Microsoft POS and shared Printers

[Matt Eaton]

I’m fairly new to Microsoft POS, but am considering it for a new project. We
currently have a food & beverage application and a client is requesting a
failover mechanism for the kitchen printers. Currently we use windows
printer drivers, and it looks like with this approach we can only report on
what the driver reports back to windows.

Looks like OPOS can give us a better indication of the printer’s status and
health. My question is around shared printers. In most of our restaurants
it is common to find the bar printer shared from the bar workstation. This
way the receipt printer can also function as the bar printer. I am having
trouble creating a logical name for that printer. I am using the Epson OPOS
driver and the only options I have are serial, parallel, usb, or ip address.
I don’t see how I can attach to that computer-printer and print to it.

I think that this is probably an Epson issue, but I was hoping someone in
this group has had experience with this type of setup.

[viglen]

I’m fairly new to Microsoft POS, but am considering it for a new project.  We
currently have a food & beverage application and a client is requesting a
failover mechanism for the kitchen printers.  Currently we use windows
printer drivers, and it looks like with this approach we can only report on
what the driver reports back to windows.  
Looks like OPOS can give us a better indication of the printer’s status and
health.  My question is around shared printers.  In most of our restaurants
it is common to find the bar printer shared from the bar workstation.  This
way the receipt printer can also function as the bar printer.  I am having
trouble creating a logical name for that printer.  I am using the Epson OPOS
driver and the only options I have are serial, parallel, usb, or ip address.  
 I don’t see how I can attach to that computer-printer and print to it.
I think that this is probably an Epson issue, but I was hoping someone in
this group has had experience with this type of setup.
--
Matt Eaton

Have you tried calling Microsoft to ask for help?

U.S./Canada
(1) [phone]

Worldwide
(1) [phone]

Availability and hours of operation:
Monday–Friday, 8:00 A.M.–6:00 P.M. Central Time (UTC-6) in the U.S.
and Canada.

[viglen]

I’m fairly new to Microsoft POS, but am considering it for a new project.  We
currently have a food & beverage application and a client is requesting a
failover mechanism for the kitchen printers.  Currently we use windows
printer drivers, and it looks like with this approach we can only report on
what the driver reports back to windows.  
Looks like OPOS can give us a better indication of the printer’s status and
health.  My question is around shared printers.  In most of our restaurants
it is common to find the bar printer shared from the bar workstation.  This
way the receipt printer can also function as the bar printer.  I am having
trouble creating a logical name for that printer.  I am using the Epson OPOS
driver and the only options I have are serial, parallel, usb, or ip address.  
 I don’t see how I can attach to that computer-printer and print to it.
I think that this is probably an Epson issue, but I was hoping someone in
this group has had experience with this type of setup.
--
Matt Eaton

Have you tried to contact the customer support team?
I have used them many times and they are very helpful.
They have different levels of support members to help even the most
complicated questions and problems regarding their <a href="http://
www.alexandriacomputers.com/">POS software</a>.

U.S./Canada
Toll-free (1) [phone]

Worldwide
(1) [phone]

Availability and hours of operation:
Monday–Friday, 8:00 A.M.–6:00 P.M. Central Time (UTC-6) in the U.S.
and Canada.

Support,
www.AlexandriaComputers.com

[Sean Liming (MVP)]

This feature of sharing printers has been asked before, but it takes a
service object to make it happen. You can do a search on this newsgroup for
past posts.

In theory, a networked printer can be shared by two POS for .NET systems.
The S.O. in each system accesses the networked printer. Simply do the open,
claim, release, close methods when the applications want to print.
--
Regards,

Sean Liming
www.sjjmicro.com / www.seanliming.com
Author: Windows Embedded for Point of Service / POS for .NET Step-by-Step
http://www.sjjmicro.com/WEPOS.html

Post by Matt Eaton
I’m fairly new to Microsoft POS, but am considering it for a new project.
We
currently have a food & beverage application and a client is requesting a
failover mechanism for the kitchen printers. Currently we use windows
printer drivers, and it looks like with this approach we can only report on
what the driver reports back to windows.
Looks like OPOS can give us a better indication of the printer’s status and
health. My question is around shared printers. In most of our restaurants
it is common to find the bar printer shared from the bar workstation.
This
way the receipt printer can also function as the bar printer. I am having
trouble creating a logical name for that printer. I am using the Epson OPOS
driver and the only options I have are serial, parallel, usb, or ip address.
I don’t see how I can attach to that computer-printer and print to it.
I think that this is probably an Epson issue, but I was hoping someone in
this group has had experience with this type of setup.
--
Matt Eaton

[Jeff Oakes]

We are doing it using the printer as an IP based printer.

Seems to work for us thus far.

On app start up, I do the open function.

I am doing a claim and release the printer for each print rather than
claiming it at app start up.

[Matt Eaton]

Thanks for the help guys. Below is the response from Epson

You can't share printers in OPOS - printer sharing is a part of Window's
printing which OPOS bypasses.The only possibility is if the printer is
ethernet and you set up each workstation to point to the printer's IP.

Thanks again.
--
Matt Eaton

Post by Jeff Oakes
We are doing it using the printer as an IP based printer.
Seems to work for us thus far.
On app start up, I do the open function.
I am doing a claim and release the printer for each print rather than
claiming it at app start up.

[Sylvester La Blanc MSFT]

Post by Matt Eaton
Thanks for the help guys. Below is the response from Epson
You can't share printers in OPOS - printer sharing is a part of Window's
printing which OPOS bypasses.The only possibility is if the printer is
ethernet and you set up each workstation to point to the printer's IP.
Thanks again.

The UPOS specification does provide for multiple applications using a
common resource (such as a printer). In UPOS, essentially, you may open
the printer from two applications, but only one application can have it
"claimed" at any given point in time. Thus the UPOS guidance is to
claim the device when you need it and then release it when done so other
applications may use it.

BTW - POS for .NET supports OPOS and native .NET SO for printers and is
fully compliant with UPOS (as of v1.12). Any capabilities that OPOS has
or supports is also supported by POS for .NET.

Good luck on your project!