JP2003256157A - Method and program for printer status monitoring in terminal service - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer status monitoring method for displaying, on a terminal, the status of a printer in which printing data generated on a terminal server may be redirected, under an environment where terminal service is being provided. <P>SOLUTION: With regard to the printer 3 to which the printing data generated on the terminal server 110 can be redirected, its identification information, and a host name defined by OS of the terminal 21 which is the host of the printer 3 and a port name defined as the port that leads to the printer 3 are recorded, correlated with each other, on the database 120. A status monitor 113 reads out, from a database 120, the host name and port name defined for the printer directed by the terminal server 110, acquires the status of the printer 3 connected with the port which the port name shows from the terminal 2 that the host name shows, and generates screen image data for a status window based on the status information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a terminal server program in a network system for performing terminal service between a server device executing a terminal server program and a terminal executing a terminal service client program. The present invention relates to a printer status monitor method for generating image data for displaying a status of a printer to which print data generated by the printer driver executed above can be redirected (transferred).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the progress of computer networking, a technique has been developed for performing a terminal service between a server device and a terminal installed in a local area or a remote place. In this terminal service, a program module called a terminal server is executed in a server device and a program called a terminal service client is executed in a terminal, and the terminal service client executes various commands input by an input device of the terminal. The data is sent to the terminal server, the terminal server executes the application program according to these various commands and data, and the screen data as the execution result is returned to the terminal service client, and the terminal service client follows the screen data. This is an application program execution method that displays a different screen on the display of the terminal.

When such a terminal service is implemented, it is not necessary to install an application for each terminal even if there are a plurality of terminals. Therefore, application maintenance (installation, version upgrade, module addition, change, Since the execution of the application does not depend on the processing capacity of the terminal, it is not necessary to change the hardware of the terminal as the function of the application is improved. Furthermore, maintenance of the server device can be performed from the terminal, and ASP (Application Service Pro
vider) business is also possible.

As a terminal server for providing such a terminal service, Windows NT S which is a multi-user operating system (OS) manufactured by Microsoft Corporation.
erver 4.0 Terminal Server Edition (trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States) or Windows 2000 Server (trademark of Microsft Corporation in the United States), or Meta Frame (trademark of CITRIX Corporation in the United States) or Thin Print (which is add-on software executed together with these OSs. What is realized on these OSs by the registered trademark of Thin print GmbH of Germany
Can be mentioned.

In an environment where such a terminal service is implemented, in order to cause an application to print by operating the terminal, the operator of the terminal displays it on the display of the terminal to show the processing result of the terminal server. In the window for the print function that is displayed further inside the specified window (hereinafter referred to as the "terminal window"), specify the printer to print using the input device and enter the print command. To do. Then, on the terminal server, the document generated by the application is passed to the printer driver for the printer specified by the operator, converted into print data by being converted into a print command by this printer driver, and operated by the operator. Is transferred (redirected) to the connected terminal or the terminal to which the printer specified by the operator is connected. Then, the terminal that receives the print data sends the print data to the designated printer according to the printer name, port name, and host name embedded in the print data, and causes the printer to execute printing according to the print data. .

[0006]

Printing based on print data transferred (redirected) from the terminal server by such a terminal service (hereinafter, referred to as
In the case of normal printing (printing based on a document generated by an application running in the terminal, hereafter referred to as "local printing") instead of "redirect printing", run the status monitor program on the terminal. By executing, it is possible to go to check the status of the printer (send a request message to check and receive the response) and display the result on the display.

However, the functions supported by the terminal server, which is a multi-user OS, as standard include the function of receiving the operator's input command and data sent by the terminal service client, and the screen data representing the processing result, which is the terminal service client. Although it includes a function for responding to and a function for redirecting print data and sending it out unilaterally, it does not include a function for checking the status of each printer to which print data is redirected by itself. This is because the terminal server itself does not have a bidirectional communication function,
This is because the host name and port name used by the terminal server to specify each printer can be interpreted only by the module (spooler) that processes print data in the terminal.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its problem is that in a network system in which a terminal service is implemented, a terminal service client executed on a terminal is displayed on a display. A printer status monitoring method for displaying the status of a printer to which print data generated on the terminal server running on the server device can be redirected in the displayed screen, and a computer as the server device. A printer status monitor program for executing such a printer status monitor method is provided.

[0009]

According to the printer status monitor method of the present invention devised to solve the above problems, a server device executing a terminal server program and a terminal service client program are executed. In a network system performing terminal services with a plurality of terminals, the identification information and the host of the printer of each printer to which print data generated on the terminal server program can be redirected. The host name of the terminal and the port name defined to identify the port connected to the printer in the terminal are stored in the storage device of the server device in association with each other, and the server is connected to the server from any terminal. Specified by the input data received by the device The processing device of the server device reads the host name and the port name of the printer from the storage device, and the processing device of the server device reads the host name and the port name from the terminal indicated by the read host name through the two-way communication module. The status information of the printer connected to the port indicated by the read port name is acquired, the processing device of the server device generates screen data of the status display screen based on the acquired status information, and this screen data is used as the input data. Send to the source terminal.

The printer status monitor program according to the present invention is capable of communicating with a plurality of terminals respectively executing the terminal service client program via the network by executing the terminal server program. For each printer to which the print data generated on the terminal server program can be redirected to the computer connected to the storage device, its identification information, the host name of the terminal hosting the printer, and the terminal And a port name defined for identifying a port connected to the printer in the above, are stored in the storage device in association with each other, and the host name for the printer specified by the input data received from any terminal. And the port name, The status information of the printer connected to the port indicated by the read port name is acquired from the terminal indicated by the read host name by using the bidirectional communication module, and the acquired status information is stored in the storage device. Based on this, screen data of the status display screen is generated, and the screen data is transmitted to the input data transmission source terminal.

With the above configuration, the host device accesses the terminal that is the host of the printer using the host name stored in advance in the storage device for the printer to be monitored, and stores it in the storage device as well. By specifying the specified port name, the printer status information will be requested. Therefore, the terminal, which is the host, can immediately access the printer based on this port name, obtain its status information, and respond to the host device. Therefore, even in the environment where the terminal service is implemented, the operator of the terminal that requests printing confirms the status of the printer to which the print data is redirected in the terminal window displayed on the display of the terminal. It will be possible.

The terminal, which is the host of the printer to which the print data generated on the terminal server has been redirected, sends the port name defined by itself and the host name of the port connected to the printer to the server device. The port name and the host name may be transmitted and stored in the storage device together with the identification information of the printer.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A mode of a network system in which a terminal service environment to which the printer status monitoring method of the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration and software configuration of this network system. In addition, in FIG. 1, the broken line logically indicates the flow of data (however, physically, the data flows through the signal line). <Hardware Configuration> As shown in FIG. 1, this network system includes a LAN (Local Area Network),
At least one server device 1 connected to each other via a plurality of LANs connected by a WAN (Wide Area Network), a network N such as the Internet, and a plurality of terminals (only one is shown in FIG. 1) 2 , A network printer 3 and a local printer 4 connected to the terminal 2.

This server device 1 has a CPU (Central Processing Uni
t) 10, large-capacity RAM (Random Access Memory) 1
1 and hard disk 12, network adapter 1
It is configured by connecting main devices such as 3 and the like to each other via a bus B.

The hard disk 12 has a CPU 10
Various programs and various data that are read out and executed by the RAM 11 are stored. Actually, these various programs are sequentially paged and executed on the RAM 11 due to the limitation of the capacity of the RAM 11, but in FIG. 1, under the assumption that the capacity of the RAM 11 is very large, The state where the main programs in the hard disk 12 are read at once and expanded on the RAM 11 is shown. That is, each of these main programs is executed on the terminal server 110 and a multi-user OS (OS itself is not shown) including modules and / or add-in software for realizing the functions of the terminal server 110 described above. Application 1
11, a printer driver 112 and a status monitor 113 prepared for each model of the printers 3 and 4, a spooler 114, a spool data transmission module 115,
A first service program 116 and a bidirectional communication module 117 are included. Also, hard disk 1
The data stored in No. 2 includes the printer management database 120. Each of these programs 11
The functions of 0 to 117 and the data structure of the database 120 will be described later in detail together with the program on the terminal 2 side.

The CPU 10 has a BIOS (Basic
The above OS and some programs 110, 114 to 117 according to the Input Output System)
After being read out from the RAM 3 to the RAM 11 and activated, various processes (each of the programs 111 to 11 executed on the terminal server 110) are executed according to the input data received from the terminal 2.
3 startup, processing according to each program 110-117)
It is a central processing unit for executing.

The network adapter 13 is a communication device that functions as a physical interface between the network N and the bus B. Specifically, it is a MODEM or LAN.
Cards, etc.

On the other hand, each terminal 2 is an ordinary personal computer having a network communication function, and has a CPU 20, a RAM 21, a hard disk 22, a network adapter 23, a display 24, an input device 25, and an input device 25 which are connected to each other via a bus B. It comprises a printer interface 26.

The hard disk 22 stores various programs and data which are read out and executed on the RAM 21 by the CPU 20. In FIG. 1, the RAM 2
The state where the main program in the hard disk 22 is read at once and expanded on the RAM 21 under the assumption that the capacity of 1 is very large is shown.
That is, each of these main programs includes an OS for a terminal (for example, Windows 2000 [trademark of Microsoft Corporation,
In addition to (not shown), a terminal service client (for example, one attached to the above Windows 2000) 210, a spooler 211, a direct print 212, a local monitor 213, a print information notification program 214,
A second service program 215 and a bidirectional communication module 216 are included.

The CPU 21 reads out the OS and some programs 211 to 216 from the hard disk 22 to the RAM 11 in accordance with a BIOS (not shown) and activates them, and then executes various processes (in the terminal service client 210 of the terminal service client 210) according to input data received from the terminal 2. It is a central processing unit that executes startup and processing according to each program 210-216.

The network adapter 23 is a communication device that functions as a physical interface between the network N and the bus B. Specifically, it is a MODEM or LAN.
Cards, etc.

The display 24 is a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) or LCD for displaying a screen (including a terminal window described later) generated by the CPU 20.
(Liquid Crystal Display) is a display device.

The input device 25 is a keyboard or a mouse operated by an operator to input various commands and data. Note that various programs executed by the CPU 20 by the operator using the input device 25 (in particular, the terminal service client 21
The commands and data passed to 0) are collectively referred to as
It is called "input data".

The printer interface 26 is an input / output device that controls the sending and receiving of data with respect to the cable connected to the local printer 4, and is specifically a Centronics interface, a USB interface, or the like. <Software Configuration> Next, the server device 1 listed above.
Side programs 110-117, 210 on the terminal 2 side
The functions of to 216 will be described in the order of data flow.

As described above, the terminal service client 210 receives the input data input by the operator via the input device 25 from the terminal server 110.
Send to.

Then, the terminal server 110 executes a process based on the input data received from the terminal service client 210 (for example, activation of the application 111 according to the input data [activation command], delivery of the input data to the application 111, application The screen data indicating the processing result of 111 is received, the printer driver 112 is activated according to the instruction from the application 111, the document is passed from the application 111 to the printer driver 112, and the print data from the printer driver 112 is sent to the spooler 114. Handing over, starting the status monitor 113 according to the input data [start command], the first service program 1 of the instruction data from the status monitor 113
16 or the two-way communication module 117, receiving the screen data indicating the processing result of the status monitor 113, incorporating the screen data from the application 111 or / and the status monitor 113 into the terminal window screen data, the terminal window screen Data response to the terminal service client 210). In addition, this terminal server 110
Is started for each terminal service client 210, so that a plurality of terminal servers 110 may be simultaneously executed by the CPU 10.

The terminal service client 210 receiving the terminal window screen data from the terminal server 110 passes the terminal window screen data to the screen display function of the OS (not shown). As a result, a screen including a terminal window is displayed on the display 24. FIG. 2 is an example of a screen including the terminal window T displayed on the display 24.
As shown in FIG. 2, in addition to the terminal window T, various icons and toolbars generated by the OS for the terminal 2 and windows generated by an application program (not shown) are displayed on this screen. Then, in the terminal window T, various icons generated by the terminal server 110 are displayed. As described above, when the application 110 and the status monitor 113 are executed on the terminal server 110, the terminal server 110 is executed by these programs.
A window showing the contents of each screen data received by
It will be displayed in this terminal window T.

The application 111 is any kind of commercially available program, and generates visible information such as images, texts, tables, etc. according to the input data received from the terminal service client 210. When the input data is a print command, the application 111 calls the print function of the terminal server 110, and a printer registered in advance in the terminal server 110 (a local printer connected to the terminal 2 of the input data transmission source). The printer 4, the network printer 3 permitted as the redirect destination from the terminal service client 210 and the local printer 4 connected to the other terminal 2) are screen data listing (via the terminal server 111) the terminal service client. 210 to any of the printers 3, 4
When the input data for selecting is selected, the printer driver 112 for the printers 3, 4 selected as the redirect destination by the input data specifies the document showing the visible information and the selected printers 3, 4. Pass the information.

The printer driver 112 is also commercially available, generates print data by converting the document received from the application 111 into a command, and passes it to the spooler 114. At this time, the printer driver 112 uses the printer name registered in the terminal server 110 as the one corresponding to the printers 3 and 4 selected as the redirect destinations (the terminal server 110 follows the individual rules for each printer 3 and 4). Attached name), the host name (if the redirect destination printer is the network printer 3, the terminal 2 where the terminal service client 210 is executed, the local printer 4 if the local printer 4 is connected) The terminal 2 which is attached to the terminal 2 which is in accordance with its own convention, and the port name (the terminal which is connected to the printer 3 or 4 in the host controlling each printer 3 or 4). The name given by the server 110 according to its own rules), Beauty,
In some cases, a user name (a name given to the operator of the terminal 2 on which the terminal service client 210 is executed by the terminal server 110 according to its own convention) is embedded in the print command.

The spooler 114 on the server device 1 side is an OS
Multiple terminal servers 11 running simultaneously on
The print data sent one after another from the printer driver 112 on the storage medium 0 are stored and are sequentially passed to the spool data transmission / reception module 115.

The spool data transmission module 115
It is a module of the OS and sends the print data received from the spooler 114 to the terminal 2 indicated by the host name.

The spooler 211 on the terminal side is programmed corresponding to the terminal server 110, and corresponds to the port name based on the port name embedded in the print data received from the spooler 114 on the server device 1 side. Direct print 212 or local monitor 2
13 is activated and print data is passed. Spooler 2
11 also receives print data generated by a printer driver (not shown) executed in the terminal 1, and executes the same processing as described above.

The direct print 212 and the local monitor 213 are present for each port connected to the printers 2 and 3, and the direct print 212 is a port connected to the network printer 3 and the local monitor 213 is a port connected to the local printer 4. , It corresponds.
The direct print 212 or the local monitor 213 activated by the spooler 211 receives print data from the spooler 211 (S01) and parses the output destination information embedded in the print data, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. (S02), the host name and port name included in the output destination information are O of the own terminal 2.
Based on whether or not S is used, the print data is either redirected from the terminal server 110 or passed from a printer driver (not shown) running in the terminal 2. It is checked whether there is any (S03). When the print data is delivered from a printer driver (not shown) executed in the terminal 2, the direct print 212 or the local monitor 213 determines that the output destination information embedded in the print data is the output destination information. The print data is sent to the indicated port (the port connected to the network printer 3 via the network N in the case of the direct print 212 and the port connected to the local printer 4 in the case of the local monitor 213), and the printer connected to the port. Printing is performed on the print job 3 and 4 based on the print data (S06). On the other hand, if the print data has been redirected from the terminal server 110, the direct print 212 or the local monitor 213 activates the print information notification program 214 (S04) and is embedded in the print data. The host name and the port name used by the OS of the terminal 2 to indicate the own terminal 2 and the port corresponding to the self are added to the output destination information, and the print information notification program 214 started in S04. Hand over (S05).
After that, the direct print 212 or the local monitor 213 sends the print data to the port indicated by the output destination information embedded therein, and prints the print data to the printers 3 and 4 connected to the port, as described above. Printing based on the data is executed (S06).

The print information notification program 214 started by the direct print 212 or the local monitor 213 receives the output destination information passed from the direct print 212 or the local monitor 213 in S05 (S11), and receives the received output destination information. , To the first service program 116 (S12).

The first service program 116 is a service that is constantly executed on the OS. In S21, an event occurs for itself (output destination information reception from the print information notification program 214, status monitor 1).
Waiting for inquiry from 13). When the output destination information is received from the print information notification program 214,
The first service program 116 registers the received output destination information in the database 120 (S22).

The database 120 includes printer names used by the terminal server 110 included in the output destination information,
It is a table that stores a host name and a port name (these correspond to the identification information of the printer) and a host name and a port name used by the OS of the host terminal 2 in association with each other.

On the other hand, in the status monitor 113, the terminal server 110 is the terminal service client 2
The input data received from 10 is the monitored printer 3, 4
It is started when the start command is specified.
The started status monitor 113 causes the first service program 116 to provide the host name and port name (the host name and port name used by the OS of the redirect destination terminal 2) for the redirect destination printers 2 and 3 having the printer name corresponding to itself. ) Is inquired (S31).

When the first service program 116 receives an inquiry from the status monitor 113, the first service program 116 refers to the database 120 and asks the status monitor 11 for the inquiry.
The host name and port name (the host name and port name used by the OS of the redirect destination terminal 2) for the redirect destination printers 2 and 3 having the printer name corresponding to 3 are
Check (S23). The host names and port names of the redirect destination printers 2 and 3 checked in S23 are
It responds to the status monitor 113 (S24).

The status monitor 113, which has received the response from the first service program 116, sends the first service program 1 to the second service program 215 of the redirect destination terminal 2 which is found from the returned host name.
Inquiries about the status of the redirect destination printers 3 and 4 that specify the port name returned from 16 are performed through the bidirectional communication module 117 (S32).

The second service program 215 is a service that is always executed on the OS, and when receiving an inquiry from the status monitor 113, the redirect destination printers 3 and 4 connected to the port indicated by the designated port name. The status is acquired through the bidirectional communication module 216 (S41). Then, the status of the redirect destination printers 3 and 4 acquired in S41 is returned to the inquiry source status monitor 113 (S42).

The status monitor 113, which has received the response from the second service program 215, generates the screen data for the status window by incorporating the response status in a predetermined UI (User Interface) screen format. Then, this screen data is passed to the screen generation function of the status server 110 (S33). Then, the screen generation function of the status server 110 incorporates the screen data received from the status monitor 113 into the screen data for the terminal window and responds to the terminal service client 210.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the status window displayed in the terminal window displayed on the display 24 of the terminal 2 by the above-mentioned terminal window screen data. The type of status displayed in this example of the status window is the ink remaining amount of each color built in the redirect destination printers 3 and 4.

As described above, according to the printer status monitoring method of this embodiment, even if the terminal server 110 itself does not have the bidirectional communication function, the status is a program for displaying the status of the printer. The monitor 113 has a bidirectional communication module 117.
Through the redirect destination terminal 2 or the terminal 2 on which the terminal service client 210 is executed, the status of the redirect printers 3 and 4 can be inquired. Therefore, even in the environment where the terminal service is implemented, the terminal service client Display 24 of terminal 2 on which 210 is being executed
The status of the redirected printers 3 and 4 can be displayed above. Moreover, at the time of this inquiry, the host name and port name used by the OS of the terminal 21 connected to the redirect destination printers 3 and 4 are specified based on the information registered in advance in the database 120. The second service program 215, which is independent of the spooler 211 in the terminal 2, can know the printers 3 and 4 to be monitored.

[0044]

According to the present invention, in the network system in which the terminal service is implemented, the terminal service client running on the terminal executes it on the server device in the screen displayed on the display. The status of the printer to which the print data generated on the terminal server can be redirected,
It becomes possible to display.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration and a software configuration of a network system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display example of a terminal window.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing executed by a main program in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of a status window.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 server device 2 terminals 3 network printers 4 local printer 10 CPU 11 RAM 12 hard disk 13 Network adapter 20 CPU 21 RAM 22 hard disk 23 Network adapter 24 display 25 Input device 116 First Service Program 117 Two-way communication module 120 databases 210 Terminal Services Client

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A network system that performs terminal services between a server device that is executing a terminal server program and a plurality of terminals that are executing a terminal service client program, and is generated on the terminal server program. For each printer that can be redirected print data
Each of the identification information, the host name of the terminal that is the host of the printer, and the port name defined for identifying the port connected to the printer in the terminal are associated with each other in the storage device of the server device. The storage device stores the host name and the port name of the printer specified by the input data received by the server device from any terminal, and the processing device of the server device reads the storage device from the storage device. The processing device acquires status information of the printer connected to the port indicated by the read port name from the terminal indicated by the read host name through the bidirectional communication module, and the processing device of the server device obtains the acquired status. Generate the screen data for displaying the status display screen based on the information, Printer status monitoring method in Terminal Services and transmits the screen data to the input data source terminal. 2. The port name for each printer stored in the storage device is transmitted to the host device by a processing device of a terminal that is a host of the printer to which the print data has been redirected, and the server 2. The printer status monitoring method in the terminal service according to claim 1, wherein the processing device of the device receives the data through the bidirectional communication module and stores it in the storage device. 3. A computer which is capable of communicating with a plurality of terminals, each of which is executing a terminal service client program, via a network by executing the terminal server program, and to a computer connected to a storage device. For each printer to which print data generated on the terminal server program can be redirected,
Each of the identification information, the host name of the terminal that is the host of the printer, and the port name defined for specifying the port connected to the printer in the terminal are stored in the storage device in association with each other, The host name and port name for the printer specified by the input data received from any terminal are read from the storage device, and the two-way communication module is used to read from the terminal indicated by the read host name, The status information of the printer connected to the port indicated by the read port name is acquired, the screen data of the status display screen is generated based on the acquired status information, and the screen data is transmitted to the input data transmission source terminal. A printer status monitor program characterized in that 4. The port name for each printer stored in the storage device is received through the two-way communication module from a terminal that is a host of the printer to which the print data has been redirected. 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein
The listed printer status monitor program.