Mainframe Printing: LSU Overview

General Information

Departmental printers can be defined as LSU mainframe printers for distributed printing of mainframe reports.  Mainframe batch jobs and online transactions often generate report outputs that can be routed to the destination of choice for a mainframe user. This service provides the work to generate a mainframe definition that points to an existing departmental network printer.

Mainframe Printer Requirements

The IBM Software Knowledge Base link for printer hardware is located via IBM Support.

1. The printer MUST SUPPORT PJL & PCL5 (PCL5e & PCL6 are NOT SUPPORTED)

2. The printer MUST SUPPORT Direct IP Printing (RAW Printing)

3. The printer MUST BE Connected Directly to the LSU Network with an Ethernet Cable.

** NOTE:  A self-installed network hub WILL NOT allow proper mainframe printing AND these devices ARE NOT allowed on the LSU.EDU Domain. 

Set Up a NEW Mainframe Printer

Your printer MUST be set up as a Network Printer first before being set up as a Mainframe Printer. In order to do so, please see the following article:

Setting up a Network Printer on Campus

Remote Printing

For departments that are working remotely and do not have access to a mainframe printer but are accessing the SAE system remotely please use the following procedure:

• For students being awarded for semesters during the current academic year semesters (1s21 and 2s21) or immediate prior semesters (3s20, 2s20, 1s20) please process the SAE and provide the SAE document ID number along with a the name and title of approvers.

An example of where to locate document ID and appropriate approvers is below. We will process the SAE to disburse funding to the students. We will request the original SAE document with signatures upon resuming normal campus activities.

Please have the two approvers provide their emailed “approve” response to scholarships@lsu.edu.

• For departments that are working remotely and do not have access to a mainframe printer or the mainframe SAE system please contact scholarships@lsu.edu for assistance.

Install The Mainframe Printer

For individual pages, you can select File from the Mainframe menu, and click the Print option. You will not need any further settings.

For the Functionality for printing a Full Mainframe Report:

Send an e-mail to servicedesk@lsu.edu with the following information:

1. The Make & Model Number of the Printer

2. The Network Name (hostname) & IP Address of the Printer

3. The Requested Mainframe Name  (8 Characters or less)

Specify a Default Mainframe Printer for your Mainframe Print Requests:

Send an e-mail to servicedesk@lsu.edu with the following information:

1. Your Mainframe Logon Id 

2. The Mainframe Printer Name that you want to set as the Default

Test The Mainframe Printer

From the System Menu:

• Enter into IRM
• Now type: ptst
• Printer Destination -> Mainframe printer name
• Format -> l
• Form -> hsls
• The printer should print a test page.

To Get out of Response Mode:

• Log on to IMS
• Clear the screen
• Type "/for helpdesk"
• Type "/dis user logonID"
• Type "/sto user logonID"
• Type "/deq user logonID, purge"
• Type "/sta user logonID"

To Clear an EDRAINED Printer:

• Press 'c' for the command prompt
• Press the 'stop' and 'start' option
• Type '4' and press 'Enter'
• Type '2' and press 'Enter'
• Type '1' and press 'Enter'
• Type '3' and press 'Enter'
   

IBM PCOMM

If you attempted to print without first opening a Printer Session, please do the following:

• Enter Time Sharing Option (TSO)
• Enter into VPS
• Find the LU Printer Name and if it says 'EDRAINED':
  • Press 'c' for the command prompt and press the 'stop' and 'start' option.
  • This should fix the issue.