Benefits

The benefits of using remote system printing include:

• Output queue placement.

  Spooled files can be placed automatically on a specific output queue of a target system. This support is provided through the Create Output Queue (CRTOUTQ) and Start Remote Writer (STRRMTWTR) commands.

• Multiple remote writers increase throughput.

  Output queues can have multiple remote writers started to them. This allows multiple jobs to send spooled files simultaneously from one output queue.

  Note:
  10 remote writers can be started to one output queue.
• One-command interface

  Once the environment (hardware and software) has been established, the Start Remote Writer (STRRMTWTR) command initiates all activity necessary to send spooled files to a remote system. An auto-start job entry exists in the QSPL subsystem that starts a job automatically when the QSPL subsystem is started. This job runs the STRRMTWTR command with the OUTQ parameter value set to *ALL. Therefore, a remote writer(s) is started to all output queues that have a remote system and a number of writers to autostart specified. Remote writers are also started to a remote output queue when the remote output queue is changed or a new one created.

• Distributed print routing with spooled file attributes

  For distributed print routing, spooled file attributes are available. They are:

  • User who created the file

    This attribute identifies the user who created the spooled file.

  • System where file was created

    This attribute identifies the system on which the spooled file was created.

  • User print information

    This attribute is composed of the characters retrieved from the user-defined text.

    Once a spooled file is created with user defined text, the text cannot be changed. When the spooled file is sent with the data format parameter value of *ALLDATA, the user print information becomes an attribute of the spooled file.

    See User print information for more detail on how to work with the display, retrieve, and change user print information commands.

• Send (SND) and Defer (DFR) status' for spooled files

  These statuses enable you to monitor the activity of spooled files.

  • SND

    The spooled output file is being sent or has been sent to a remote system

  • DFR

    The spooled output file has been deferred from being sent

  After spooled output files are successfully sent to a remote system (as best as can be determined), they are deleted or saved, as specified by the save spooled file attribute.

See Send and defer status for more detail on the send and defer attributes of a spooled file.