How do you create an external destination in HP Output Server? I wanted to deliver a print to a destination, that executes an external command on the job. Here's the configuration that works:

I named by logical destination external, which points to queue qexternal and the physical destination is called pdexternal.

The logical destination:

-template-version              : $Date: 2002/03/01 02:35:32 $
-template-component            : false
-managing-server               : jqm_06
-disabled                      : false
-form-feed-default             : false
-maximum-tries-default         : 30000
-printer-name                  : external
-destination-type              : file
-queue-supported               : qexternal
-template-type                 : standard-template
-retention-period-default      : 0
-descriptor                    : test external delivery pathway
-input-document-formats-supported: literal,
                                 ps,
                                 pdf,
                                 text,
                                 frame,
                                 hp-pcl,
                                 afp
-template                      : false
-template-classification       : static-template
-printer-realization           : 0

The queue:

-template-version              : $Date: 2002/01/04 17:24:14 $
-queue-name                    : qexternal
-managing-server               : jqm_06
-disabled                      : false
-template-type                 : standard-template
-descriptor                    : test external delivery pathway
-queue-warning-threshold       : 50
-scheduler-assigned            : Pd-FIFO
-template                      : false
-template-classification       : static-template
-logical-printers-assigned     : {external, 'available'}
-message                       : Enabled
-physical-printers-registered  : pdexternal
-job-order                     : 

The physical destination:

-template-version              : $Date: 2002/03/12 19:59:09 $
-template-component            : false
-managing-server               : dsm_06a
-ghostscript-program           : !{dazel-install-directory}!/bin/gs
-disabled                      : false
-form-feed-default             : false
-deliver-program               : /appl/hpos/external.sh
-printer-name                  : pdexternal
-queue-supported               : qexternal
-template-device-name          : generic
-file-overwrite-default        : true
-template-type                 : standard-template
-character-set-default         : iso-latin-1
-physical-device-type          : external
-descriptor                    : test external delivery pathway
-medium-default                : iso-a4-white
-font-directories              : !{dazel-install-directory}!/lib/
                                 FONTS/Soft_Horizons
-template                      : false
-character-sets-supported      : iso-latin-1,
                                 ascii
-template-classification       : static-template
-file-base-directory           : /tmp
-printer-realization           : 1
-printer-connection-mode       : external
-ps-init-directories           : !{dazel-install-directory}!/lib/PS
-fifo-directory                : /appl/hpos/fifo
-write-only-device             : true
-deliver-arguments             : !{fifo-directory}!/!{job-identifier}!

When you've created this delivery pathway, create the FIFO directory (in this case: /appl/hpos/fifo) and restart the accompanying DSM in order to activate the external destination.

The FIFO directory is used by HP Output Server to create FIFO files for every physical destination and for every job submitted to it. You can use these FIFOs to pass information back to HP Output Server.

You might have noticed the physical destination has a -deliver-program attribute. Make sure the user that runs your DSM is capable of executing this command, and the same user-ID must be able to access the FIFO directory.

The deliver-program used is shown below. It logs some information to a file and then sends an email with the contents of the file submitted to external.

#!/bin/ksh

{
echo
echo "Process:"
echo $$
echo "Parameters:"
echo $0 $*
echo "Who am I?"
whoami
} >> /appl/hpos/external.out

file=$2
base=`basename $file`
cp $file /appl/hpos/fifo/$base.$$
mail user@domain.com < $file
fifo=$1
echo "-job-state-on-printer completed" > $1
exit 0

This script passes some information back to the FIFO:-job-state-on-printer completed
This will inform HP Output Server that the processing of the job has completed. If you do not pass this information, HPOS will wait forever for the job to complete, even if the job is no longer active anymore.

Now, if you submit the following command:

# pdpr -dexternal /etc/motd

The file /etc/motd will be mailed, using script external.sh.



If you found this useful, here's more on the same topic(s) in our blog:

• Non-pingable devices
• HPOS sizing rules
• HPOS on Windows
• Decreasing job database size on Dazel 3.3
• HPOS performance tips