As explained in the introduction of this document, Windows printers are first configured for use in the Windows operating system. This includes installation of a printer driver. Such printers must display in the Windows Printers utility before they can be configured for mvBase. See Installing mvBase Printer Drivers if required prior to proceeding with this topic.
Windows printers can be local to the system, or shared with other users across the network. Once configured, you map a Windows printer to mvBase using the Printers tab of the Administration Utility, or you can use that Windows printer as an mvBase auxiliary printer that connects via an mvTerm session. To configure a Windows printer as an auxiliary printer, See Setting up Auxiliary Printers for mvBase.
This set of procedures configures either type of Windows printer (local or network) for use with mvBase. Once you complete these tasks, users may print from within mvBase to this Windows printer.
NOTE |
Administrator rights are required to configure Windows printers. |
Perform these tasks to set up a Windows printer for use with mvBase:
Adding the Printer in Windows
If you have not installed the printer in Windows, install the printer using the Windows Add Printer Wizard. Open the Windows Printers utility, select Add Printer, and follow the prompts of the Add Printer Wizard. Take into account these important elements when using the Add Printer Wizard:
Designate whether this is a local or network printer.
Local Printer |
If the printer connects to the local system, this is a local printer, regardless of whether it will be shared across the network subsequent to setup. |
Network Printer |
If the printer is configured on a remote system, and will be shared to this system across the network, this is a network printer. |
Designate the kind of port to which the printer attaches.
Install the printer driver(s).
COM Ports |
This type of port is a serial communications port on which transmission protocols must be defined. On Windows systems, such ports are normally designated COMx, where x is the system port number. |
Parallel or Printer Port |
This type of port is a parallel port commonly used for parallel printing devices. On Windows systems, such ports are designated LPTx, where x is the system port number. |
TCP/IP Printing Port |
This type of port uses the TCP/IP protocol. On Windows systems, such ports are designated as TCP/IP printing ports, but these are also known as LPR ports. |
DLC Printing Port |
This type of port is commonly used by Jet Direct printer servers. |
NOTE |
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Configuring the Printer in the Workstation Tab
Once the Windows printer is operational in the Windows environment and displays in the Windows Printers utility, launch or switch to the mvBase Administration Utility.
Select the Workstation tab.
Verify that the Workstation Application and Service progress indicators show as Stopped or Not Installed. Stop the Workstation if necessary.
Select Configure. The Configuring Workstation property sheet displays.
Select the Printers tab.
NOTE |
Add and Delete buttons are shaded (disabled) when the Workstation is running. If disabled, shut down clients and stop the Workstation prior to adding or deleting printers. |
The Configured Printers field displays any Windows printers that are currently configured for use with mvBase. This tab contains three buttons for configuring printers.
Add |
Select this button to add a new Windows printer to mvBase. This button invokes the Add/Configure Printer dialog box in which you define the printer for use by the mvBase Workstation. A disabled (shaded) button means the maximum number of allowable printers has been configured for use by the mvBase Workstation. |
Delete |
Select this button to delete the selected printer definition(s). This button removes the Windows printer definition(s) that are selected (highlighted) in the Configured Printers field. |
Configure |
Select this button to (re)configure the selected printer definition. This button invokes the Add/Configure Printer dialog box, allowing the reconfiguration of Windows printers that are already defined for use by the mvBase Workstation. |
To delete a printer, select the printer in the Configured Printers field, then select Delete. The printer deletion procedure is complete. Close the Administration Utility if desired.
To add a printer to mvBase, select Add. With selection of either Add or Configure, the Printers dialog box activates.
To configure an existing printer, select the specific printer from the Configured Printers field (for example, Printer001), then select Configure. With selection of either Add or Configure, the Printers dialog box activates.
In the mvBase Printer Name field, designate your custom name for this mvBase printer. Effective with mvBase printers can now be defined by a custom name (for example, Sales Office HP LaserJet) rather than by a numeric name (e.g. Printer001). This allows you to be much more specific about the location or function of each mvBase printer.
In the Windows Printer Name field, designate the name of the specific Windows printer to map to mvBase. You may select the down arrow to view the drop-down list of all printers configured in Windows and recognized by mvBase. If no printers are configured in Windows, no printers show in this field, and you must first define at least one Windows printer prior to defining it for use by mvBase. See step 2 if necessary.
NOTE |
mvBase recognizes Windows printer names up to 50 characters long. If the name of your Windows printer is greater than the allowable number of characters, use the Windows Printers utility to rename the printer within these parameters. |
In the mvBase Server Name field, type the name of the mvBase Server to which you are connecting the mvBase Workstation.
In the mvBase Line field, type the line number to which you are connecting this mvBase Workstation. Map to an available line. You should not use line 0, even if that is the default line that displays.
NOTE |
Rocket generally recommends that printers be allocated to the highest line numbers available. This helps avoid potential conflicts with wildcard clients, which begin line consumption with the lowest available line numbers. |
Select the appropriate Driver Type from the Driver Type drop-down.
Select Raw to treat the printer output as raw output. When selected, this option allows output from an mvBase Server process to pass through the associated Windows printer without any modification.
Select Windows to specify the standard Windows printer driver.
Select Windows-GDI to specify the Windows GDI printer driver. See the Configuring Windows Printers topic in the mvBase System Administration Guide for more information on this driver.
Select the Disable option to make this client definition inactive upon startup of the mvBase Workstation. This function is particularly useful when you want to retain the current configuration's settings for future use.
Select OK in the Add/Configure Printer dialog box.
Select OK in the Configuring Workstation dialog box. The Workstation tab of the Administration Utility displays.
Perform one or more of these tasks in this sequence to start the mvBase Workstation:
Ensure that the mvBase Server is already started.
Configure additional client connections in the mvBase Workstation (if necessary).
Start the mvBase Workstation once you have configured all client connections.
Start an mvTerm client and connect to the mvBase Server specified above.
Log to the SYSPROG account.
Using the LISTLINES command, determine which process is linked to the line mapped to the printer. Usually, this process number is the same as the line number, but this may not be the case. As you execute various TCL commands on this printer or process, you will need this information.
For information about troubleshooting this particular configuration, see Troubleshooting mvBase Printers.
See Also
Identifying Your Printer Configuration
Setting Up Auxiliary Printers for mvBase