Before You Begin

Supported Print Mechanisms

The print server is based on UNIX SVR4 LP print services, which ship with the Solaris 2.5.1 and 2.6 operating environments. The Netra server can print to SunOS^TM 4.1.x (standard BSD printing), Solaris 2 and subsequent compatible releases (standard LP or SVR4 printing) remote print servers, and any network printer that conforms to these print models. It can also service requests sent from clients running SunOS 4.1.x, and Solaris 2 and subsequent compatible releases; since it also runs a BSD listener, it can receive jobs from remote hosts running Solaris 1, other types of UNIX, and any client capable of using the BSD print mechanism.

If You Have an Existing Setup...

When installing Netra j software onto a system that is already configured with a local printer, or is already configured as a print network spooler to a network printer, caution is advised. Print services available to the Solaris environment include many third-party software packages. Netra should not interfere with existing network printer spoolers configured on the system prior to the Netra j software installation. However, continue to administer these printers with the third- party administration tool, rather than through the Netra j interface.

When installing Netra j software onto a system that is already configured for access to remote printers, you can safely administer this printer access from the Netra j interface.

Solaris 2.6 and NIS Considerations

On Netra j servers that are running the Solaris 2.6 operating environment, printer administration behaves slightly differently, depending on whether the Netra j server is configured as a NIS client or as a NIS master server.

• NIS client

  As a NIS client, the Netra j administration interface displays a list of printers configured ONLY on the local system. Any information about remote printers and print servers that is broadcast by a remote NIS server is not displayed through the Netra j administration interface. However, such printers are still available for printing from the Netra j server using standard Solaris commands.

  As a NIS client, the Netra j server does not broadcast its /etc/printers.conf file as a NIS printers.conf.byname map.

  One method NCs use to access printers is by specifying a NIS printers.conf.byname map. Since no such map exists on the Netra j server when configured an a NIS client, the NCs can NOT use this method to access the Netra j locally configured printers. An alternative method does exist (see the printing properties section in the JavaStation Client Software Guide) where you explicitly specify the server name and printer name. In this case, the server name is the name of the Netra j server, and the printer name is the name of the locally configured printer.

  To provide access to the Netra j printers, include information about those printers in the network NIS server printers.conf file. That way, the NCs can use all NIS printers, which will include the printers configured locally on the Netra j server.

• NIS master server

  As a NIS master server, the Netra j server makes the etc/printers.conf file into a NIS map so that NCs and other clients on the same NIS domain have access to the Netra j printer configuration information.

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  Note -

  There CANNOT be another NIS printers.conf file on the same NIS domain; this confuses the Netra j printer administration.

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