Archive for the ‘Printers’ Category

Imagine below situation:

1. Target had been cloned from source
2. Couple of new printers had been configured on source after the clone.
3. Now you want the same printer configurations on target instance similar to source.

Options:

1. Perform the steps manually on target instance
2. Clone target from source
3. Use FNDLOAD (Generic Loader Utility)

We will discuss FNDLOAD option in this post.

How to download all printer definitions

1. Download the printer definitions from source

FNDLOAD apps/ 0 Y DOWNLOAD $FND_TOP/patch/115/import/afcppinf.lct source_printer_def.ldt FND_PRINTER

2. Connect to target instance
3. Get the source printer definition file (source_printer_def.ldt) from source (ftp, scp or any method that you like)
4. Create a backup of the target system printer information
4.1. Connect to sqlplus as apps user and below commands

create table fnd_printer_bk as (select * from fnd_printer);
select printer_name from fnd_printer_bk;

5. Now upload the printer definitions into the target system

FNDLOAD apps/apps 0 Y UPLOAD $FND_TOP/patch/115/import/afcppinf.lct source_printer_def.ldt FND_PRINTER

SQL> select printer_name from fnd_printer;

Above sql should list the new printers that are uploaded.

How to download a specific printer definition

FNDLOAD apps/ 0 Y DOWNLOAD $FND_TOP/patch/115/import/afcppinf.lct source_printer_def.ldt FND_PRINTER PRINTER_NAME=[printer name]

This is one of the functionality of FNDLOAD. Refer to this metalink note : 274667.1 for other features of FNDLOAD.

Oracle E-Business offers two printing solutions to handle all your printing requirements.

For most printing needs,  The PASTA utility offers quick setup and easy maintainence,

Find the below order to configure in ORACLE APPS

1) Set up the printer at OS level.

2) Add valid in the the Host file ( Printer name IP address)

3) Login to System administrator Responsibility, Navigate to Install > PRINTER > REGISTER

4) Define a new printer by entering the Printer name which you have set in Host file

5) Save

6) Bounce the Concurrent Manager

7) Submit any standard concurrent request.

=========================================================

Now Start from OS level


Setting up printer in Linux OS (Remote printer configuration)

– Run printtool as root

Illustration I: Printtool Command in Linux 

Click new from the popup

Adding a New Print Queue
Here I gave name as HPLaser2105 and short description as HPLaserJet printer in Abdulla Machine (Just to identify)

Defining a Print Queue
You select queue type from the drop-down combo box (Networked Windows (SMB))

Select Queue Type
You click specify from the window.
Select Windows SMB

Here is the configuration window

Configuration – Printer residing Machine
It is finished with configuring. (It will be like (specified))

Configuration – Note the word (Specified)
Next Select printer model, Here I selected PCL6/PCL XL Printer
Note for PCL from Provider

Next Test Print from the printer (It should be printed!) else review the steps.
Test Page Print

After configuration the printer configuration will be like this.
Finish Printer Configuration

You should share, and make the printer as default by clicking edit.
Now the Applications Configuration:
Login as sysadmin and navigate to system administrator then Install:Printer
Then navigate to Driver. Here I created HPLASER2105 (Printer type)
Selected SRW driver as L
Driver method as command and driver method parameters as Spool File
Arguments as
: lp –c –d$PROFILES$.PRINTER –n$PROFILES$.CONC_COPIES –t”$PROFILES$.TITLE” $PROFILES$.FILENAME
To test the argument, please run this command in os command
$lp –c –d -n1 –t”Print Test”
Here I used (example)
lp –c –dHPlaser2105 –n1 –t”Print Test” sqlnet.log 

Command Line : Printer command for Linux (telnet)


The printer should work. This is the command we are going to pass as argument in Oracle Apps

Define Printer Driver from SYSADMIN -> Install Print. Provide SRW Driver as L for Landscape
You next navigate to

Install printer -> style
You query for Landscape with SRW driver as L

Look for SRW Driver L for Landscape 

Then move to Printer Types
Here you have to define a new type called Hplaser2105 and description as PCL

Create a new Printer TYPE
You select as HPPD, HPW, LANDSCAPE, LANDWIDE,PORTRAIT, PORTRAITLASERCHECK, RL1PAPER styles and correspondence driver files with HPLJ4.

Now. You register the printer
Install:Printer-> Register

Registering Printer
Here I have defined the printer as HPLASER2105, Selected type as HPLASER2105 and Description as Windows Remote Printer Configuration.
Set Profile option for Printer at site level – Most important.

That’s all, we completed.
Now
1. Bounce the concurrent Service. It is most important. Whenever, you are doing modification with printer, you should do bouncing the concurrent service.
2. Now run a concurrent request to print a report
3. Here Selected Active users

Print Test with any report (Here I used Active Users)
Click Options.
There you select copies as 1.

Then submit with OK
Now, the concurrent manager should complete with status completed normal. Review the log file.
If any thing happened in middle, please review the steps. Thats All.. Finished Printer configuration in Oracle Applications.
Installing PASTA (FNDPSTAX)
Pasta is Oracle Application utility to convert text report files to Post Script so that these can be printed by PostScript Printers. Executable name for Pasta is FNDPSTAX. For various printing options via Pasta, you can use pasta configuration file called as pasta.cfg
The pasta.cfg is there in $FND_TOP/resource.
Copy the Pasta.cfg to Pasta_(Your printername).cfg. (Oracle recommends to copy the name to your printer name) PASTA makes it easy to customize your printing configuration very easy. So use the OS Printer name to define the Pasta.
1. Replace printer_name parameter in pasta.cfg as one with your OS printer name. Here my printer name is HPlaser2105
The command lp –c –d{printername} should print with command line.
Please check before you make changes with your pasta.cfg.
Screen Shot. 

Save and exit.

Login to Oracle Apps as System admin

Navigation Path: Install -> Printer ->Driver -> create a driver, PASTA_PORTRAIT. There will be default PASTA-DRIVERS in built with Oracle Apps, We can use them.

For Portrait -> use SRW driver as P

For LANDSCAPE -> use SRW driver as L

For LANDWIDE -> use SRW driver as LW

You please check the Spool File and program name as FNDPSTAX.

Next:

Install -> Printer -> Type

Here I have created PASTA_POSTSCRIPT_HPLASER2105 with all the drivers.

Then you register.

Install -> Printer -> Register.

Save and Exit.

Restart your concurrent Manager (Important)


Check with Active Reports
You please note, the language I selected As Arabic and PASTA as the printer. Submit the request, It should completed normal. In case any problem in the middle, then review the steps.