Interleaving Print Jobs

[Allan C]

We have an OkiLan print server (not connected to a PC) on our SBS 2003
network with one printer attached.
All workstations are XP PRO sp2.

A user on workstation 'A' spools several print jobs.
The first print job (A-1) starts printing.
After she has * completed * spooling the jobs, a user on workstation 'B'
spools some print jobs.
After job 'A-1' completes printing, job 'B-1' prints, then 'A-2' followed by
'B-2'.
Both users want all of their print-jobs to be contiguous (A-1, A-2, B-1,
B-2).
The properties of both printers are to start printing after the last page is
spooled.

Both users are confident that when the workstations were XP PRO sp1 the
printing was contiguous.

Is there a setting that I am missing?

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "Allan C" <[email protected]>

| We have an OkiLan print server (not connected to a PC) on our SBS 2003
| network with one printer attached.
| All workstations are XP PRO sp2.
|
| A user on workstation 'A' spools several print jobs.
| The first print job (A-1) starts printing.
| After she has * completed * spooling the jobs, a user on workstation 'B'
| spools some print jobs.
| After job 'A-1' completes printing, job 'B-1' prints, then 'A-2' followed by
| 'B-2'.
| Both users want all of their print-jobs to be contiguous (A-1, A-2, B-1,
| B-2).
| The properties of both printers are to start printing after the last page is
| spooled.
|
| Both users are confident that when the workstations were XP PRO sp1 the
| printing was contiguous.
|
| Is there a setting that I am missing?
|

I believe they work by FIFO queues. They get printed in the order of the jobs being
received.

This has nothing to do with the Service Pack revision of the workstation.

 

[Allan C]

But, all the print jobs from workstation 'A' were completed before
workstation 'B' started spooling.

According to the client they have been following these procedures for years
and all of the "A's" were physically printed before the "B's". Three
employees have confirmed this. Personally, I cannot vouch for what happened
before. However, I can see the effect now.

So, there is no settings on the workstations that you can think of that I
should check?

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "Allan C" <[email protected]>

| But, all the print jobs from workstation 'A' were completed before
| workstation 'B' started spooling.
|
| According to the client they have been following these procedures for years
| and all of the "A's" were physically printed before the "B's". Three
| employees have confirmed this. Personally, I cannot vouch for what happened
| before. However, I can see the effect now.
|
| So, there is no settings on the workstations that you can think of that I
| should check?

No settings that I know of.

You did say "OkiLan print server" so the printer is connected to the LAN directly ?

Are they printing to the queue on a server that connects to the OkiLan print server ?

Or are they using TCP/IP to directly print to the OkiLan print server from the workstations
?

 

[Allan C]

Yes, OKILan (not attached to a computer) and they are using TCP/IP.

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "Allan C" <[email protected]>

| Yes, OKILan (not attached to a computer) and they are using TCP/IP.
|

Then the queues are on each repective PC, not via a server Print Share so its first come
first server. I doubt this print server has a hard disk to queue and control the print job
ordering.

 

[Allan C]

No, there is no hard disk.

So, is the behaviour as expected?
Or, to summarize ....
Workstation A sends jobs A1 & A2 to the printer.
A1 starts printing.
Workstation B sends job B1 * before * A1 has physically completed printing
so it starts printing as soon as A1 has finished?

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "Allan C" <[email protected]>

| No, there is no hard disk.
|
| So, is the behaviour as expected?
| Or, to summarize ....
| Workstation A sends jobs A1 & A2 to the printer.
| A1 starts printing.
| Workstation B sends job B1 * before * A1 has physically completed printing
| so it starts printing as soon as A1 has finished?
|

It all depends on the size of the Print Job and when all packets are received and the size
of the RAM buffer of the Print server/printer.

Now if you go through a printer share on a server and the server points to the IP address
then *maybe* you can have better control of the print job sequencing.