NetBase for MPE Reference Guide

NetBase Spooling
7-3
Remote Spooling
Remote spooling is a feature of NetBase that allows you to run a program on system A, and create
the resulting spool files (other than $STDLISTs) on system B. DEVICE records define the LDEV
numbers or device classes of remote printers. Spooled devices can be made available to the network
using NetBase's directory. The directory is used to identify and locate devices within the network.
This command requires SM and NM capability.
Specifying the location of a spooled device in the network is accomplished using a simple DEVICE
command in NBDIR. The DEVICE command requires the device class or number (the name of the
device as accessed by the application programs on the local system) and the device class or number
and the node name or number of the computer where the device exists.
Use the following syntax for the DEVICE command:
D> DEVICE {class}[={class},node] [;ALT={class} [,node]] [;options]
{ldev }[ {ldev } ] [ {ldev } ]
Options for this command are:
COPY [=device,outpri,copies]
TEMP
Operating Principles
The basic operating principles of NetBase spooling are fairly straightforward. All opens to a
spooled device are intercepted by the Shell. If a DEVICE directory entry exists for a local device,
NetBase will set up the remote spooling. If there is no directory entry, NetBase passes the spooling
request to MPE on the local system. Since the results of the call are immediately returned to the
user process on the local machine, you do not have to wait for the remote spool file write.
Regardless of where the spooled device resides, MPE always performs the actual spooling process.
NetBase works in conjunction with the MPE Spooler to enhance networking performance.