Previous Print Manager database is restored after running ipsmd -b command

Running the following command blanks the Print Manager database (psmdb.dat):

/opt/novell/iprint/bin/ipsmd -b

Note: this command can be run only if ipsmd is in a stopped state.

In some cases, the next day a previous copy of the Print Manager database is restored, resulting in changes being lost.  For example, if Printer Agents were created the previous day, they will be missing the next day.

Blank both the Print Manager database within the file system (psmdb.dat) and the backup copy held in eDirectory as an attribute of the Print Manager (iPrintManagerDBSaveData).

This is accomplished by running the blankdb script:

wget -P /tmp ftp://ftp.novell.com/outgoing/blankdb.sh && chmod +x /tmp/blankdb.sh && /tmp/blankdb.sh

• Note 1: The Print Manager can be in an ACTIVE state when the above command is executed.
• Note 2: If the above command results in No such file `blankdb.sh', email patchfeedback@microfocus.com with the subject "Need blankdb.sh uploaded to ftp site" and you will receive a reply once the file is uploaded.
• Note 3: After the above commands are run, the Print Manager will not have any printer agents.  The iPrint printer objects will exist in eDirectory, but the Print Manager will not have any printers in its database.  End users will not be able to print, unless they had iPrint Direct enabled.  In most cases, this script is run in preparation to re-import all the printers using the XML import process:
• rcnovell-ipsmd stop;/opt/novell/iprint/bin/ipsmd -x /path/to/XMLfile.xml -u cn=<adminUser>,o=<organizationName>;rcnovell-ipsmd start
  

The ipsmd -b switch will blank only the local copy of the Print Manager database file (psmdb.dat).  In many instances, this is sufficient.  However, in some cases, at 1am ipsmd will compare the copy of the database in eDirectory with the new database file on the file system, and decide to overwrite the eDirectory version over the local copy.  The result is that any changes made to the Print Manager the previous day will be lost.  The blankdb.sh script blanks both the local and eDirectory copies of the Print Manager database, and therefore eliminates the risk of the eDir copy overwriting the local copy.

At no point in this process are the iPrint printer objects in eDirectory deleted.  An attribute of the Print Manager (iPrintManagerDBSaveData) is being deleted.  That attribute's value is a copy of the psmdb.dat.