pwash1sc
asked on
Holding Print Jobs
We have MS NT 4.0 Server, and are running a shared printing solution. We need to have a way of holding print jobs and
then releasing individual jobs as and when requested. We have a solution with Netware 4.1 which allows jobs to be held in a queue and released at will, but I would rather not use gateway services to provide this function. (We have a learning area with upto 200 students and want them to go a print operator and say I am user 12 print my job and they can release it exclusively from the spooler without releasing all others!) We now we can pause the whole queue or the printer but when it's resumed all jobs print rather than a specific job
then releasing individual jobs as and when requested. We have a solution with Netware 4.1 which allows jobs to be held in a queue and released at will, but I would rather not use gateway services to provide this function. (We have a learning area with upto 200 students and want them to go a print operator and say I am user 12 print my job and they can release it exclusively from the spooler without releasing all others!) We now we can pause the whole queue or the printer but when it's resumed all jobs print rather than a specific job
ASKER
Thanks leew,
However this does not pause individual jobs, with this proposed solution many jobs would be released when the printer was unpaused. We use very quick 20 ppm printers and print servers. We really need the facility to release jobs individually, pausing and releasing individual jobs as and when required. Ideally we want the jobs to hit the spooler and be instantly paused until we release it! (As can be done on Netware Pserver)
However this does not pause individual jobs, with this proposed solution many jobs would be released when the printer was unpaused. We use very quick 20 ppm printers and print servers. We really need the facility to release jobs individually, pausing and releasing individual jobs as and when required. Ideally we want the jobs to hit the spooler and be instantly paused until we release it! (As can be done on Netware Pserver)
Well, you could always set up 200 shares of the same printer--just with different names with permissions for an individual user. Make sure every printer is paused. Users then only send their jobs to their designated printer. Then release the job by unpausing the printer. It sucks to manage, but it'll do what you're asking...sort of.
You are not going to find an easy way to do what your trying with Windows NT. NT is great for many things but there are some where it doesn't exactly fit in. You might investigate 3rd party utilities.
You could have each user pause his print driver going to the server and then only release his print jopbs when he wants to go and get them. You can use the NT and/or Win 95 clients to queue up the print jobs and only send them to the server when ready to print.
This doesn't do exactly as you wanted since the print server isn't handling the function.
You could have each user pause his print driver going to the server and then only release his print jopbs when he wants to go and get them. You can use the NT and/or Win 95 clients to queue up the print jobs and only send them to the server when ready to print.
This doesn't do exactly as you wanted since the print server isn't handling the function.
ASKER
Thanks Cwalter,
However as they are student we cannot trust them to do this. The problem is that we charge for print jobs so the operator releases them and then charges them!!!!
If you are anyone knows of any 3rd party products I would be very interested in checking them out..
Paul
However as they are student we cannot trust them to do this. The problem is that we charge for print jobs so the operator releases them and then charges them!!!!
If you are anyone knows of any 3rd party products I would be very interested in checking them out..
Paul
I am able to do this on our system. It is a bit messy, but it works. I can Pause the printer on the server. Then when we want the specific print job printed, I go in, and pause all print jobs, then unpause the printer and the document that needs printed. Then that print lob will print. It seems a bit cumbersum, and takes some getting use to, but it works for what we need.
We use Print Que Manager for Windows NT for managing our jobs. (http://www.itcsystems.com/) Everyone prints to a Paused Print Que, the server software then moves the jobs to a release que and pauses them. You can then unpause the individual jobs and charge them, or you can just use the client software to figure out the number of pages and the total cost. We use the card system, but it isn't required. It will also automatically delete stale jobs if you choose to do so.
The earlier versions of the system was difficult to work with and buggy, the lastest version that I am running now works great. The students are happy with the system as well.
Trevor.
The earlier versions of the system was difficult to work with and buggy, the lastest version that I am running now works great. The students are happy with the system as well.
Trevor.
fuson: This requires aditional hardware correct?
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Of course more specific to your request, you can adjust a jobs priority (while the whole queue is paused) and then resume printing. That one job should take priority over the others.