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AS/400 Virtual Printer / AFP / ISERIES ACCESS

I have a few users that are remote /

They connect via VPN to our network | then launch Iseries Access to connect 5250 to our As/400.  They also have a Virtual Printer that they start and can print some AS/400 Reports.

Some they cannot and appear through the logs as having AFP commands/content built into the spool file.

There is no such setting on the Virtual Printers to allow for AFP so guessing that it cannot be done that way.

Is there a way to enable AFP on the Iseries Access Virtual Printer?  

Any ideas - would a spool file to PDF program work on the AS/400?

thanks
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Jon Snyderman
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that is what I figured.

have you worked with a spool file to PDF solution on the AS/400?
Yes.  For simple solutions, it's not difficult to do with Infoprint.   Simple meaning  that it does not need to be very flexible.  One outq that goes to one email address or IFS location.    Beyond that, if you need to have it be intelligent, like reading data from the page to find a customer number or email address, it gets MUCH more difficult.   The 3rd part solutions are much easier.   There are a few 3rd party solutions ranging from 1500 to 15000 in cost.  The simplest and cheapest that I have found to work reliably is from BVS/Tools.   http://www.bvstools.com/spltoolsuite.html

~Jon
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Is infoprint part of the AS/400 O/S?
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No need to buy anything.  You can just create a 5250 printer session using Client Access, and configure it to use Host Print Transform:

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=nas12ab4e685a369500786256a58005c2015

- Gary Patterson
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I have had issues with HPT and certain types of output from AFPDS, but Gary is right.  It will  work for general output.  I have had issues with consistency with graphical output such as lines or bar codes.

Infoprint Server is a chargeable item.  It is based on the processor level.     I dont recall that it is very expensive though.

I do know that PDF generation is supported at V6R1, but then you have to get that document to the end user.   If you are familiar with printer files and CL, this may be a good option for you.

~Jon
@Jon

I've had the occasional issue with HPT and APF formatting, too (less in recent releases, though), but I can't recall anything that was impossible to resolve (though I tend to block out the most painful memories).

Your point is well take, though - yostnet, your mileage may vary.

- Gary
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no real resolution yet but need to close up the ticket /

all good insight though -

I am guessing that we will end up with a site/site VPN tunnel
@yostnet:

So have you tried configuring a Client Access printer session configured to use HPT as outlined in the link I sent you above?

Over the years, I've supported hundreds of customers around the world, and I connect to the vast majority of them using a remote access VPN connection (Cisco, Sonicwall, Microsoft, Juniper, and others).

I frequently use a 5250 printer session configured for HPT, and it handles AFP documents and SCS just fine, and allows me to print just about anything on the little inexpensive HP Laserjet I have here in my home office.

A site-to-site VPN tunnel will certainly work, but provides no particular benefit over a remote access VPN as far as this type or printing is concerned.  If you can't get it to work in a remote access VPN environment, it isn't likely to work in a site-to-site VPN environment.

Regards,

- Gary Patterson