Summary
With RPM Remote Print Manager® in place between the UNIX box and Windows®-based printers, formatting accounting reports and adjusting print queues is much easier.
Topics
Customer
Pyramid Corporation
Product:
Date: March 16, 2005
Printable: PDF version
Background
With accounting reports being generated by UNIX applications, Pyramid Corporation was looking for a low-maintenance way to format reports and send them easily to Windows-based printers.
Business Need
Pyramid Corporation needed an easy-to-administer layer between its UNIX applications and printers attached to Windows PCs.
Solution: RPM Select
Pyramid Corporation now uses RPM Select to format the report outputs of its UNIX-based accounting package. The UNIX server is configured to send print jobs to RPM, which formats the reports as required and spools them to the Windows-based printers. Any Windows-based printer is supported, including less expensive InkJet and BubbleJet printers.
Even though open-source packages like Samba are becoming more widely used, Pyramid Corporation has continued using RPM Select because of how easily output from print queues can be formatted, without the need to delve into complex programming or hex codes. RPM is not demanding of its physical hardware and has continued to run trouble-free in its environment.
Systems and Setup
RPM Select currently is running on a computer with an Intel Celeron 300A processor and 384 MB memory. The operating system is Windows 2000 Professional. Due to RPM not requiring RPC connections, a workstation platform can support a large number of printers.
Outcome
With RPM Select in place, Pyramid Corporation has experienced the following improvements:
- When a print queue needs to be adjusted, users do not have to adjust obscure hex codes or other demanding UNIX-specific functions
- UNIX-generated reports are passed easily to Windows-based PCs for printing
- Report output from the UNIX accounting application is formatted properly for printing on any printer supported by Windows.
About the Customer
Pyramid Corporation is a Canadian company that provides services and products in various industries in Western Canada. Its services include electrical/instrumentation maintenance and construction; P.L.C. programming; fire and gas detection; control and safety systems maintenance; in-house design and manufacture of CSA-approved electrical equipment and the specialized repair of ESP submersible pump cables for the energy industry.
Pyramid Corporation also maintains a fully certified metal fabrication facility that offers in-house design and manufacture of flare systems, ignition systems, pressure vessels, pipe spooling, and skid units.
While maintaining an active Corporate Health and Safety Program, Pyramid Corporation is implementing an ISO-9002 Quality Control Program throughout its business operations.