Bookshelf v7.5: About Batch Printing

Batch printing simplifies the task of printing multiple correspondence items. The user first selects one or more Correspondence items, and then selects the Print option from the applet level menu. The documents are then printed on the appropriate printer.

Siebel applications support two types of batch printing, server-based and client based. Initially, the print menu item appearing on the Correspondence and Fulfillment screens is configured to perform client-based printing. However, the Administrator can use Siebel Tools to reconfigure these menus to use server-based batch printing, either in addition to, or instead of, client-based batch printing.

Client-Based Batch Printing

When a user prints a document using client-based batch printing, the Siebel application launches Microsoft Word on the user's client system. It then retrieves the document from the Siebel File System and prints it to the default printer configured for the user's desktop session.

For this feature to work correctly, the end user must configure the browser to allow the Siebel application to launch Microsoft Word. This requires changing the security option called "Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked safe" to either Enable or Prompt for the security zone containing the Siebel application URL. Typically, this is either the "Local intranet" zone or the 'Trusted" zone. Users should verify that any other URL in this zone can be trusted with this security privilege.

Server-Based Batch Printing

When a user prints a document using server-based batch printing, a request is sent to the DocServer server component. This component then prints the document to the printer specified by the user in User Preferences. If the user has not specified a preference, the document is printed on the default printer configured on the DocServer machine by the System Administrator.

Setting Up Batch Printing for Administrators and Users

Table 25 lists procedures for setting up batch printing for both administrators and users. Administrators need to set up server-based batch printing; users need to set up both server-based and client-based batch printing.

Table 25. Procedures for Setting Up Batch Printing
Setup Procedures for Administrators	Setup Procedures for Users
Add server Print menu items on the Correspondence and Fulfillment screens	Verify system requirements for client-based batch printing
Set up the printer configuration	Configure Internet Explorer to permit client-based batch printing
Add a printer connection to the DocServer machine	Add a printer connection to the desktop for client-based batch printing
Change the default printer (if necessary)	Change the default printer (if necessary)
	Specify a printer for server-based batch printing