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Batch Printing Instructions for the Administrator

As an administrator, you need to set up the server-based batch printing function.

To add server Print menu items on the Correspondence and Fulfillment screens

  1. Start Siebel Tools.
  2. In the Object Explorer window, under Siebel Objects, select Applet.
  3. In the Applets window on the right, enter "Correspondence List Applet" in the Name column and click Query.
  4. In the Object Explorer, select Applet Method Menu Item.
  5. In the Applet Method Menu Item window, enter "Server Printer" in the Menu Text column and click Query.
  6. Highlight the record and uncheck the Inactive check box in the Inactive column.
  7. In the Applet Method Menu Item window, enter "Server Print Label" in the Menu Text column and click Query.
  8. Highlight the record, and deselect the Inactive check box in the Inactive column.
  9. In the Application menu, click Tools and select Compile Projects. In the Project Selection window, pick project "Corresp (SSE)".
  10. Browse and select the appropriate siebel.srf file, and click Compile.
  11. Repeat Step 3 to Step 10 for the Fulfillment screen, querying for "Fulfillment List Applet" in the Applet window.
  12. Verify that "Server Printer" and "Server Print Label" menu items appear in the applet menus of the Correspondence and Fulfillment screens.

Configuring Printers for Server-Based Batch Printing

When a user invokes server-based batch printing on a correspondence document, a request is sent to the DocServer component. This request contains the values for the Default Printer and Printer Driver preferences the user has selected on the Correspondence User Preference screen. After receiving the request, DocServer uses Microsoft Word to convert the document into a PostScript file. The style of PostScript generated is determined by the value for the Printer Driver user preference. This parameter specifies the name of a network printer. The PostScript file generated by Microsoft Word is suitable for this printer and all other printers of the same model. After the PostScript file is generated, DocServer sends the file to the printer specified in the Default Printer user preference.

As an administrator, you need to complete the following tasks to support server-based batch printing.

  1. Identify the printer models within your enterprise that will be used for server-based batch printing.
  2. For each model, select one network printer and add a printer connection to it on the DocServer machine.
  3. Designate one configured printer as the default printer for the DocServer machine.
  4. Provide the list of configured printers to end users, who will use this list to select a Printer Driver in User Preferences.

For example, an organization has five Xerox Model A printers, named xrx001 to xrx005, and five Canon Model B printers, named cnn001 to cnn005. A printer server named hqsrvr is used to route requests to all of the printers. The administrator decides to use xrx005 to represent the Xerox Model A printers and cnn005 to represent the Canon Model B printers, then adds printer connections on the DocServer machine for each. The xrx005 printer is chosen as the default printer. These connections are used by the DocServer component to generate PostScript files. Only one printer for each model is actually configured on the DocServer machine. After creating the printer connections, the administrator notifies the end users of the network names of the configured printers (in this case: \\hqsrvr\xrx005 and \\hqsrvr\cnn005).

Continuing the example, a user now wants the cnn003 printer for her personal batch printing requests. To do this, she goes to the User Preference Screen, Correspondence View and enters \\hqsrvr\cnn003 in the Default Printer field and \\hqsrvr\cnn005 in the Printer Driver field. All subsequent batch printing requests she submits are sent to the cnn003 printer.

If a user does not specify a User Preference, batch printing requests submitted by that user are sent to the default printer configured by the administrator on the DocServer machine.

To add a printer connection to the DocServer machine

  1. Login to the DocServer machine using the same User ID used by the Windows Service running the Siebel Server.
  2. Select Start > Settings > Printers.
  3. Double click the Add Printer icon.
  4. On the Welcome screen, click Next.
  5. On the Local or Network Printer screen, select Network Printer and click Next.
  6. On the Locate Your Printer screen, select Network Printer and click Next.
  7. On the Default Printer screen, select either Yes or No and click Next.
  8. Click Finish.

To change the default printer

  1. Login to the docServer machine using the same User ID as used by the Windows Service running the Siebel Server.
  2. Navigate to Start Menu > Settings > Printers.
  3. In the printer list, right click on the desired printer and choose Set as Default.

 Applications Administration Guide
 Published: 09 September 2004