Novell Documentation: NetWare 6 - Using Legacy Printers and NDPS Gateways

Using Legacy Printers and NDPS Gateways

Gateways allow NDPS clients to send jobs to printers that are not NDPS-aware (that is, printers that are not equipped with embedded NDPS Printer Agents). You select and configure a printer gateway when you create a new Printer Agent.

Gateways translate NDPS queries or commands to printer-specific language that the physical printer can use. This is possible because gateways are configured to know the specific type (make and model) of printer being used.

You can implement NDPS through two types of gateways: third-party gateways and the generic Novell gateway. Each type of implementation is described here.

Printing through Third-party Gateways

A third-party gateway is designed specifically for a printer or printer family.

This scenario requires two components running on a NetWare server: the NDPS Manager and the third-party gateway. The NDPS Manager is an integral part of NDPS and implements a platform on which to run Printer Agents. The third-party gateway is provided by the printer manufacturer for a specific printer or class of printers.

Printer Agents (unless embedded in the printer itself) are created to run on the NDPS Manager to front-end printers which do not contain NDPS capabilities and make them appear to users and administrators as full NDPS printers. The NDPS Manager uses NDPS to communicate with users and administrators on one end, but requires a gateway to communicate with the printer on the other.

Some printer manufacturers have developed proprietary mechanisms for dynamically discovering their printers and for providing comprehensive access to their printers' capabilities. Gateways developed by these printer manufacturers can be snapped in to the NDPS Manager to give NDPS administrators and users enhanced access to the printers.

Different levels of NDPS functionality are available depending on the actual implementation of a specific gateway and the capabilities of the protocols used by the gateway.

Advantages of Printing through a Third-Party Gateway	Disadvantages of Printing through a Third-Party Gateway
Might support Pure IP Might provide pseudo plug-and-print capabilities Feedback and control as good as the protocols used by the gateway Simple administration	Currently not all existing printers have third-party gateways Some manual configuration might be required

Advantages of Printing through a Third-Party Gateway

Disadvantages of Printing through a Third-Party Gateway

Might support Pure IP

Might provide pseudo plug-and-print capabilities

Feedback and control as good as the protocols used by the gateway

Simple administration

Currently not all existing printers have third-party gateways

Some manual configuration might be required

Printing through the Novell Gateway

For legacy and specialized printers that are not supported by third-party gateways, NetWare includes a generic Novell gateway that allows the NDPS Manager to communicate with print devices using the LPR/LPD protocol on IP, the Internet Printing Protocol, and the RP protocol on IPX.

Using the Novell gateway, jobs can also be written to a queue as a way to route them to a different print system or to network printers set up in QServer mode.

Advantages of Printing through the Novell Gateway	Disadvantages of Printing through the Novell Gateway
Support for Pure IP via LPR as well as support for IPX Feedback and control as good as the protocol employed	Some manual configuration required during the creation of the Printer Agent Typically less printer information available than with third-party gateways

Advantages of Printing through the Novell Gateway

Disadvantages of Printing through the Novell Gateway

Support for Pure IP via LPR as well as support for IPX

Feedback and control as good as the protocol employed

Some manual configuration required during the creation of the Printer Agent

Typically less printer information available than with third-party gateways