Local area print server for requesting and storing required resource data and forwarding printer status message to selected destination

A local area print server for connecting a printer to a data processing system via a local area network, the data processing system including host nodes, an operator console node, and a service manager node, the local area print server comprising:

• A. network facility means, connected to the local area network, for receiving configuration data messages from the service manager node, and for selectively transmitting a printer status message to the operator console node or one of the host nodes;
• B. configuration data storage means, connected to the network facility means, for storing configuration data;
• and
• C. status collector means, connected to the network facility means, the configuration data storage means and the printer, for receiving the printer status message from the printer, for retrieving from the configuration data storage means configuration data which indicates which of the host nodes or operator console node, if any, is a destination node for the printer status message, and for forwarding the printer status message through the network facility means to the destination node indicated by the configuration data.

A local area print server for connecting a printer to a data processing system via a local area network, the data processing system including host nodes, an operator console, a service manager node, and a resource server node, the local area print server comprising:

• A. network facility means, connected to the local area network, for receiving printing request messages including printing data and printing instructions from the host nodes, for transmitting resource request messages to the resource server node and receiving printer resource data in response thereto, for receiving configuration data messages from the service manager node and for selectively transmitting a printer status message to the operator console node or one of the host nodes;
• B. configuration data storage means, connected to the network facility means, for storing configuration data;
• C. status collector means, connected to the network facility means, the configuration data storage means and the printer, for receiving printer status messages, the printer status messages including printer resource fault messages, for reading from the configuration data storage means configuration data which indicates which of the host nodes or operator console node, if any, is a destination node for receiving a particular printer status message, and for forwarding the printer status message through the network facility means to the destination node indicated by the configuration data;
• D. resource data storage means, connected to the network facility means, for storing printer resource data received from the resource server node;
• E. resource manager means, connected to the network facility means, the printer, the resource data storage means and the status collector means, for determining, upon receipt of a printer resource fault message, whether required resource data is stored in the resource data storage means and, if so, transmitting the required resource data from the resource data storage means to the printer and, if not, forwarding a resource request message to the network facility means;
• and
• F. server job controller means, connected to the network facility means, the status collector means, the resource manager means and the printer, for, in response to receiving a printing request message, storing the printing request message and, in response to a printer status message indicating the printer is available, retrieving a stored printing request message and transmitting the printing data and printing instructions associated with the stored printing request message to the printer,
• and, wherein if the status collector means receives a resource fault message in response to transmission of the stored printing request message to the printer by the server job controller means, the status collector means additionally enables the resource manager means to locate and transmit the required resource data to the printer.