Using the Virtual Printer Daemon (VPD) Gateway with InfoPrint Manager for AIX

The InfoPrint Manager Virtual Printer Daemon (VPD) is a utility that uses port 9100 and lets you submit raw print jobs from other operating systems or software using a TCP/IP client. It submits the files that it receives directly to an InfoPrint Manager destination, not to an AIX printer. Only one VPD can run on your InfoPrint Manager server system at a time.

When you submit jobs to the InfoPrint Manager Virtual Printer Daemon (VPD), it uses a mapping file to match the PJL commands within the data stream with InfoPrint Manager attributes. A sample mapping file comes with InfoPrint Manager for AIX; before you submit any print jobs to the InfoPrint Manager Virtual Printer Daemon (VPD), modify this file to meet your needs.

To modify the mapping file:
  1. Open the /var/pd/vpd/vpdmap.txt file in a text editor and edit the mappings as necessary.
  2. Save the file using the same name.
The best way to see what PJL commands you need to add or change is to uncomment the line that reads * DEBUG and save the file. (To uncomment the line, delete the *.) Submit a print job through the VPD and check the output. If the job fails or if it prints incorrectly, check the error messages in the server log in the SMIT. Use them to help determine which keywords are missing or mapped incorrectly. When you are finished, open the mapping file and comment the DEBUG line out again.

In this section:

  1. Submitting print jobs
Parent topic: Administrative Procedures: Configuring InfoPrint Manager