Configuring BARR/RJE for upgrades

BARR/RJE

Conversion is supported for SDLC connections for switched and non-switched lines and 802.2 connections for 3725, 3745, OSA/3172, local 3174 (channel-attached), or remote 3174 (SDLC-attached) cluster controllers.

Complete the following steps to import DOS configuration files for converting from DOS-based BARR/RJE to Windows-based BARR/RJE.

1. Before you begin

2. Import the DOS configuration file

3. Verify the conversion

See also:

• BARR/RJE overview

• Upgrading overview

• Getting started with BARR/RJE

Before you begin

Before you begin, you must install the hardware key A small device used for software protection that plugs into the computer's input/output port., obtain the necessary access rights, and determine appropriate user rights.

Install the hardware key – Be sure you install the hardware key included with your package. The software will operate in keyless demonstration mode unless it detects the hardware key on one of your computer’s parallel ports (LPT1, LPT2, or LPT3) or USB port.

Obtain necessary access rights – To configure BARR/SPOOL and BARR/RJE, you must have the appropriate Barr Enterprise Print Server and Windows system access rights.

• To configure Barr Enterprise Print Server and BARR/RJE, you must be a member of the local Administrators group. Members of the local Administrators group are automatically granted all user access rights. BARR/RJE operators must be assigned the RJE Console and RJE Connection Manager user access rights.

• To add a Windows printer, you must be a member of the Administrators group. If you are using Windows 2000, you can also be a member of the Printer Operators or Server Operators group or a Power User on a workstation.

Determine user rights – Determine which network users will be permitted access to various BARR/SPOOL and BARR/RJE features. You will use this information when you set up user access rights.

• Compile a list of user names and corresponding domains.

• Determine the type of tasks each user needs to perform. For example, can a specified user only view the list of spool files, or can they delete spool documents, disable spool printers, or change configuration information?

• Organize users who will perform the same tasks into groups.

Importing the DOS configuration file

Complete the following steps to import your BARR/RJE (DOS) configuration file.

The import feature supports configuration files for BARR/RJE DOS version 94A17 or later. The following parameters will be extracted: RJE Description, Communication Link, Print Spool Description, Printer Forms settings, function keys, Printer Control Data, Spool header from data, File Attribute Tables, and device-specific parameters.

Use Operator Console to display warning messages that indicate potential conversion errors. Select the RJE Configuration module to display messages and set the priority level to Technical Trace.

1. Place your BARR/RJE (DOS) configuration file in a location where it is accessible to the computer running Barr Enterprise Printer Server.

2. Open the RJE Configuration Utility.

3. Click Import. The Import Connection dialog box displays.

4. Select the file to import and click Open. Connections defined using the BARR/RJE DOS product will typically have a .cfg extension. The Import Options dialog box displays.

   

5. Enter a Connection name. The connection name cannot contain the following characters: \ / : * ? “ < > |.

6. Choose if you want to Convert forms to FCBs. The converted forms are stored in the path specified for the Resource folder on the Configuration Utility's Resource Folders tab. The forms will be stored in a subfolder based on the remote name specified in the BARR/RJE DOS configuration file. The FCB name will be based on the form name from the BARR/RJE DOS configuration file. For example, the form name could be FCB2STD1, where STD1 is the name of the DOS form. If you receive a duplicate form name from the same remote, .DUP will be added to the end of the file name.

If you are upgrading from the DOS software and are only going to use one connection, we recommend selecting Store FCBs in default Sys1.Imagelib. This will place the FCBs in the same directory, but use the \\Default\Sys1.Imagelib folder.

7. Choose if you want to Convert internal FAT to override table or Convert external FAT to override table. If you are importing an external FAT, click the folder button and browse to select the file containing the external FAT. The override tables will be stored in the folder specified on the Configuration Utility's Resource Folders tab. The connection name will be used as the name for the override table. You must select this override table as the Active override table on the Override Table tab.

If you have FATs specified that were not converted during the import, you can use the DOS FAT Conversion Utility to convert the files.

8. Click OK. If you attempt to import a configuration file with the same name as an existing connection, a message will appear asking if you want to replace the existing connection. To replace the existing connection, click Yes. If you do not want to replace the connection, click No to cancel the import.

Verifying the conversion

Once you have imported the BARR/RJE (DOS) configuration file, it is recommended that you check the log file for conversion errors and review the settings in the RJE Configuration Utility.

1. Review the log file for conversion problems. Use Windows Explorer to browse to \\Program Files\Common Files\Barr\Log. The log file is named RJE_Import_Configurationfilename.log.

2. Review the parameters on each tab to correct the parameters listed in the log file and to verify all other parameters.

3. RJE Description tab – Specifies RJE system parameters for the BARR/RJE software and the host RJE system. It's important that you verify all of these parameters with your host programmer. These values must match the values entered on the host.

   

You are not required to change the statements on the host; however, it is suggested that you use the sample remote definition and logmode table entry statements, which have been optimized for performance.

• Communication Link tab – Specifies the BARR/RJE communication protocol and physical attachment between the host system and remote computer. Produces sample communication link parameter statements (NCP and Physical Unit) for the host programmers. These values must match the values entered on the host.

  

You are not required to change the statements on the host; however, it is suggested that you use the sample NCP and Physical Unit statements, which have been optimized for performance. Refer to the Communication link parameters topic for more information.

• Device Control tab – Specifies features that affect output files received on the source devices.

  

• Forms tab – Specifies a form for an RJE print stream (PR1 to PR7). Forms enable files received on the print stream to print in the correct format.

  

• Commands tab – Assigns commands you use most frequently from the Barr software to specific command buttons. In Windows-based BARR/RJE, the labels on the command buttons will be truncated to 15 characters. Verify that the labels are meaningful.

  

• Connection Control tab – Specifies startup and restart options. Verify Auto-connect options and Restart actions.

  

3. When you finish configuring the connection, click OK. If you created a reader on the RJE Description tab, a dialog displays asking if you would like the RJE Configuration Utility to automatically create the RJE readers needed for communicating with the host. We recommend selecting Yes and allowing BARR/RJE to create the following necessary devices. Change the state of all printers in the Spool Window to Disabled before BARR/RJE creates the devices. Once the readers have been created, you must restart the BARR SpoolCore service for your changes to take effect. If you select No, you will need to manually configure the RJE readers.

4. To route files from a program to the Spool Window, the printer Connection name - Send to Host is created. This allows you to print directly from a program by selecting File | Print on the menu bar.

5. To route files from the Spool Window to the host, a spool printer is created for each reader specified. These printers appear in the Spool Window with the name Connection name - RDn. After the BARR SpoolCore service is restarted, you can view the newly created printers.

4. If Convert forms to FCBs was selected during the import, use the Make FCB utility to verify that the DOS forms were correctly converted. The converted forms are stored in the path specified for the Resource folder on the Configuration Utility's Resource Folders tab. The forms will be stored in a subfolder based on the remote name specified in the BARR/RJE DOS configuration file. The FCB name will be based on the form name from the BARR/RJE DOS configuration file. For example, the form name could be FCB2STD1, where STD1 is the name of the DOS form. If you receive a duplicate form name from the same remote, .DUP will be added to the end of the file name.

If Store FCBs in default Sys1.Imagelib was selected, the converted forms will be in the same directory, but in the \\Default\Sys1.Imagelib folder.

5. The import process converts overlay resource files for use with BARR/SPOOL. The converted resource files are stored in the path specified for the Forms overlay folder on the Configuration Utility's Resource Folders tab. Once you have added printers, you can set up the forms overlay options from the Configuration Utility’s Overlay Options dialog box. See the Working with overlays topic for more information.