This is not off-the-shelf.
What we did for two different customers in a similar situation is sent all
printed output via network printing to an intermediate server, in their
cases a Windows servers. On the Windows server the HP 3000 generated text
output is converted to PDF. In each case, the printed reports contain
customer identifying tags. The output on the Windows server is placed in
customer specific directories.
One customer allows their end users to access their own specific folders on
the Windows computer. The second customer wrote their own Web application
to allow customers to view the reports and upload only what they want to
print.
We have done similar thing on UNIX and Linux but never with the web front
end.
If I had to do it today, I would use a Linux computer because the software
to convert text reports to PDF's is free on Linux or UNIX. Our customers
paid someone a hefty price for the Windows software to do the same thing.
Of course the most recent one we did was 5 years ago so all of that might
have changed.
The magic is to use the target server as an JetDirect connected and then to
send all output from the HP 3000 to what it thinks is a JetDirect printer
(port 9100). The HP 3000 already knows how to do this. We created this
illusion with software on the Windows computer. That way we needed no
additional software on the HP 3000. The UNIX environments that we did a
similar thing with did not involve an HP 3000 since it was all done for
clients who we migrated to various forms of UNIX.
Since our custom JetDirect pretender was written in Visual Basic. I suppose
if we had to do it today we would re-implement the same thing in JAVA which
is probably only a few hours work. BTW, don't forget the JetDirect pretender
needs to know how to read the tags in the printed reports so that is stores
the generated PDF in a specific folder.
I almost forgot that one of the two Windows customers had us update a SQL
Server database with the location of each file that we placed on their
server. The web application they built accesses the SQL server database.
Building a web application that only allows a user to access specific
directories on a computer should be a relatively simple application. It may
even be available free somewhere.
So in conclusion, it can be done with mostly off-the-shelf open source
stuff. But someone still need to do a little programming.
Hope it helps.
Charles Finley
(619) 795-0720
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2010 4:17 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Remote printing issues
Once again I need to tap into the endless knowledge of the experts on
the HP3000-L, hello everyone.
I have a need to support "Printing on printers at the remote locations",
to multiple client companies from my HP3000. Kind of like the old
time-share paradigm. The client companies can access the HP3000 using
Telnet/iX, but they need to be able to print from the HP3000 (Telnet
session) to their own local printers.
My initial thought was to add an additional VPN service. Basically I
want to "Push" print files to a remote client company printers, but I
don't want personnel from the client company to have access to my entire
network, and likewise, the client company would NOT want me to have full
access to their network. This level of security can be accomplished
using a separate VPN service for each client company. Would the HP3000
need a 2nd NIC for the VPN, or worse, an addition NIC for each client
company. Lots of issues! Just thinking out-loud ;-)
Another option would be that I "Not allow printing to the remote
location", but instead the printfiles on the HP3000 could be retrieved
(Pulled from the HP300) using a standard FTP, (with user level security)
then printed on their local network. This would resolved most network
security issues and not require any additional VPN services, but it
would involve some additional programming to be done to modify the way
the application prints on the HP3000, print to disc flatfile, convert to
rtf or pdf. Then there is also some bar code font issues, jeeesh, the
fun never ends.
Does anyone know of any "canned" software that would help achieve my
goal, or perhaps another network strategy?
All options welcome,
Michael Anderson.
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