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Print Queue on AIX server (jetdirect box)

Where I work we have a few OKI printers that use jetdirect boxes in order to print from the network. Recently we had one of the jetdirect boxes fail and had to replace it. I am wondering if there is a way to edit the already existing queue (AIX Unix) so that it will work with this new jetdirect box. We already set up the new jetdirect box with the same config as the old one, same static ip. I am new to the whole jetdirect box aix printing thing. What would I have to change in the already existing queue to get the new jetdirect box working. I am thinking the Mac address.

Thanks for the help very much appreciated!

woolmilkporc

Hi,

if the IP address remains the same you won't have to do anything. AIX will communicate with the new box as it did with the old one.

The ARP table is volatile and doesn't really matter, but if you want you can delete the old entry on the AIX machine with

arp -d ip.addr.of.hpljbox

wmp

HOTWATT

ASKER

That's strange because I used the same static IP and I can't get it to work. It will go to the queue and hang there, it never gets to the printer. I know the print is working fine so it has to be the jetdirect box. Any ideas on what the problem could be?

woolmilkporc

If it's not a setup problem of the JetDirect box you could try and restart the queue on AIX:

qadm -D queue
qadm -U queue

If there are hanging jobs (I assume so) use instead:

qadm -K queue
qadm -U queue

Note: Jobs remain in the queue and run again when the printer is brought back up.

If this is not desired use (as root):

qadm -X queue
qadm -U queue

By the way, can you ping the box?

Can you reach port 9100? What do you get with

telnet ip.addr.of.hpljbox 9100

Something like

telnet: connect: A remote host refused an attempted connect operation.

or a different message?

HOTWATT

ASKER

OK so I decided to bypass the AIX print server and just use the jetdirect box to print on the network and that worked so there is no problem with the jet direct box. So I think there must be a problem with the AIX configuration. Is here any way to edit or view how a certain queue is set up?

woolmilkporc

smitty chpg
smitty pq_chque
smitty pq_chquedev

The /etc/qconfig file ( look for hp@ip.addr.of.hpljbox or hp@hostname_of_hpljbox

You said "static IP", so I assume AIX does not act as a DHCP server, where things are a bit different and the MAC address does indeed play a role.

HOTWATT

ASKER

Sorry I didn't see that last post about the arp table. I tried that and it says that ip address was not found in the arp table? Could that be the problem. Not sure why it wouldn't be there since thats the IP of the old jetdirect box we used.

How can you add it to the arp table?

HOTWATT

ASKER

Also when I tried telnet ip address 9100 I can connect

woolmilkporc

If it's in a different subnet you won't find it in the ARP table. The MAC address only appears in the ARP cache of the last router then.

If it's in the local subnet just ping the IP.

HOTWATT

ASKER

Ping the ip and it comes back with a reply.

woolmilkporc

So the network is OK.

Did you restart the queue(s), as suugested?

Did you examine the setup using the smitty fastpaths as suggested?

HOTWATT

ASKER

you said look for hp@ipaddress I have hp@lp2

woolmilkporc

Here is what I said:

>> look for hp@ip.addr.of.hpljbox or hp@hostname_of_hpljbox <<

Is lp2 the hostname?

HOTWATT

ASKER

it says name of queue device hp@lp2 LP2 is no the host name of the jetdirect box

woolmilkporc

lp2 was the hostname of the target jetdirect box when the queue was created.

Can you ping lp2?

HOTWATT

ASKER

But the old jetdirect box hostname is not lp2 and it worked?

Can't ping lp2

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

woolmilkporc

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HOTWATT

ASKER

Ok I think we are getting somewhere! I have another jetdirect box lp0 and when I ping lp0 I get a reply back from an Ip address but when I ping lp2 I get nothing. So like you said its like lp2 is not resolved to an ip address.

HOTWATT

ASKER

Well I got it working! I pinged lp2 and it actually came back with a differen't ip address. So it looks like the ip address that was being used on the jetdirect box got changed somehow so when it stopped working I printed out a config page from the jet direct box and was using the wrong Ip thinking that was the one that should be used.

So I changed the ip on the jetdirect to the one that lp2 was configured with and got it to start printing!

THANKS YOU!! for all the help this problem was driving me crazy and it turns out to be something so simple which I figured it would be.

woolmilkporc

Did you read my previous post? Completely?

HOTWATT

ASKER

Thanks again for all the help! I never would have figured out this simple problem without your help!!