The printer writer program is a system-supplied program that takes spooled files from an output queue and sends them to a printer. The spooled files on a particular output queue remain stored in the system until the printer writer program assigns a printer to the output queue.
The printer writer program takes spooled files, one at a time, from the output queue, based on their priority. The printer writer program prints a spooled file only if its entry on the output queue indicates that it has a ready (RDY) status. You can display the status of a particular spooled file using the Work with Output Queue (WRKOUTQ) command.
Do not confuse the printer writer program with an actual printer device or a printer file. The printer writer program is the program that allows you to assign an actual printer device to an output queue and select spooled files from the output queue to be printed. The Start Printer Writer (STRPRTWTR) command and the Work with Writers (WRKWTR) command provide you with the ability to assign any configured printer to any output queue. Even though the name of the command (Work with Writers) indicates you are working with printer writers, you are actually using the printer writer program to make a match between an output queue and a physical printer.
If the spooled file has a ready status, the printer writer program takes the entry from the output queue and prints the specified job or file separators or both, followed by the output data in the spooled file. If the spooled file does not have a ready status, the printer writer program leaves the entry on the output queue and goes on to the next entry. In most cases the printer writer program continues to print spooled files (preceded by job and file separators) until all spooled files with a ready status have been taken from the output queue.
If your printer stops for any reason (out of paper, for example), the iSeries™ server does not automatically assign a different printer to continue printing the jobs in the output queue that your printer was assigned to. You have to manually assign another printer to that output queue.
Multiple printer writers can be started to one output queue. The limit is 10. This support allows many printers (up to 10) to begin printing spooled files from the same output queue.
The multiple printer writer function supports work load balancing between printers. It also provides backup for printed jobs running unattended. For example, if one printer jams or runs out of paper the others continue to print spooled files from the associated output queue.
A remote writer is an i5/OS program that takes spooled files from a remote output queue and sends them to the specified remote system. The remote writer, which is a system job, sends the spooled files using SNADS or TCP/IP. This function is known as remote system printing on the iSeries server. The Start Remote Writer (STRRMTWTR) command is used to initiate remote system printing.
After the spooled file is successfully sent to a remote system, it is deleted or saved as determined by the SAVE spooled file attribute value.
More than one remote writer can be started to the same remote output queue (10 is the limit). The actual number is specified in the remote output queue description. However, each writer name must be unique and of the same type (printer, remote, or diskette). See Remote system printing for more information on remote writers.