JPH09120346A - Data setting method for print server, and print server - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it easy to set setting data for the print server by eliminating the need to install a special download utility program on a terminal. SOLUTION: Print output is done by transmitting printer discrimination information on a printer name, etc., and file data to be printed from a terminal 2 to the print server 3 through a network. Further, a special printer name for indicating the setting of the setting data is used as the printer discrimination information and a setting data file is transmitted together with it, so that the print server 3 sets the contents of a memory for setting data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and print server for setting various setting data of a print server connected to a local area network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an office environment, a plurality of personal computers or workstations and a print server are connected to a local area network and connected to the print server in order to improve the operating rate and cost performance of office automation equipment such as computers. In many cases, a system configuration is adopted in which the existing printer can be used by a plurality of personal computers or workstations.

In using such a print server, various setting data must be set in advance. These setting data are, for example, the printer name of the printer connected to each output port of the print server, information about which filter is used as a filter for converting the print data suitable for each printer, and the Internet address. These setting data are EE-P
It is written in a non-volatile memory such as a ROM.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration for setting the various setting data. As shown in the figure, the setting information 2 is set on the terminal 2 side which is the client machine.
1 is created, and by executing the download utility program 20, the setting information 21 is downloaded to the setting data memory 32 in the print server 3 via the network.

[0005]

However, in such a conventional print server data setting method, a special download utility program for downloading the setting information set on the terminal side to the print server must be prepared. Moreover, there is a problem that it takes time to install the program on the terminal and execute it.

An object of the present invention is to provide a print server data setting method and a print server which eliminate the need to install a special download utility program in a terminal and facilitate the setting of print server setting data.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print server data setting method for facilitating print server data setting without using a special download utility program. When the printer identification information and file data are transmitted from the terminal connected to the local area network to the print server, and when the printer identification information is the information for identifying the printer connected to the port in the print server, the printer is sent to the corresponding port. It is characterized in that the file data is processed or output as it is, and when the printer identification information is information instructing the setting of the setting data for the print server, the file data is written in the setting data memory.

The print server of the present invention is a special print server provided with a memory for setting data, which is connected to a local area network to which a terminal having a means for transmitting file data to be printed to the print server is connected. In order to facilitate setting of the print server setting data without using a different download utility program, the relationship between the identification information of each printer and the port to which those printers are connected is set as described in claim 2. Printer information storage means for storing, print data output means for receiving file data to be output and printer identification information and processing the file data to a port corresponding to the printer identification information or outputting the file data as it is; The setting data of A print server setting data writing means for writing the file data, which is the setting data for the print server, to the setting data memory in response to the printer identification information for instructing the setting of the setting data for the print server together with the print data. It is characterized by

In the print server data setting method and the print server of the present invention, the printer identification information as information for identifying the printer connected to the port is normally sent from the terminal to the print server together with the file data via the local area network. As a result of the transmission, the print server outputs the processed or unprocessed file data to the port corresponding to the printer identification information, and the printer connected to the port performs the printout operation. However, when the printer identification information as information for instructing the setting of the setting data for the print server is transmitted from the terminal to the print server, the file data added thereto is written in the setting data memory. Therefore, the terminal creates the setting data for the print server as file data, specifies the printer identification information as the information for instructing the data setting, and executes the same command as when printing out the normal file data. Only by doing so, it becomes possible to easily set the setting data of the print server.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The configuration of a system using a print server according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a connection form between a terminal and a print server. In the figure, 1 is a local area network using an Ethernet cable, to which terminals 2a and 2b, a print server 3 and the like are connected. A plurality of printers 4a, 4b ... 4n are connected to the output port of the print server 3.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the terminal. In the figure, the microprocessor unit 40 includes a program and R written in the ROM 41 in advance.
The program loaded in the AM 42 is executed. The microprocessor unit 40 reads / writes data and programs from / to the hard disk drive 44 via the interface 43, and reads / writes data / programs from / from the floppy disk drive 46 via the interface 45. Interface 4
The operation content of the keyboard 50 is read via 7 and displayed on the display device 51 such as a CRT via the interface 48. Further, communication control is performed with the local area network via the communication interface 49.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the print server, and the microprocessor unit 60 executes the program previously written in the ROM 61. The RAM 62 is used as a working area for storing print data and processing the print data. The NV-RAM 65 is a non-volatile memory such as an EE-PROM, and a part of this memory is used as a setting data memory described later. The microprocessor unit 60 outputs print data to a plurality of printers via the interface 63. It also controls communication with the local area network via the communication interface 64.

Next, a data processing method of the terminal and the print server when the terminal prints out or sets the setting data for the print server using the print server will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functions of the print server and the terminal. As shown in FIG.
A file 21 of print server setting data and a file 22 to be printed out are created. The remote print program lpr23 of the terminal 2 sends the data of the file 21 or the data of the file 22 to the remote print daemon program lpd24. The remote print daemon program lpd24 sends the print data to the remote print daemon program lpd31 of the print server 3 via the network.
The remote print daemon program 31 of the print server 3 receives the print data and performs processing according to the content. In the print server 3, the setting data memory 32 is a memory for storing various setting data and corresponds to a part of the non-volatile memory 65 shown in FIG. The setting data is, for example, a table including a printer name, a filter type, and an output port number, which corresponds to the printer information storage unit according to the present invention, and an Internet address. In the print server 3, the filter 33a,
Reference numerals 33b ... 33n are filter program executing means for processing the received file data into print data of a required format corresponding to the printer. Also output port 3
4a, 34b ... 34n are printers 4a, 4b ...
Ports 4n are connected to each other to output print data to the printer.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing contents in the print server 3. The print server 3 analyzes the command by the operation from the terminal, refers to the above table for the print command, and if the printer name, which is one of the arguments of the print command, is the normal printer name, other print commands Filter the file data of the file that is an argument and output the print data. If the printer name, which is one of the arguments of the print command, is the printer name for setting the print server setting data, the file data of the file that is another argument of the print command is written to the setting data memory 32. . For example, in FIG. 4, the print file 22 (file a) is transferred from the terminal 2 to the printer 4
As a print request command for printing with a (printer a), a command "lpr -P printer a file a" (where "lpr" is the command name of the print output request command, "-P printer name" and "file name")
Is an argument of the print output request command. ) Is executed, the print server 3 refers to the above table by the action of the remote print program lpr23 and the remote print daemon programs lpd24 and 31, and executes the filter program of the filter a, that is, the filter a. The received print file data is processed and output from the output port a to the printer a.

The setting data file 21 from the terminal 2
The (file o) is a special printer name that is predetermined for setting the setting data (here, it is referred to as printer o).
If the print request command "lpr -P printer o file o" for printing is executed, the print server responds to the execution of this command by the action of the remote print program lpr23 and remote print daemon programs lpd24 and 31. The data of the file (file o) is the setting data memory 32.
Is written to. This sets the print server setting data.

Next, the data processing method of the terminal and the print server according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.
This will be described based on FIG.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the functions of the print server and the terminal. In the figure, the terminal 2 includes means for executing a file transfer protocol program ftp25, and a file transfer protocol daemon program ftpd for performing remote login to the print server 3 by the file transfer protocol program ftp25.
35 execution means are provided. The terminal 2 is, for example, UNIX
It is a machine and uses the TCP / IP type file transfer protocol FTP. In the print server 3, the setting data memory 32, the filters 33a, 33b ... 3
3n and the output ports 34a, 34b ... 34n have the same configurations as those shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing contents in the print server 3. If the transfer destination file name from the terminal is a normal printer name, the print server 3 filters the file data and outputs the print data. If the transfer destination file name is the printer name for setting the setting data, the file data is written in the setting data memory 32. In FIG.
The file transfer protocol daemon program ftpd35 of the print server 3 is always operating, and the file transfer protocol program ftp25 of the terminal 2 is executed to log in first. The terminal 2 executes the ls command (file directory contents display command) of the file transfer protocol (ftp) program, and the print server 3 operates by the operations of the file transfer protocol program ftp25 and the file transfer protocol daemon program ftpd35.
The printer name in 2 is used as the file name, and the printer name for instructing the setting of the setting data (here, printer o)
At the same time, the file name information is transferred to the terminal 2. As a result, the terminal 2 knows the file name (printer name) used by the print server 3. After that, the terminal 2 uses the put command (file transfer command) of the file transfer protocol (ftp) program to change the print file 22 (file a) to be printed to the file represented by the target printer name, for example, “printer a”. Write. This allows the file transfer protocol (ft
p) The program is a print file (file a)
Is transferred to the print file of the print server 3 whose printer name is the file name. The print server 3 refers to the table, processes the print data of the received data of the file a by the corresponding filter a, and outputs the print data to the corresponding output port a.

Here, the terminal 2 uses the put command of the file transfer protocol (ftp) program to set the setting data file (file o) to be set by the printer name for instructing the setting of the setting data (printer o). If the data is written in, the data of the setting data file (file o) is transferred to the setting data memory 32 by the action of the file transfer protocol program ftp25 and the file transfer protocol daemon program ftpd35.
Is written to. This sets the print server setting data.

Next, a data processing method of the terminal and the print server according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 8, the terminal 2 is provided with an execution unit of a network file system program nfs26 that couples (mounts) the file directory of the print server 3 as a part of its own file directory. Network file system daemon program nfs to mount as part of file directory
The execution means of d36 is provided. The terminal 2 is, for example, UNI
It is an X machine and uses a network file system "NFS" which is one of TCP / IP applications. 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 (the print server's file system). In the print server 3, the setting data memory 32 and the filter 33
a, 33b ... 33n and output ports 34a, 34
The configuration of b ... 34n is the same as that shown in FIG.

The processing contents in the print server 3 are the same as those shown in FIG. In FIG. 8, the file directory of the print server 3 is mounted on the file directory of the terminal 2 by the action of the network file system daemon program nfsd36 of the print server 3 and the network file system program nfs26 of the terminal 2. The terminal 2 writes the file of print data into one file represented by the target printer name registered in the table by the file write command. This allows
Network file system program nfs26
Transfers the print data file to a print file of the print server 3 whose printer name is the file name. The print server 3 refers to the table for the received file data, processes the print data by the corresponding filter program, and outputs the print data to the output port having the corresponding output port name.

A printer name for setting data setting instruction, for example, "printer o" exists in the file directory of the print server 3 as a file name, and the terminal 2 sends a setting data file (file o) by a file write command. ) Is written to the file "printer o" represented by the printer name for setting the above setting data, the network file system program nf
By the action of s26 and the network file system daemon program nfsd36, the data of the setting data file (file o) is written in the setting data memory 32. This sets the print server setting data.

[0025]

According to the data setting method of the print server according to the first aspect of the present invention and the print server according to the second aspect, the printer identification information as the information for instructing the setting of the print server setting data is transmitted from the terminal. When transmitted to the print server, the file data added thereto is written in the setting data memory. Therefore, on the terminal, create the setting data as file data,
Setting data for the print server can be easily set by simply specifying the printer identification information as the information for setting the setting data and executing the same command as when printing out normal file data. It will be possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a connection form of a print server according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a terminal.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a print server.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a print server according to the first embodiment and terminals connected to the print server.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing processing contents in the print server according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configurations of a print server and terminals connected to the print server according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing processing contents in the print server according to the second and third embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a print server according to a third embodiment and terminals connected to the print server.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a conventional data setting method of a print server.

[Explanation of symbols]

1-Network 2-Terminal 3-Print Server 4-Printer 25-File Transfer Protocol Program 26-Network File System Program 35-File Transfer Protocol Daemon Program 36-Network File System Daemon Program 65-Nonvolatile Memory

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. When printer identification information and file data are transmitted from a terminal connected to a local area network to a print server and the print server identifies the printer identification information as information identifying a printer connected to a port. , Processing the file data to a corresponding port or outputting the file data as it is, and writing the file data to the setting data memory when the printer identification information is information instructing the setting of the setting data for the print server. How to set the print server data. 2. In a print server having a memory for setting data, which is connected to a local area network to which a terminal having means for transmitting file data to be printed to the print server is connected, identification information of each printer and their identification information are stored. Printer information storage means for setting and storing the relationship with the port to which the printer is connected, and receiving the file data to be output and printer identification information, processing the file data to a port corresponding to the printer identification information, or Print data output means for outputting as it is, and file data which is setting data for the print server and printer identification information for instructing setting of the setting data for the print server are received, and file data which is the setting data for the print server is received. Write to setting data memory Print server, characterized in that a and setting data writing means for continuously print server.