BARR/PRINT CHANNEL is a software and hardware module of the Barr Enterprise Print Server that allows you to physically connect your Windows-based computer to your mainframe channel. It emulates multiple mainframe-attached printers and is a relatively simple method of printing from the mainframe to your local network printers.
BARR/PRINT CHANNEL offers two options.
BARR/PRINT CHANNEL with ESCON – The computer connects to the mainframe through the CHANNEL-IN (ES) adapter. A thin, flexible, fiber-optic cable A form of cable used in networks that transmits signals optically, rather than electrically as do coaxial and twisted-pair cable. connects the adapter to the mainframe. You can also connect the cable to an ESCON director, which is connected to the mainframe. With an ESCON director, you can attach multiple CHANNEL-IN (ES) adapters to the mainframe.
BARR/PRINT CHANNEL with Bus & Tag – The computer connects to the mainframe through the CHANNEL-IN adapter. With the CHANNEL INTELLIGENCE adapter, the CHANNEL INTELLIGENCE cable is connected directly from the adapter to the channel without the use of a Channel Attach Box (CAB). With the CHANNEL-IN (BT) adapter, a thin, flexible CHANNEL-IN (BT) cable connects the adapter to the CAB. Bus & Tag cables Cables used to connect devices to mainframe channels. The bus cable transmits data and the tag cable controls information on the bus. connect the CAB to the mainframe and to any other downstream channel-attached devices.
Using BARR/PRINT CHANNEL you can direct mainframe print jobs to the spool, and then from the spool you can direct the jobs to existing network print queues on a LAN. If you add the BARR/PRINT390 module, you can also share mainframe channel printers with the rest of your network.
Depending on the other Barr product options you install, BARR/PRINT CHANNEL also allows VAX Acronym for Virtual Address Extension. A family of 32-bit minicomputers introduced by Digital Equipment Corporation in 1978., UNIX An operating system for workstations developed by AT&T Bell Laboratories that features multiprogramming in a multiuser environment., and AS/400 hosts to share the mainframe channel printers (with the BARR/PRINT390 module) and network printers.
Because BARR/PRINT CHANNEL emulates a 3211-type channel printer, you must ask your host programmer to configure the mainframe to recognize and communicate with the BARR/PRINT CHANNEL device.
BARR/PRINT CHANNEL includes the following features.
Receives multiple jobs simultaneously on different channel addresses with independent banner page recognition for each channel address
Supports FCBs Acronym for Forms Control Buffer. A buffer that controls the vertical format of printed output. The FCB can include information about the number of lines per page, lines per inch, and channel stops. and UCSBs Acronym for Universal Character Set Buffers. Printer features that permit you to use various character arrays.
Supports end-of-file detection options by using banner pages, FCBs, or timeouts Events that indicate that a predetermined amount of time has elapsed without some other expected event taking place. The timeout event is used to interrupt the process that had been waiting for the other expected event.
Extracts banner page text to define BARR/SPOOL properties such as FORMNAME and JOBNAME
Supports up to four physical BARR/CHANNEL-IN adapters
Offers ESCON or Bus & Tag connectivity
Supports multiple 3211 printer connections per adapter (the total number of 3211 printer connections depends on system resources)
Allows remote printing without using SNA
Sends mainframe output to any printer defined on your Windows network without changes to your JCL code
Enables flexible and more efficient use of your printing resources
Works as an intelligent channel switch for channel-attached printers with BARR/PRINT390
