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Conference forty2::x500

Title:X.500 Directory Services
Notice:Sprt: FORTY2::X500_SUPPORT, Kits: 216.*, try dir/titl=OFFICIAL
Moderator:FORTY2::PULLEN
Created:Tue Jan 30 1990
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1016
Total number of notes:4299

992.0. "Using X.500 to find Printers" by NQOS01::rdodial_port16.32.81.16.in-addr.arpa::ATKINS (atkinss@mail.dec.com) Thu Mar 27 1997 22:53

X.500 is normaly used as a place to keep information about an organizations 
mail addresses and objects like that. However, is there any reason why X.500 
directory can't be used to track the location of all printing resources 
(Printers) in an enterprise? 

I went to class last year with a customer that was doing that. I searched this 
conference for any references on the word PRINT and found lots of stuff on how 
to print documents but nothing in the context that I am speaking. 

My customers has many Macintosh computers. Finding a printer today is very 
easy. They are moving to NT and finding a printer is not so easy. Not all of 
their applications are NT based anyway so the need goes beyond NT. Has anybody 
 done any work along these lines? 

An ideal application would be some type of printer plug in that 
would sit on NT or W95 and let you search for a printer and print to it. That 
simple or is it more complex? 

P.S. I'm looking to add value to our X.500 directory over the existing CDC 
anyhow and Printing is a hot topic right now. If I could demostrate this in 
the customers lab X.500 for mail objects would be an easy sell.

Thanks,
Steve Atkins
NSIS - MMEC
atkinss@mail.dec.com 
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992.1a-113.tunnel.crl.dec.com::FORTY2::PALKAAndrew Palka Altavista DirectoryTue Apr 01 1997 14:1412
There is no problem using X.500 for such things. It is one of the
uses that was foreseen. You may find that the standard object classes
expect to use OSI addresses etc. for printers, so you may have to
customise the schema to create suitable attributes and classes.

AltaVista Directory does not currently let you customise the schema
(though you could work around it by using the existing schema
creatively). The X.500 product (Unix and VMS) does allow schema
customisation, but offers DAP access only so you may find it harder
to write the code to access the directory.

Andrew
992.2Printers are good use for X.500GOBUCS::COOLEYMegan and Michelle's DaddyTue Apr 01 1997 19:5326
    Hi,
    
    On the Lockheed Martin project, we're planning on setting up a branch
    of the X.500 tree for "resources", which would include conference
    rooms, group numbers, and printers.   We will customize the schema
    to include attributes for these objects.  (I have yet to work on 
    directory project that did not require some schema custimization).
    
    At the moment, we're just concentrating on "People" with feeds from
    HR and email systems via XDSU, so the printers and other resources are a 
    future for now.  We still would need how to work out the data source and
    how it would be used.  (Most likely a web accessible thing)  But, LM is 
    excited about having a central directory for these things.   Wouldn't it 
    be nice at Digital to have a central directory for these kinds of things?
    (To schedule a conference room go to http:/....dec.com/conferencerooms...)
    (To find a printer go to http:/....dec.com/printers/)
    
    Re: -1   Just to clarify
    
    >The X.500 product (Unix and VMS) does allow schema customisation,
    > but offers DAP access only so you may find it harder ...
    
    Digital UNIX does allow LDAP access.  It's only OpenVMS that doesn't.
    
    Regards,
    Warren
992.3a-105.tunnel.crl.dec.com::FORTY2::PALKAAndrew Palka Altavista DirectoryWed Apr 02 1997 12:536
To clarify .2

You can use Infobroker on Unix to get LDAP access to the directory.
This may introduce more problems than it solves.

Andrew
992.4This data would be very useful for LockheedGOBUCS::COOLEYMegan and Michelle's DaddyWed Apr 02 1997 20:447
    > You can use Infobroker on Unix to get LDAP access to the directory.
    > This may introduce more problems than it solves.
    
    Are the infobroker limitations quantifiable?  Is so what are they?
    
    Regards,
    Warren
992.5a-103.tunnel.crl.dec.com::FORTY2::PALKAAndrew Palka Altavista DirectoryThu Apr 03 1997 13:2610
Infobroker is taking up a large amount of our support load.
Common symptoms are hangs, crashes, excessive resource use.
We dont have a fix for these yet. It either works for people
or is almost unusable.

No doubt these problems will be solved - there are some people
here who are busy learning more about infobroker than they
really want to!

Andrew