InfoPrint Manager server print files

As described in Print jobs and print files, InfoPrint Manager uses the /var/pd filesystem on the “originating server,” which is the pdserver used as the command processor, to create and store temporary copies as long as the jobs remain in the InfoPrint Manager system.

The command processor pdserver that is used to process a pdpr request makes a copy of each print file in the job and stores it in its directory with a name that starts with pdpr. The pdserver containing the logical destination for the job can be a different pdserver. And the actual destination that will process the job can be in a third pdserver. This means that the pdserver with the copy of the print file can be different than the pdserver that contains the job since the job is created on the pdserver containing the target logical destination. The location of the print file and the name of the pdserver that is managing it is stored in the document-content attribute of each document object in the job. When the job is scheduled to an actual destination, the actual destination's pdserver will see if it can access the file directly. If not, it will contact the command processor pdserver that was used for the job and request that the print file be sent. When a print file is sent to a supervisor pdserver, the file is stored in the server's pdb subdirectory. As soon as the actual destination finishes processing the job, this copy is deleted. The command processor's copy is not deleted until the job is deleted from the spooler pdserver. If a job is retained, the print file is retained.

The printing pdserver or supervisor part of the pdserver also stores saved rip files when requested to save rip files in /var/pd.

All environments must plan spooling space for one copy of each print file. The command processor's copy of the print files are not deleted until the job leaves the InfoPrint Manager system. In other words, until it is completed or canceled and the retention-period has expired. Multiple machine environments must also plan additional space for "pulled" files. Since these files only exist while a job is processing, less space is required.

See Temporary files created by InfoPrint Manager for more information.