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Procedure documentation Defining Output Devices for IBM i Printing  Locate the document in its SAP Library structure

Use

You want to define an output device in the SAP system that is to print using the IBM i operating system.

Prerequisites

      When printing using a printer connected to IBM i, you can configure an output device in the SAP system using a direct operating system call (access method C) or using the Berkeley protocol (access method U). If your printer is connected to a Microsoft Windows PC in your network, you can also use other access methods, such as access method S or F.

Note

As of SAP Web AS 6.20, front-end printing with control technology (access method G) is available. This allows front-end printing from the SAP GUI for Java on non-Microsoft Windows platforms, such as UNIX. For more information, see Front-End Printing with Control Technology.

      To print using a direct operating system call, you need an output queue object(*OUTQ) at the operating system level.

An output queue is created automatically when you create a device description (*DEVD) to define the printer, or you can create a remote output queue (an output queue pointing to a printer or print server in your network) manually. Besides using the output queue with your SAP system, you can also send data from legacy (non-SAP) applications to those output queues and use commands WRKSPLF(Work with Spooled Files) or WRKOUTQ(Work with Output Queues) to administer the spooled data. If a printer device is temporarily not available, the spooled data is being kept in the output queue, so the spool work process in the SAP server is not blocked while waiting for a response from the printer.

      To print directly to a printer or print server running UNIX or Microsoft Windows, the printer or print server needs to be attached to your TCP/IP network and to support LPR/LPD printing or SAPSprint. When using this method, the SAP spool system is getting direct feedback about the success of the data transfer to the printer, so there is no need for spool administration at the operating system level.

Procedure

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       1.      Determine what the underlying print architecture (access method) is:

       If you already have an output queue for the printer created, or if you want to use the printer with non-SAP (legacy) applications, define an output device for a direct operating system call (access method C).The print requests are processed by the IBM i spool system.

       If the printer is only used by the SAP system, and if you want to avoid administration at the operating system level, you can use access methods U or S and define an output device for remote printing on a network printer or a printer connected to a Microsoft Windows PC or UNIX.

       For front-end printing on local printers you can use access methods F or G and follow the instructions in Front-End Printing on Local Printers.

Caution

Access methods L and Z are no longer supported on IBM i.

       2.      Create the device definition.

 

See also:

      Output Devices in the SAP Spool System

      Local Printing

      Remote Printing

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text SAP Printing Guide Start Page

 

 

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