Specifications

3-2
Guide to Printers and Printing
Spooler Introduction
Because the backend piobe, used to process print jobs on local queues, is the most
commonly used and possibly the most complex backend shipped with the base operating
system, it is used as the primary example in this section. Using piobe in this fashion will
allow a better development of the base operating system spooler concepts.
The purpose of this section is to demonstrate that the spooler is a real process with a
beginning, discrete points in between (no black boxes), and an end. The spooler is a series
of components whose interaction is completely dependent upon how a specific queue is
configured. Recognizing this can have the following results:
• Problem determination and resolution can become easier.
• Bending the spooler to your specific business needs can become easier.
• You may see opportunities for spooler modification that you had not considered.