[comp.sys.hp] HP3000/935 MPE/XL TCP/IP rlp

pwb@newt.phys.unsw.OZ.AU.unsw.oz (Paul W. Brooks) (05/31/91)

I have been given the job of helping to sort out two HP machines:
One, a HP3000/935 running MPE/XL, and the other a HPUX system (can't
remember the model number). I am not a HP-savvy guy. Both machines have
TCP/IP installed to run over thin ethernet. They want the MPE/XL node
to spool print files to the HP-UX box. Currently they go the other way,
as HP have told the it is not possible to send print jobs from MPE to
UNIX. Is this true?  Do the TCP/IP implementations for both machines
have support for rlp? (If so, why can't MPE spool to HPUX?)

Also, could anybody with hints/gotchas about running either/both these
machines with TCP/IP over X.25 please contact me?
Paul Brooks        |Internet: pwb@newt.phys.unsw.edu.au
Uni. of N.S.W.     |If you have trouble sleeping, try lying on the end of
Kensington NSW 2033|   your bed. With a little luck you'll drop off. 
AUSTRALIA          |                              - Mark Twain. 

mike@socrates.umd.edu (mike santangelo (UNIX/VMS Sys Staff)) (06/01/91)

pwb@newt.phys.unsw.OZ.AU.unsw.oz (Paul W. Brooks) writes:

>I have been given the job of helping to sort out two HP machines:
>One, a HP3000/935 running MPE/XL, and the other a HPUX system (can't
>remember the model number). I am not a HP-savvy guy. Both machines have
>TCP/IP installed to run over thin ethernet. They want the MPE/XL node
>to spool print files to the HP-UX box. Currently they go the other way,
>as HP have told the it is not possible to send print jobs from MPE to
>UNIX. Is this true?  Do the TCP/IP implementations for both machines
>have support for rlp? (If so, why can't MPE spool to HPUX?)

MPE does support TCP/IP through its NS/3000 software.  However, that
does not mean that the upper-level (application layer) is BSD, it
is not.  NS/3000 supports a number of HP proprietary protocols,
VT for virtual terminal (in place of TELNET), RFT for remote file
transfer (in place of FTP), and for mail there is HPDesk (in place of
SMTP) if you have HPDesk.  The only network spooling packages I am aware
of for the HP3000 are from Holland House, I do not know if they now
allow communication with HP9000s, may wish to ask them.  However, HP9000s
will talk NS (if you buy it for them) so you could make a crude transport
for print files by using DSCOPY (HP's RFT application).  If not that,
it should be possible to create an lpr client on MPE XL using NS's IPC
calls (which are socket based).  NS's IPC is at least well documented
(provided you have the manuals and don't mind a little programming).


-- 
                                  Mike Santangelo (mike@socrates.umd.edu)
                                  UNIX / VMS Systems Manager

kumarr@hparc0.HP.COM (Kumar Rangan) (06/03/91)

If u're looking at 3rd party packages, try a company called Quest Software
in the US. They seem to have a product called NBSpool/UX which quote :
"provides high speed bi directional transfer of spoolfiles between HP3000 &
HP9000.....Users will have the ability to print anywhere in the network
transparently..."
Their address is : 610 Newport, Center Drive, Suite 890, Newport Beach,
California 92660. Tel : (714) 720 1434, Fax : (714) 720 0426
----
kumarr@hparc0.aus.hp.com
HP New Zealand. Tel : +64 4 820 400
DISCLAIMER : The above are not HP's opinions. They're not even mine.

philh@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Phil Hutchinson) (06/06/91)

>UNIX. Is this true?  Do the TCP/IP implementations for both machines
>have support for rlp? (If so, why can't MPE spool to HPUX?)

Paul, 

Another 3rd party option is TranSpooler by NSD,Inc. 1400 Fashion Island Blvd.
San Mateo, Ca. 94404 (415)573-5923, (800)538-3818  or fax (415)573-6691.  This
is a bidirectional utility.

Mike's suggestion of DSCOPYing files is probably easier given MPE/XL 2.1 or 
later with it's Native Mode Spooler wherein spool files are just regular old
files.  Now that I think of it, NSD also has a product, Job Rescue, normally
used to archive $STDLISTs and report files.  You could configure its options
file to DSCOPY all spoolfiles for a particular device class, HPUXLP for      
instance, to your 9000 and then delete the spoolfile on the 3000.  A script
on the 9000 would be required to pump the received file into to UX spooler.

Phil