CDR Tickets

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:10:02
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::1

Original email from Bonnie that started all of this:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Ferguson, Bonnie (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 12:19 PM
To: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: 8100 Printer

Volker,
The printer for the summaries is giving me fits. For some reason the output bin does not come up to catch the summaries and, well long story. Tricia said you can switch so I can print from the new printer/copier 3050RIC907. I guess I’d better bite the bullet and have you do that as soon as you can.
Is this something that can be done relatively quickly??
Thanks
Bonnie

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:10:41
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::2

From: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 1:35 PM
To: Ferguson, Bonnie (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: RE: 8100 Printer

Bonnie,

I actually don't know much about this printer business and I'm pretty sure that the software has been setup to specifically use the 8100 printer. If anything like that needs to be modified it would need to go through Margaret or Robin to have the work tracked in our issue tracking system.

I'll double-check with Bob, who wrote the software, what he thinks.

Volker

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:12:52
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::3

From: Ferguson, Bonnie (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 2:37 PM
To: Laut, Tricia (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: HP8100 (again)

Tricia-Volker and Bob were just here and said switching the CDR print jobs to the new copier would be too taxing on the machine. I took a shot and put in an IT ticket on the off chance someone might be able to help but I think HP definitely needs to come take a look.
Thanks
Bonnie

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:14:04
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::4

From: Laut, Tricia (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 3:09 PM
To: Bailey, Marlene (NIH/NCI) [C]
Cc: Laut, Tricia (NIH/NCI) [C]; Bason, Robyn (NIH/NCI) [C]; Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]; Kline, Bob (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: FW: HP8100 (again)

I’m not sure why this wasn’t surplused or replaced. It hasn’t worked for more than a week at a time for 3 years.

I thought one of the reasons for the replacement of the copier with the B&W Ricoh was to give them a working network machine.

This machine has to go soon, and they would have to reset it to print to the replacement, so why not do it now? I’m not sure what ‘machine’ it would be too taxing on – the new copier? Or the Old printer?

Tricia Laut

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:17:03
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::5

From: Bailey, Marlene (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 4:01 PM
To: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]
Cc: Ferguson, Bonnie (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: Ticket # 0000753764 for Bonnie Ferguson

Paul,

I hope I can explain this….after speaking with Bob Kline and Volker Englisch…they both stated that they need you IT to put a UNC name on Bonnie’s computer so it would recognized the CDR program this way Bonnie can print the CDR reports from the Ricoh 970 E copier. It seems the issue is the UNC name??

I hope you understand??? If not, please keep the ticket open 0000753764 and speak to either Bob or Volker. Bonnie let me know the status want this is completed.

Thanks,
Marlene

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:17:27
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::6

From: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2011 9:54 AM
To: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]; Kline, Bob (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: RE: Ticket # 0000753764 for Bonnie Ferguson

I was wondering what UNC path you need? If it is for the printer it would be:

nci6116g”NameofthePrinter”

If this is not what you need let me know

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:19:41
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::7

From: Kline, Robert (NCI)
Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2011 11:26 AM
To: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]
Cc: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: Re: Ticket # 0000753764 for Bonnie Ferguson

On 02/16/2011 11:05 AM, Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C] wrote:
> Can you use a IP address?
>

We can use whatever you can configure her workstation to talk to
successfully. The application is already set up so that it can be
invoked with parameters to override the default values. The batch file
invoked by the user is at c:\cdr\mailers\RunPrintJob.cmd and it accepts
up to three command-line parameters, the first of which is required:

1. the number of the mailer job to be printed
2. the CDR server on which the job was run (default bach.nci.nih.gov)
3. the printer

The parameters are positional, so if the user needs to override the
default printer she must also explicitly provide the second parameter.
Documentation is at [1] (Volker: please update the title of this doc
page, which still refers to "Aspen" (just leave off "at Aspen"
altogether, as the instructions should work for both CIAT and on site
users), and fix the example at the bottom of the page, which is out of
date).

[1]
http://bach.nci.nih.gov/cgi-bin/cdr/Filter.py?DocId=CDR0000269253&Filter=name:Documentation+Help+Screens+Filter
<http://bach.nci.nih.gov/cgi-bin/cdr/Filter.py?DocId=CDR0000269253&Filter=name:Documentation+Help+Screens+Filter>

--
Bob Kline

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:20:06
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::8

From: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 2:53 PM
To: Kline, Robert (NCI)
Cc: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: RE: Ticket # 0000753764 for Bonnie Ferguson

I was able to print to the Richo printer through the run command "runprintjob 8442 bach.nci.nih.gov
nci6116g.nci.nih.gov\3050RIC907$"

but when it came out of the printer it was about 2 inches of blank pages.

but when running it just runprintjob 8442 it would still print to the old on even after trying to change it in the "cmd" file. Do you guys have any other ideas?

Thanks

Paul

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:22:04
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::9

From: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 5:07 PM
To: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]; Kline, Robert (NCI)
Cc: Ferguson, Bonnie (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: RE: Ticket # 0000753764 for Bonnie Ferguson

Paul,

Yes, we were also able to print to the Ricoh printer from Bonnie's machine (I was logged on as myself). The printout, however, was not just blank pages.
The first page listed the beginning of the file to be printed (%!PS-Adobe-2.0).
This indicates that the printer doesn't understand PostScript - at least not with its current settings.
We looked through the options on the monitor and browsed through the manuals but we were not able to identify if the printer is capable of printing PostScript at all and if it does how to turn it on.

If you could find out how to print a PostScript file (from the command prompt) on that printer that may be everything that needs to be done.

–
Volker Englisch

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:23:22
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::10

From: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2011 9:39 AM
To: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]
Cc: Kline, Robert (NCI); Ferguson, Bonnie (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: Printing Problem

Paul,

I was just wondering if there has been any new development regarding the problem to print to the Ricoh printer from Bonnie's workstation?

–
Volker Englisch

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:23:39
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::11

From: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2011 12:20 PM
To: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: RE: Printing Problem

Volker I have tried to install print drivers on her computer and I am looking into other ways that I can get the drivers for the network printer to understand postscript

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:23:54
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::12

From: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2011 12:25 PM
To: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: RE: Printing Problem

Paul,

I don't think this problem can be resolved by installing print drivers on Bonnie's computer. Since she needs to be able to print from the command prompt it is the printer that needs to understand PostScript.
I would first try to find out if the printer is in fact a PostScript printer. Maybe there is just a setting that needs to be turned on. If PostScript printing is an option that has to be purchased separately that may need to be investigated.
I am very surprised that a large printer like that doesn't by default understand how to print PS files.

–
Volker Englisch

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:26:31
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::13

From: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2011 2:40 PM
To: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: RE: Printing Problem

I did a config page from the printer and found out that the printer language does not have postscript on it. I think that we need to have a ricoh Tech come out and see if we are able to add it.

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:27:14
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::14

From: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 10:28 AM
To: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Cc: Kline, Robert (NCI); Ferguson, Bonnie (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: Bonnie's Computer

I was wondering if there had been any further progress on fixing this for Bonnie?
Thanks
Paul

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:27:43
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::15

From: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 10:37 AM
To: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Cc: Kline, Robert (NCI); Ferguson, Bonnie (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: RE: Bonnie's Computer

Yes someone in the OCE group needs to contact Ricoh to see if they can get a tech to come out and see if the printer can have the Postscript language installed on it.

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:28:33
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::16

From: Kline, Robert (NCI)
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 10:41 AM
To: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]
Cc: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]; Ferguson, Bonnie (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: Re: Bonnie's Computer

On 03/16/2011 10:27 AM, Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C] wrote:
> I was wondering if there had been any further progress on fixing this for Bonnie?
> Thanks
> Paul
>

Unless you replied to Volker without preserving the complete address
list, the last correspondence on this ticket was from Volker to you on
February 25, in which he wrote:

I was just wondering if there has been any new development regarding the problem to print to the Ricoh printer from Bonnie's workstation?

This was his followup to a message he sent to you several days before in
which he wrote:

Yes, we were also able to print to the Ricoh printer from Bonnie's machine (I was logged on as myself). The printout, however, was not just blank pages.
The first page listed the beginning of the file to be printed (%!PS-Adobe-2.0).
This indicates that the printer doesn't understand PostScript - at least not with its current settings.
We looked through the options on the monitor and browsed through the manuals but we were not able to identify if the printer is capable of printing PostScript at all and if it does how to turn it on.

If you could find out how to print a PostScript file (from the command prompt) on that printer that may be everything that needs to be done.

So the ball's in your court.

–
Bob Kline

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:30:04
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::17

From: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 10:46 AM
To: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]; NCI OCE Admin Services
Cc: Kline, Robert (NCI); Ferguson, Bonnie (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: RE: Bonnie's Computer

Trish,

Please see Paul's email below.
The Ricoh printer is currently unable to print PostScript documents submitted from the command line and Paul suggests to have a technician come out to either fix, turn on or install this capability. If PostScript printing is not part of the current printer capabilities at this point it is likely a feature that will have to be purchased separately.

–
Volker Englisch

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:31:15
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::18

From: Kline, Robert (NCI)
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 10:59 AM
To: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Cc: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]; NCI OCE Admin Services; Ferguson, Bonnie (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: Re: Bonnie's Computer

On 03/16/2011 10:45 AM, Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C] wrote:
> Trish,
>
> Please see Paul's email below.
> The Ricoh printer is currently unable to print PostScript documents submitted from the command line and Paul suggests to have a technician come out to either fix, turn on or install this capability. If PostScript printing is not part of the current printer capabilities at this point it is likely a feature that will have to be purchased separately.
>

My understanding after looking at the manual for this printer is that
the device itself is incapable of processing PostScript. Instead the
manufacturer supplies drivers to be installed on the user's workstation
(providing the workstation is running one of the operating systems for
which the vendor has written drivers) in order for the PostScript
instructions to be converted on the workstation to the language which
the printer does understand. I don't think this happens at a
sufficiently low level to work successfully with the mailer software,
which is copying the PostScript to the printer directly. One of the
requirements for this application was a high-capacity printer capable of
handling PostScript.

–
Bob Kline

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:31:37
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::19

From: NCI OCE Admin Services
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 11:32 AM
To: Davis, Kevin (NIH/NCI) [E]
Cc: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]; NCI OCE Admin Services; Ferguson, Bonnie (NIH/NCI) [C]; Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]; Kline, Robert (NCI)
Subject: RE: Bonnie's Computer

Kevin, this is a problem with the old printer we have been using for the Library for a number of years. I'm not certain why we decided not to replace it, but I'm starting to think replacing it may be the most economic thing at this point, rather than tossing good money after bad.

It seems we place calls to repair this machine at leave once a month, and it's not on a contract. Can we look at a newer high speed B&W printer with the capacities that are required for the large print jobs done by the Library, which can handle the CDR print function requirements?

Tricia Laut

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:31:55
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::20

From: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 11:42 AM
To: NCI OCE Admin Services; Davis, Kevin (NIH/NCI) [E]
Cc: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]; Ferguson, Bonnie (NIH/NCI) [C]; Kline, Robert (NCI)
Subject: RE: Bonnie's Computer

Trish,

This particular problem is not the old 8100 printer but the new RICOH printer. The new printer is the one we'd like to print PostScript files to. The old printer does that without problems.

–
Volker Englisch

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:32:12
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::21

From: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 11:43 AM
To: NCI OCE Admin Services; Davis, Kevin (NIH/NCI) [E]
Cc: Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]; Ferguson, Bonnie (NIH/NCI) [C]; Kline, Robert (NCI)
Subject: RE: Bonnie's Computer

> The old printer does that without problems.

Just to clarify: Everything else you said about the old printer is still true.

–
Volker Englisch

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:32:31
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::22

From: Kline, Robert (NCI)
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 11:45 AM
To: Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Cc: NCI OCE Admin Services; Davis, Kevin (NIH/NCI) [E]; Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]; Ferguson, Bonnie (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: Re: Bonnie's Computer

On 3/17/2011 11:41 AM, Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C] wrote:
> Trish,
>
> This particular problem is not the old 8100 printer but the new RICOH printer. The new printer is the one we'd like to print PostScript files to. The old printer does that without problems.
>

That's true for some values of "without problems." The old printer has
no problems interpreting PostScript correctly. However, I understand
that it does have some mechanical problems which prevent it from working
from time to time (the output tray will drop in the middle of the job
and stop the machine from printing the mailers, for example).

–
Bob Kline

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:34:10
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::23

That's all, folks!

I've tried to keep the sequence of events in order but I'm sure I forgot some of the emails or mixed them up but I guess you can get an idea of what the problem is.

BZDATETIME::2011-03-18 17:47:37
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::24

From: NCI OCE Admin Services
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 11:59 AM
To: Kline, Robert (NCI); Englisch, Volker (NIH/NCI) [C]
Cc: NCI OCE Admin Services; Davis, Kevin (NIH/NCI) [E]; Rogers, Paul (NIH/NCI) [C]; Ferguson, Bonnie (NIH/NCI) [C]
Subject: RE: Bonnie's Computer

Thanks for clarifying, so it sounds like we want to let Bonnie print her documents to the new copier, and stop using the old 8100?

Tricia Laut

BZDATETIME::2011-04-01 12:11:29
BZCOMMENTOR::Bob Kline
BZCOMMENT::25

After some work with Paul on the 28th of last month to get a test job working, Bonnie reported success:

"Well, thanks you guys! I've got paper, good toner, and working printer-what more could a girl ask for??"

A day later I got a note from her saying:

"I hate to say this but I tried to run a job this am-not a huge one-and I’m getting the network path not found error message."

I wrote back:

"I stopped by your office to see the error message but didn't see you. I
do see the output of the job on the server so I assume it's a local
problem that Paul will need to help you with."

I haven't heard any further information on whether Paul resolved the latest problem. Meanwhile, in a separate discussion on March 22 with Marlene Bailey:

[MB]
After contacting Ricoh, the current Ricoh copier in the library do not have postscript software. However, this adobe postscript software can be purchase and downloaded onto the Ricoh copier and on Bonnie’s computer. Geeta is currently obtaining quotes as we speak and depending on the cost we should be able to have this software purchased and installed in a few weeks. I will keep everyone posted on the progress. Meanwhile, Bonnie continue using the HP printer near the library.

Per my conversation with Kevin Davis….OCE isn’t purchasing any equipment at this time due to budget restraint as well as our upcoming move to Shady Gove.

[BK]
Thanks for the update, Marlene. It is important make sure that the printer itself can be modified to process the PostScript instructions being sent to it, and that what is being purchased is not just drivers for converting PostScript on Bonnie's workstation. I didn't see any evidence of this in the printed documentation or on Ricoh's web site. I may have missed it, but I wanted to make sure that "downloaded onto the Ricoh copier" did not refer to workstation drivers to be downloaded from the printer. It's possible (but I don't think likely) that we could implement a solution which used drivers on the workstation to convert PostScript instructions to something the printer understands, but that's not how the application was designed and built (or reflected in the original hardware requirements for the system), and I wouldn't recommend paying for it until it has been demonstrated that this will work.

[MB]
I spoke with the Al Grossi, Federal Sales for Ricoh Business Solution. He stated we need the PostScript Driver for the Ricoh 907EX copier. This is the only way we can get the copier to read postscript documents. He also stated the PostScript driver is an option, which I didn’t think we needed at the time of purchase. I appreciate your attention to his matter and your response which made me take an extra step to verify.

======================================================================

So I guess we'll wait to see what happens when the driver is installed.

BZDATETIME::2011-04-26 10:16:56
BZCOMMENTOR::Bob Kline
BZCOMMENT::26

I asked Marlene for an update on getting the printer upgraded to handle PostScript documents.

BZDATETIME::2011-05-04 08:02:52
BZCOMMENTOR::Bob Kline
BZCOMMENT::27

The Ricoh can now print PostScript from Bonnie's workstation, but not from other computers, and it's not honoring our requests to use duplex printing or stapling.

BZDATETIME::2011-05-12 09:41:52
BZCOMMENTOR::Bob Kline
BZCOMMENT::28

I did some additional investigation. The new printer does interpret some PCL, but it doesn't support the technique we used for the HP, which was to send a stream which consisted of the following:

1. PCL instructions to turn on duplex and stapling
2. PCL command to switch to PostScript mode
3. The PostScript instructions for the rest of the document

The step that's failing is the second one. That's because, despite what the vendor told Marlene (or at least what she thought she was being told), the printer itself still doesn't support PostScript. When Bonnie sends a PostScript document to the printer, Ricoh drivers on her computer recognize that the document is PostScript and convert it to the equivalent native instructions that the printer does support. But when what she send to the printer has the PostScript instructions preceded by PCL instructions, the driver doesn't do its magic. At this point, the solution will be for the network support specialist (Paul's replacement; Bonnie thinks his name is Nick) to set the printer to default to duplex, which Bonnie will override in the application when she needs to print something other than mailers. She will staple the smaller mailers by hand, which she told me this morning is an acceptable solution. Don't know why it's taking Nick ❓ so long to switch the default on the printer, but we can't do it ourselves, because that functionality is controlled by an administrative password which he has but we don't.

BZDATETIME::2011-05-12 10:03:36
BZCOMMENTOR::Bob Kline
BZCOMMENT::29

Latest update from Bonnie:

Bob-Nick was just here and said he’s been trying to catch Paul so they can make the adjustment. He’s not sure but thinks they might have to get with you and Volker about it if it’s part of the commands in original program or something along those lines. (I did tell him no stapling). So not sure when he will be able to pin Paul down but that’s the latest.

Bonnie

BZDATETIME::2011-05-12 10:15:20
BZCOMMENTOR::Volker Englisch
BZCOMMENT::30

One wonders if a phone call to Ricoh's customer support may be a quicker solution than getting together with Paul?
Crazy idea? I know!

BZDATETIME::2011-05-12 15:35:51
BZCOMMENTOR::Bob Kline
BZCOMMENT::31

All's well that ends well. I have succeeding in modifying the mailer software so that it can embed duplex and stapling instructions in the PostScript file. I also determined that I can send PostScript to the printer from other computers than Bonnie's, so we don't need to have a backup workstation set up. (You just can't send PostScript in a stream which contains PCL commands as we were doing with the HP printers.)

Bonnie and I have tested this on Franck. The modifications are now on all three servers.

BZDATETIME::2011-06-09 06:47:15
BZCOMMENTOR::William Osei-Poku
BZCOMMENT::32

It was decided at today's meeting to close this issue.