JET 3270 Documentation > Printing > Host Attached
Host Printing to Host-Attached Printers
Host applications can generate print output (such as
multi-page reports), and send that output to a printer
associated with your terminal session. The terminal to
printer association is administered on the host.
To print to a host-attached printer, you need to configure
JET 3270 to connect to a terminal definition (on the
host) which is associated with the desired
printer. Terminal definitions on the host are known as LUs
(Logical Units), and hence the JET 3270 configuration
attribute you need to specify is known as the "LU
Resource Name" attribute on the Telnet Options
page of your session preferences. This requires that the
host system support the TN3270E (Extended TN3270)
protocols.
In many cases, system administrators for the host will set
up what is known as an LU "pool" - a group of terminal
definitions which are identical apart from their name. They
may configure an LU pool in which all LUs are associated
with a particular printer, so that many terminals can
simulatenously be associated with a single printer (and
therefore share that printer).
It is therefore important that you check with your host
system administrator(s), and determine the appropriate name
of an LU pool or specific LU which will be associated with
the printer to which you want to send output. Then set the
"LU Resource Name" attribute to the name of the LU
pool or specific LU.
After you have correctly configured JET 3270's "LU
Resource Name" attribute, and you connect to the host,
you should be able to print to the desired host-attached
printer. Each host application usually has its own method
of initiating a print operation - sometimes expecting the
end-user to press a specific function key, and sometimes
expecting a specific command. Normally the host application
clearly indicates how you should start a print operation,
but if you are in doubt, consult the documentation for that
particular host application.
When the end-user initiates the print operation, JET
3270 sends the keys supplied to the host. After this
point, JET 3270 does not play any part in the print
operation: The host application sends its output directly
to the host-attached printer.
