CUPS can do this will have successfully answered my original question.
OR
Anyone that can provide information on any alternative programs that can do this will have answered my original question.
Cheers
kd

 

by: carlosmpPosted on 2008-04-29 at 18:22:09ID: 21467496

One other solution that we looked at was to use a program called PrintWizard.  It runs on a Windows box, but can do some pretty powerful things like redirect to any number of printers.  here's their website:  http://www.anzio.com/products/printwizse.htm

We're in the middle of doing something very similar to this for one of our clients, and this apears to be the best solution that we've been abe to find.

 

by: kdmackeyPosted on 2008-04-29 at 19:19:01ID: 21467682

carlosmp, thanks for your comments...  (especially since you were the original poster of the question :>)

was this the "Windows App" you were talking about in your original posted question?

I also found PrintWiz, but it seems like major overkill... I don't need any of the tools it offers to reformat ouptut.  You have to buy the SERVER version to get the net direct (JetDirect emulation).

I'm a bit flustered that there is nothing else out there to displace JETDIRECT BOX...  I just need a tool to simply capture output to a spool file.

Also, I haven't tested PrintWiz, but does it handle all the STAUS updates back to the host system properly...

Thanks again for your feedback!
cheers,
kd

 

by: carlosmpPosted on 2008-04-29 at 19:24:17ID: 21467705

kd - not sure about the status updat.  Our client just let us know that he wants to start working on this again.  The software may be expensive, but the guys there were willing to work with us on it, and help make it work.  I can't justify spending hours upon hours trying to get all sorts of other programs to work.  I don't like reinventing the wheel...

 

by: kdmackeyPosted on 2008-04-29 at 20:07:29ID: 21467837

Mate I'm with you on the "not re-inventing the wheel" route...   and knowing that the PrintWiz guys are eager to help is also a possitive..
the only thing I'm on about is that there appear to be only two or three viable options:

1) CUPS (linux-based solution)  and I'm not 100% sure whether it will work?
2) PrintWiz (windows-based solution)
or
3) PPF (unix or linux based port forwarding technique) and I haven't been able to verify this with anyone?

I definitely want the most straightforward approach and if PrintWiz is it and can re-direct to file AND handle host status updates then maybe this is the way to go...   I guess I'm after some guru out there that can "show me the way"...  a validated method.     And, I'm surprised that there is only one commercial offering and one GPL type...    I thought replacing JET DIRCT BOXes would be a bigger area of concern/interest enough to warrent other software developments.   (I like to have plenty of alternatives when I try to solve these sorts of problems - my client's client has not control over their host legacy application (the vendor that wrote it is long gone or not cooperating)... so our only avenue to get at the data is to change out the Jet Direct boxes for something else.
sounds like we're both in the same boat - carlosmp.
Again, thanks for your comments.
Cheers,
kd

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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