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Sharing a printer among multiple VCS systems.
Why buy more printers for each of your new VCS systems
when you can share one printer among several VCS systems?
Printer usage comes in bunches, like bananas. During the time that one
VCS system is idle or being calibrated or undergoing setup for a new test,
another VCS system could be using a shared printer without conflict.
This document describes the procedure for using a simple network to
connect several VCS systems in order to share a common printer.
Example values are used and identified with italic font.
Of course, the disadvantages to sharing one printer is that when that
one printer is incapacitated for repair or the system with the printer
is down, no prints are possible from any system.
1. Hardware You Need First
- One un-networked VCS system running with an attached printer.
- Other un-networked VCS system(s) running.
- 10BaseT Ethernet cables with RJ45 connectors, one per workstation
(purchased from Sun or your local computer store).
- One 10BaseT Ethernet hub (purchased from Sun or your local computer
store)
Note: If only two systems are networked, only a "null modem"
Ethernet cable is needed in place of the hub and other cables.
2. Decisions to Make First
A. Each system must have a unique host name and Internet Protocol (IP)
address.
Note: when selecting a host name for each system, select names with which
you can quickly identify each system. (example: SD2552-8, SD2552-4 and
SD2552-16 are three host names identifying an eight channel system, a four
channel system and a sixteen channel system)
Note: when selecting an Internet Protocol (IP) address, chose a Class C
network. Class C network addresses are 3 decimal numbers in the range
0-255 and separated by dots and starting at 192.0.0 and extending to
223.255.255. The host number on the network is a decimal number in the
range 1-254 and is appended to the network address. (example: Class
C network 192.193.194 has three hosts with host numbers, 8, 4 and 16.
Therefore, the IP address of each host is: 192.193.194.8, 192.193.194.4
and 192.193.194.16)
Note: Your 192.193.194 network may be only used internally without
problems, but before you can connect your network to the outside world
(the Internet), you must request an official registered network number
from the following location:
s-mail:
Network Solutions
InterNIC Registration Services
505 Huntmar park Drive
Herndon, VA 22070
e-mail:
voice:
800/444-4345
703/742-4777
This registration prevents conflicting network addresses worldwide.
B. The server is the VCS system that operates the printer.
(example: Host Name: SD2552-8, IP Address: 192.193.194.8)
C. The client(s) are the VCS systems that must contact the server to
use the printer.
(examples: Host Name: SD2552-4, IP Address: 192.193.194.4 and Host Name:
SD2552-16, IP Address: 192.193.194.16)
3. Procedure to Network the VCS systems
A. All systems, server and client(s)
1. Physical network connection.
Connect one 10baseT cable from the network hub to the RJ45 Ethernet
receptacle on the rear of each Sun workstation. The RJ45 Ethernet
receptacle is identified with the label:
2. Reconfigure each workstation for network application.
Open an Xterm window (Workspace | Xterm) and enter the following commands:
% su
# sys-unconfig
yes
(messages at bottom of white screen)
ok boot
Host name: SD2552-8 (and SD2552-4 and
SD2552-16)
Networked: Yes
- (press 'down arrow' or 'up arrow' until 'Yes' is bolded
and press 'Return')
- press the F2 key
IP address: 192.193.194.8
(and 192.193.194.4 and 192.193.194.16)
Confirmation Information
Name Service: None
- (press 'down arrow' or 'up arrow' until 'None' is bolded and
press 'Return')
- press the F2 key
Confirmation Information
Subnets: No
- (press 'down arrow' or 'up arrow' until 'No' is bolded and
press 'Return')
- press the F2 key
Time Zone:
- (press 'down arrow' or 'up arrow' until correct region is bolded
and press 'Return')
- press the F2 key
Time Zone:
- (press 'down arrow' or 'up arrow' until correct time zone is
bolded and press 'Return')
- press the F2 key
Date and Time:
- (enter the correct date and time)
- press the F2 key
Confirmation Information
Root Password:
- (Enter twice) (the factory default is 'manager')
- (more boot messages)
(Login to 'vcs' as usual)
3. Configure network files.
Open an Xterm window (Workspace | Xterm) and enter the following commands:
The 'Admintool' window appears. Make the following selections and entries:
Browse | Hosts
(for each system, add the Host Name and IP Address of each of the other
systems.)
Edit | Add …
Host Name: SD2552-4 (and SD2552-16)
IP Address: 192.193.194.4 (and
192.193.194.16)
(press OK)
File | Exit
Note: The IP address 127.0.0.1 for 'localhost' is called the
"loopback" address and is used by Sun Solaris systems to send
messages to itself. This scheme is used in Solaris Operating System
inter-process communications, such as sockets.
B. Server only - (the system with the printer)
Open an Xterm window (Workspace | Xterm) and enter the following commands:
The 'Admintool' window appears. Make sure the following selections and
entries are still valid:
Browse | Printers
(select the printer 'lp')
Edit | Modify
Printer Name: lp
Description: PostScript
Printer Port: /dev/bpp0
Printer Type: PostScript
File Contents: PostScript
Fault Notif. write to superuser
Options:
[IN] Default Printer
[OUT] Always Print Banner
[IN] Accept Print Request
[IN] Process Print Request
User Acc. List: all
(press OK)
File | Exit
C. Client(s) only- (systems without the printer)
Open an Xterm window (Workspace | Xterm) and enter the following commands:
The 'Admintool' window appears. Make the following selections and entries:
Browse | Printers
(if a printer 'lp' exists, select it and press Edit | Delete | Delete)
Edit | Add… > Access to Printer
Printer Name: lp
Print Server: SD2552-8
Description: PostScript printer
Option: [IN] Default Printer
(press OK)
File | Exit
4. Testing the Network
From each client, open an application and select the 'Print' button to print
the reference grid on the printer. If the grid prints satisfactorily, the
network is operating correctly and you may end this procedure. If no plot
appears at the printer, continue with this procedure.
A. From each system, open an Xterm window and contact all other systems on
the network with the following command: (example: on SD2552-4)
% ping SD2552-8 (and SD2552-16)
SD2552-8 is alive
If the message 'unknown host SD2552-8' appears, then the host
name cannot be resolved into an IP address. Use admintool to verify the
correct host names. Try to 'ping' the IP address.
If the message 'network unreachable' appears, the local system does
not have a route to the remote system. Check cable connections.
If the message 'no answer from SD2552-8' appears, the remote system
did not respond. Check the power switch on the remote host. Also, use
'admintool' to verify the correct host names.
B. From each system, open an Xterm window and enter the following
commands:
% su
# ifconfig le0
le0: flags=63<UP,BROADCAST,NOTRAILERS,RUNNING>
inet 192.193.194.4 netmask ffffff00 broadcast 192.193.194.255
ether 8:0:20:xx:xx:xx
The 'ifconfig' command checks the network interface configuration, in this
case, le0 is the Ethernet interface. Look for the flags 'UP' and 'RUNNING'.
If there is no 'UP' flag, enter the following commands:
# ifconfig le0 up
# ifconfig le0
Also, check the IP address for accuracy.
C. You can also view the network traffic as it occurs. Open an Xterm window
and enter the following commands:
% su
# snoop SD2552-4
where: SD2552-4 is the host
name of the local workstation. This command will print network traffic to
and from the local workstation.
Open another Xterm window and enter the following commands:
% ping SD2552-16
where: SD2552-16 is the
host name of a remote workstation.
On the 'snoop' window you should see the following message;
SD2552-4 -> SD2552-16 ICMP Echo request
SD2552-16 -> SD2552-4 ICMP Echo reply
If this network traffic does not occur, use 'admintool' to check for correct
host names and IP addresses.
5. Returning to Un-networked Configuration
A. On each workstation, open an Xterm window (Workspace | Xterm) and enter
the following commands:
% su
# sys-unconfig
yes
(messages at bottom of white screen)
ok boot
Host name: SD2552-8
(and SD2552-4 and SD2552-16)
Networked: No
- (press 'down arrow' or 'up arrow' until 'No' is bolded and press
'Return')
- press the
F2 key
Confirmation Information
Time Zone:
- (press 'down arrow' or 'up arrow' until correct region is bolded and
press 'Return')
- press the
F2 key
Time Zone:
- (press 'down arrow' or 'up arrow' until correct time zone is bolded and
press 'Return')
- press the F2 key
Date and Time
- (enter the correct date and time)
- press the F2 key
Confirmation Information
Root Password:
(Enter twice) (The factory default is 'manager')
(more boot messages)
(Login to 'vcs' as usual)
B. Unplug the Ethernet cables from the back of each workstation.
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