Hi Bill,
As you know, the IBM priced competitor to LRS is "z/OS Infoprint Server". It is part of z/OS, and yet you have to pay for it to use it. It comes with the z/OS operating system, so you might want to say "it comes with the base", but that is only means that we have the data sets for it included. You have to be entitled to it to turn it on (in IFAPRDxx). If you aren't entitled to it, you can't run it.
On top of z/OS Inforprint Server, there are several print transform individual program products. These individual products are priced (although I do not how much they are). One of these print transform products is "IBM Print Transform from AFP to PDF for Infoprint Server for z/OS (program number 5655-TF1)". I think that is the one that might interest you, and probably is the one you've found on the interwebs?
Here's the URL that describes it, what it can do, and how it works with z/OS Infoprint Server:
https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?infotype=DD&subtype=SM&htmlfid=897/ENUS5655-TF1 .
To set up z/OS Infoprint Server, the book you'd want is
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSLTBW_2.4.0/com.ibm.zos.v2r4.aops000/abstract.htm (There's also an Introduction there, that might help you know if this is what you'll want.)
To set up the print transforms from AFP to PDF, go here:
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSLTBW_2.4.0/com.ibm.zos.v2r4.aopta00/abstract.htmAs far as being robust, I do know of many large enterprise customers that use the IBM solution. However, I also know of many large enterprise customers that use LRS too. So, I can't make any recommendation there. I'm not a savvy user of either of these, sorry to say.
I hope this has been helpful, but I'm afraid I might have just pointed to what you found out on your own!
-Marna
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Marna Walle
z/OS Installation and Upgrade
IBM Poughkeepsie
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Original Message:
Sent: Thu October 01, 2020 04:15 PM
From: Bill Phillips
Subject: AFP printing and COBOL
As a follow-up to my previous question, here's the current state of affairs on this:
Right now we use an LRS virtual printer solution to generate PDFs from AFP output and send them to ftp sites or email. The LRS solution is having issues properly rendering some of our forms that have graphics and multiple definitions applied to them. We are working with LRS to get an update to their render engine but we don't have a timeframe yet for delivery.
After poking around in the interwebs a bit, it seems like there may be a baked in solution from IBM for this as well. To that end, my questions are:
- Is there an inbuilt AFP to PDF solution in z/OS 2.2, or is it all third-party?
- If it's inbuilt, can you point me in the right direction for setup and usage? From the web searches it looks like it may be either a VPC or a "send the AFP to USS and render the change to PDF using unix utilities". I'm OK either way, I just want to make sure it's robust and effective.
- What would you recommend for a solution to this issue?
Thanks in advance for your help!
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Bill Phillips
System Programmer
Salt Lake County
Salt Lake City UT
385-468-0719
Original Message:
Sent: Fri August 28, 2020 12:10 PM
From: Bill Phillips
Subject: AFP printing and COBOL
Thank you very much for the help! I really appreciate it! Our shop has had a bit of a transition in the last few months with several long-time developers retiring as well as the system programmer of 32 years. Lack of experience, even with traversing the IBM sites to find information, has been a big challenge for our team. I am enjoying the learning experience, though, and am becoming more and more fascinated with the world of the z-series.
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Bill Phillips
System Programmer
Salt Lake County
Salt Lake City UT
385-468-0719
Original Message:
Sent: Fri August 28, 2020 12:03 PM
From: Marna Walle
Subject: AFP printing and COBOL
HI Bill,
I hope this might help. I had a bit of runaround trying find what I thought might be the right book. I think it would be the AFP Toolkit User's Guide (?). I then had a hard time finding that book. After talking with the Content Development folks, they pointed me here for that book:
https://www-05.ibm.com/e-business/linkweb/publications/servlet/pbi.wss?PAG=C11&SSN=20H1N0000537942430&TRL=TXT&WRD=AFP+Toolbox+User%27s+Guide&PBL=&LST=ALL&RPP=10&submit=Start+search
I hope this might give the developer what he is looking for.
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Marna Walle
z/OS Installation and Upgrade
IBM Poughkeepsie
Original Message:
Sent: Wed August 26, 2020 04:41 PM
From: Bill Phillips
Subject: AFP printing and COBOL
I have a developer asking where to find documentation on how to change fonts, page layouts, etc. in COBOL for AFP printing. Any hints or suggestions, everyone? As always, thanks in advance for the help!
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Bill Phillips
System Programmer
Salt Lake County
Salt Lake City UT
385-468-0719
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