JP2518501B2 - Print server device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print server device for connecting to a local area network and printing data received from a client machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art First, FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a general local area network to which a print server device is connected. In FIG. 1, 1 is, for example, an Ethernet cable,
2 and 3 are transceivers, respectively. In this example, the client machine 4 is connected to the transceiver 2 via the transceiver cable 5, and the print server device 6 is connected to the transceiver 3 via the transceiver cable 7. The print server device 6 has a printer cable 9
The printers 8a and 8b are connected via a and 9b.
In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the print server device 6 spools print data transmitted from a client machine such as the client machine 4 via a local area network into a print queue, and prints the print data according to the print data spooled in the print queue. To control. Using such a print server device 6, a plurality of client machines can share the printer.

Next, when the client machine prints printer data using the print server device,
A conventional data processing method for a client machine and a print server will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 5, lpr
10 is a remote print program executed by the client machine 4, lpd is a remote print daemon program executed by the client machine 4, and lpd1
Reference numeral 2 is a remote print daemon program executed by the print server device 6. In the client machine 4, the remote print program 10 sends print data to the remote print daemon program 11. The remote print daemon program 11 sends the print data to the remote print daemon program 12 of the print server device 6 via the network.
The remote print daemon program 12 of the print server device receives the print data and outputs it to the printer 8.

[0004]

However, such a conventional print server device cannot receive print data from a client machine that does not support the commands of the remote print program lpr and the remote print daemon program lpd. , Such a client machine could not share the printer using the conventional print server device.

An object of the present invention is to enable a printer to be used as long as it has a file transfer means for transferring files between terminals, even if it does not support the remote print program and remote print daemon program. To provide a print server device.

[0006]

The print server device of the present invention is connected to a terminal having file sharing means for reading directory information of a file from another terminal and reading / writing data from / to the file of the other terminal. In the print server device connected to the local area network, file directory information combining means for combining the directory information of the print file to store the print data with the file directory information of the client machine, and the data for the print file by the client machine. A write command is executed to write the data transmitted from the client via the local area network to the print file, and to write to the print file. Characterized in that a print data processing means for processing the data to be provided data to the print device.

[0007]

In the print server device of the present invention, the file directory information combining means combines the directory information of the print file in which the print data is to be stored with the file directory information of the client machine. When the client machine executes a data write command for the print file, the file data writing means writes the data transmitted from the client machine via the local area network into the print file. And the print data processing means is
The data of the print file is processed into the data to be given to the printing device.

In order to operate as described above, if the client machine is provided with a means for combining the directory of the print file of the print server device with its own file directory, write the print data to the print file of the print server device. This makes it possible to output the data to the printing device.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hardware configurations of a client machine and a print server according to an embodiment of the present invention are shown in FIGS.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the client machine,
The microprocessor unit 30 executes a program previously written in the ROM 31 and a program loaded in the RAM 32. The microprocessor unit 30 reads and writes data and programs from and to the hard disk drive 34 through the interface 33, and reads and writes data and programs from and into the floppy disk drive 36 through the interface 35. Further, the operation content of the keyboard 40 is read through the interface 37 and displayed on the display device 41 such as a CRT through the interface 38. Further, communication control is performed with the local area network via the communication interface 39.

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the print server device.
The microprocessor unit 50 executes a program previously written in the ROM 51. The RAM 52 is used as a working area for storing a printer registration table and print data to be described later and for processing the same. The microprocessor unit 50 outputs print data to a plurality of printers via the interface 53. It also controls communication with the local area network via the communication interface 54. Although a device dedicated to the print server is shown in FIG. 4, a general personal computer may be used as the print server device.

Next, when the client machine prints the print data using the print server device,
A data processing method of the client machine and the print server device will be described with reference to FIG. In general, layered disks
In a file system that has a directory structure,
The root directory is the first hierarchical directory
Is called, and is hierarchical including this root directory
The file system is called the root file system
It In addition, individual files are stored in the directory.
And to keep track of this stored file
Information such as file name, file attributes, file
The capacity and the like are called directory information. In FIG. 2, the client machine 4 is a print server device 6
The print server device 6 is provided with an execution unit of the network file system program 25 that combines (hereinafter referred to as “mount”) the root file system of the client machine 4 as its own file directory. The network file system daemon program 21 for mounting is provided. The client machine 4 is, for example, a UNIX machine, and T
A network file system “NFS”, which is one of CP / IP applications, is used. This network file system can mount a file directory on another machine to its own file directory, and the user can access the file as if it were local (file system of the print server device). In the print server device 6, reference numeral 24 denotes a printer registration table that stores a plurality of combinations of printer names, filter names, and output port names, and filters 22a, 22b ... 22n print input print data in a required format according to the printer. It is a means for executing a filter program that processes data. Further, the output ports 23a, 23b ... 23n are ports to which the printers 8a, 8b ...

In FIG. 2, the root file system of the print server device 4 is mounted on the file directory of the client machine 4 by the action of the network file system daemon program 21 of the print server device 6 and the network file system program 25 of the client machine 4. It The client machine 4, the write command of the file, are registered file print data to the printer registration table 2 4 is written to a single file that is represented by a printer name purposes. That is, on the client machine 4
The printer name in the printer registration table 24 is 1
Recognized as a file in one directory
It In the present invention, the printer registration table 2
4 printer names are stored as one file
A directory is called a print file directory.
The directory information of this print file is normal.
Unlike the file name, which is directory information, the printer
First name, etc. As a result, the network file system program 25 transfers the print data file to the print file of the print server device 6 whose printer name is the file name. The print server device 6 refers to the printer registration table 24 for the received file data, processes the print data by the corresponding filter program, and outputs the print data to the output port of the corresponding output port name.

As described above, even if the client machine that does not support the remote print program and remote print daemon program as shown in FIG. 5 is a client machine that supports the network file system, The printer connected to the print server device can be used.

[0015]

According to the present invention, it is possible to print out print data from a client machine provided with a means for combining file directory information. As a result, the printer connected to the print server device according to the present invention can be used as long as it is a client machine provided with the file directory information combining means.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a general local area network to which a print server device is connected.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a print server apparatus and an apparatus connected thereto according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a client machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a print server device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional print server device and a device connected thereto.

[Explanation of symbols]

1-Network Cable 2,3-Transceiver 4-Client Machine 5,7-Transceiver Cable 6-Print Server Device 8,8a, 8b, 8c-Printer 9a, 9b-Printer Cable 10-Remote Print Program 11, 12-Remote Print Daemon program 21-Network file system daemon program 24-Printer registration table 25-Network file system program

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A print server device connected to a local area network to which a terminal having a file sharing means for reading file directory information from another terminal and reading / writing data from / to the file of the other terminal is connected. File directory information combining means for combining the directory information of the print file in which the print data is to be stored with the file directory information of the client machine, and a command for writing data to the print file by the client machine is executed, and the command is executed via the local area network. File data writing means for writing the data transmitted from the client machine to the print file, and the data to be given to the printing device for the data written in the print file. Processing the print server apparatus being characterized in that a print data processing means for.