Abstract:
Embodiments of the present invention comprise methods and systems which enable a user to detect the status of printing devices without the use of additional hardware or application program modification for this purpose. These embodiments comprise a print processor which can check printing device status prior to sending a print task to a printing device. These embodiments may further check the status of a printing device after a print task has been sent to the device and may determine whether a printing device has successfully completed a print task. Some embodiments may further redirect, restart and reconfigure print tasks with the help of printing device status information.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/261,132, entitled “Methods and Systems for Print-Processor Modified Printing” filed Jan. 11, 2001 by inventors Ferlitsch et al. This application further claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/681,208, entitled “Methods and Systems for Print-Processor Modified Printing” filed Feb. 22, 2001 by inventors Ferlitsch et al as a continuation-in-part thereto. Another concurrently filed U.S. patent application entitled “Methods and Systems for Print-Processor-Based Printer Status Detection and Print Task Distribution” by inventors Ferlitsch et al, application Ser. No. 09/681,409, is incorporated herein by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   Many offices can generate a high volume of printer output or require high print rates to meet deadlines. When these needs are fairly constant, large, high-production printers and associated hardware may be required. These high-production units are expensive to procure and maintain and, generally, are only made economically feasible by a constant high demand for printer output. When printer requirements fluctuate, the costs of these high-production printers are difficult to justify. However, when sporadic, high printer throughput is a necessity, some offices are forced to bear the costs of expensive printer equipment that runs at well below its capacity most of the time. 
   Cluster printing has been introduced to avoid this problem. Cluster printing involves the use of multiple printers in a network. With cluster printing, print tasks can be sent to a multiple printer network with a capacity that rivals the capacity of expensive, high-throughput equipment. Generally, this network is comprised of multiple lower-production printers that may already exist in an office environment making the cost of the network very manageable. 
   Through the use of cluster printing, a user may choose to split a single print task among several printers to increase print task speed and decrease print time. Print tasks that include multiple copies may be divided so that each printer in a network prints some of the copies. Other variations of print job and print task distribution may also be implemented. 
   Cluster printing may be implemented through specialized printers which contain cluster-enabling firmware. When these printers are interconnected via cables, they can share printing jobs. In some cases, the marking engines are connected to enable division of printing tasks between the connected printers. 
   Other methods of implementing cluster printing functions require the use of additional hardware or application software. Typically, a specialized print server is used. This server is generally a high-performance general purpose computer to which print jobs are directed by the network. Specialized software on the server allows print tasks or copies thereof to be distributed among multiple printers that are managed by the server. 
   These known cluster printing implementations require specialized printer or server hardware or software to provide cluster printing functions. 
   Another problem that exists in single printer, cluster printing, network printing and other environments is that of printer status detection. When a print task is initiated, a user typically selects a printer or printers based on the printers&#39; location and/or capabilities. However, if one or more selected printers are offline, in an error state, busy, or for some other reason, unavailable, the print task may not be completed in an acceptable time period or may not be completed at all. Typically, an error message is returned to the user who must then select another printer or correct the problem preventing the selected printer from functioning. In some network printing cases involving print queues, no error message is returned and the user is left unaware of the printing problem. When a print task is time sensitive this process can be frustrating causing missed deadlines and tarnished reputations. 
   Printer status detection can be especially important in cluster printing environments where print tasks are divided among several printing devices. When a user or the user&#39;s computing device is not aware of the status of the printing devices selected for printing, a print task or portions thereof can be delayed, interrupted or lost. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   Embodiments of the present invention comprise methods and systems which detect printer status and distribute print tasks to a plurality of printing devices without the use of additional hardware or server software for this purpose. These functions may be used to achieve print task error recovery when print task errors occur. Printer status may be detected prior to print task despooling and during despooling. When a print task has failed, these embodiments may “roll over” a failed task to another printing device. Tasks may be restarted, redistributed or otherwise recovered after a printing error. These systems and methods are typically used in conjunction with a computer network comprising at least one computing device and a plurality of printing devices. Printing tasks which are typically sent to a user-selected printing device may be restarted or redistributed to available printing devices when errors occur. This printer status detection, availability determination and redistribution capability can be achieved without the use of additional hardware and firmware and without modification to software applications. 
   Embodiments of the present invention comprise a novel print processor which is capable of detecting the status of printing devices. This detection may take place when a print task is sent to the print processor, prior to print task transmission, prior to despooling, during despooling, during another part of the printing process, at some other time or at multiple times. Typically, printing device status is initially detected at the time a print task is sent to the print processor. If a print task is initially directed to a printing device that is unavailable or otherwise unable to function for the current task, the print processor of the present invention may redirect the print task or unprinted portions thereof to another printing device that is available for use. If a print task is directed to a device that fails after commencement of a print task, the task may be redirected or restarted on another device that has not failed. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     In order that the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and objects of the invention are obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention comprising printer status detection and print task roll over for a single print task in EMF mode; 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention comprising printer status detection and print task roll over for a single print task in RAW mode; 
       FIG. 3  is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention comprising printer status detection and print task redistribution for a cluster print task in EMF mode; 
       FIG. 4  is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention comprising printer status detection and print task redistribution for a cluster print task in RAW mode; 
       FIG. 5  is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention comprising print task error detection and print task redistribution for a single print task in EMF mode; 
       FIG. 6  is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention comprising print task error detection and print task redistribution for a single print task in RAW mode; 
       FIG. 7  is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention comprising print task error detection and print task redistribution for a cluster print task in EMF mode; and 
       FIG. 8  is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention comprising print task error detection and print task redistribution for a cluster print task in RAW mode. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The figures listed above are expressly incorporated as part of this detailed description. It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the systems and methods of the present invention, as represented in  FIGS. 1 through 5  is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but it is merely representative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention. The currently preferred embodiments of the present invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. 
   The definitions in this and subsequent paragraphs apply throughout this specification and related claims. The term “print job” may refer to any combination of data that can be printed. A print job may comprise text and/or graphics and may comprise part of a page, a single page or many pages. Print jobs may be rendered, unrendered, journaled or otherwise. Generally, a print job is generated by an application, such as a word processor, spread sheet, etc., however, a print job may also comprise a file or data in memory that may be sent directly to a print process. 
   The term “print copy” or “copy” may refer to data, code or commands which generate a single printing device output of a print job or may refer to the actual hard copy output of the print job. 
   The term “print task” may comprise any combination of print jobs and copies thereof. A print task may comprise one or more print jobs and one or more copies of each print job. 
   The term “copy splitting” may refer to a process by which a print task comprising multiple copies is divided into multiple modified print tasks with each modified print task comprising a portion of the total number of copies. 
   The term “job splitting” may refer to a process by which a print task comprising at least one print job is split into multiple modified print tasks with each modified print task comprising a portion of a print job. 
   References to a Microsoft Windows® or Windows® operating system may refer to any version or variation of a Microsoft Windows® operating system comprising Windows 95®, Windows 98®, Windows NT®, Windows 2000®, Windows ME®, Windows XP® and others. While exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be directed to a Windows® operating system and environment, systems and methods directed to other operating systems such as Macintosh®, UNIX, DOS, Linux, MVS and others are to be contemplated within the scope of the present invention. 
   Embodiments of the present invention typically comprise one or more computing devices in communication with a plurality of printing devices. Embodiments which utilize a Microsoft Windows® operating system generally comprise a printer driver, spooler and print processor which process print tasks generated through the operating system and applications running on the operating system. Embodiments used in conjunction with other operating systems will utilize similar processing elements. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with terminology related to a Microsoft Windows® environment, however these terms shall relate to equivalent elements in other operating systems. For example, the print processor described in many embodiments will relate to a print processor common in the Windows® environment as well as elements with equivalent functions in other operating systems. 
   In a Windows® environment, a print task is generally initiated through selection of a print option in an application, but may be otherwise initiated by automated, background and scheduled processes or by other means. This selection will typically invoke a print dialog which comprises means for selecting one or more printing devices. In cluster printing embodiments, cluster printing options may also be selected. Once the device or devices are selected, the print task is sent to a driver which configures the print task and creates a spool file which is sent to a spooler. A driver may also create EMF files which can be stored separately from the spool file and accessed by drivers such as cluster printer drivers. Once the spool file is created, a spooler may spool the spool file to a print processor which interprets and processes spool file data and forwards the print task to a printing device either directly or through a spooler and may possibly initiate rendering or PDL creation via a printer driver. 
   Typically, when a print task is initiated, either through an application, through an operating system command or by some other means, a user will specify one or more printing devices to which the print task or tasks will be sent. This may be performed through a driver dialog process or by other means. The print task or tasks will then proceed through the driver and spooler to a print processor. Prior to spooling data to a printing device, the print processor will check the status of printing devices in communication with the print processor and its host computing device. If any of the devices selected by a user are not available and/or simply busy, the tasks which were initially designated for that device are “rolled over,” redirected or redistributed to one or more other devices that are available. 
   Once a print task has begun despooling to the printing devices errors may occur. During print task despooling, embodiments of the present invention may detect printing device status or despooling status of the print tasks. If errors are detected, a print task may be redirected or redistributed to another device or devices which are available or otherwise usable for the print task. As a non-limiting example, embodiments may detect whether a successful write/playback to a local printer port, remote printer or a network print queue has occurred. 
   The systems of some embodiments of the present invention comprise a plurality of homogeneous printers. Homogenous printers are printers with similar Printer Definition Language (PDL) interpreter support, similar device drivers and similar marking engines. These printers are generally connected together in a common network environment. These systems also comprise a computing device capable of spooling a print job (spooler), a printer driver and a print processor compatible with the printing devices. These embodiments may also comprise a Microsoft Windows® 9x, NT, 2k, XP or similar operating system. 
   Using these systems, a user generally initiates a print task, comprising one or more print jobs. A print job may be a document or portion of a document with each document comprising one or more pages. A print task may also comprise one or more copies of a print job. A print task may be pre-processed into printer ready data, such as an application rendering its output into a Printer Definition Language (PDL), such as PCL, Postscript, PDF, TIFF or others. A print task may also be journaled, where the rendering instructions are recorded, and the playback of the rendering instructions is deferred, such as Enhanced Meta File (EMF, Microsoft Corp) and Printer Meta File (PMF, Sharp Corp) or others. 
   Upon initiation of the print task, the user selects a command, sequence of commands, or some other stimulus to communicate to a computing device that the user intends to spool a print job. A computing device responds to the user by presenting the user a dialog, such as a Printer UI, command line query, front panel display or other prompt, in which the user can select options relating to the spooling of the print job. One of the options may be the selection of the printing device to which a print task may be transmitted. A printing device may comprise a printer, plotter, Multi-Function Peripheral (MFP), CD burner or other device which generates a copy. Once the printing device(s) are selected, the computing device responds by loading the device driver and print processor associated with the printing device(s). The device driver responds, automatically or by user initiation, to the user by presenting the user a dialog, in which the user can select options relating to the printing device&#39;s capabilities. These device capabilities may comprise print quality, paper size, orientation, tray selection, manual feed, stapling, watermarks and other options. 
   In these systems, a dialog presented to the user for selecting options specific to the printing device&#39;s capabilities may comprise a dialog related to cluster printing. Within a cluster printing dialog, a user may choose to use multiple printing devices and may choose to perform copy splitting, job splitting or other cluster printing options. A cluster printing dialog may comprise a display of all the selectable printing devices in the cluster from which a user may select one, none, multiple, or all of the devices to which a print task may be despooled. Cluster printing options may also be pre-selected by prior printer settings by a user or administrator. Cluster printing options may also be communicated through a dialog presented by a print processor or spooler and may be read from memory, disk, database, registry or elsewhere. 
   Once the user has completed selecting options specific to both a print task and a printing device(s), the computing device may initiate the spooling of the print task. This process may comprise: 1) the printer driver constructing print task specific information (e.g. DEVMODE in Microsoft Operating Systems); 2) compilation of rendering instructions; and 3) the rendering of (i.e., preprocessed into printer ready data) or recorded for deferred playback (i.e., journaling). A print task may, partly or in whole, be already rendered into printer ready data and the step of compiling rendering instructions may then be skipped partly or entirely. The output from the print driver (i.e., spooled print task) may additionally contain information regarding cluster options selected for the print task, including job splitting, copy splitting, a list of selected printers to which a print task may be despooled and other options. The output is generally referred to as a spool file, with the contents generally referred to as spool data. A spool file may be recorded on disk, in memory, in cache or other forms of storage compatible with the computing device. 
   Once a spool file is completed, the computing device passes, immediately or delayed, the spool file to the associated print processor for the selected printing device(s). This process is accomplished through a “spooler.” A print processor reads the spool file and determines if the content is preprocessed printer ready data (e.g., RAW mode in Microsoft operating systems), or journaled (e.g., EMF mode in the Microsoft operating systems). A print processor may also determine cluster printing options, including job splitting, copy splitting, the selected printing devices and other options. The first selected printing device, may be referred to as the “default” printing device. Despooling of a print task to printing devices may take several routes depending on whether the spool data is preprocessed printer ready data or journaled data, and whether job splitting or copy splitting has been selected. 
   Prior to and during the despooling of a print task, several things can go wrong. These include, but are not limited to: 1) printer unavailability (offline); 2) busy printer; 3) printer port problems; and 4) printer queue problems. The following sections describe systems for recovering from these errors, by job rollover, job redistribution, job restarting and other methods. 
   When an error occurs in EMF mode printing prior to despooling of the print task, embodiments of the present invention may roll the task over to another available device, as described in reference to  FIG. 1 . Upon initiation of a print task, but prior to despooling, the print processor  10  checks  12  the status of printers  24 ,  26  and  28  in communication with the user&#39;s computing device. Printers may be ready, offline, busy or some other status. If the status is offline or busy, the printer may be determined to be unavailable. If the print task is configured for a single printer, by default, the print task would be sent to the default printer  24  associated with the default print driver  16 . If this printer is unavailable, the print processor  10  will roll over the print task to the next available printer  26  through its driver  18 . If no printer is available, the print processor  10  may roll over the print task to the next printer whose status is busy  28  through its driver  20 . If all printers are offline, the print task may be canceled and the user notified. When a print task is rolled over to a printer other than its original destination, the print processor will play back  30  the journaled data to the print driver  18  associated with the printer  26  to which the print task was rolled over, and notify the user of the task destination and/or status. 
   When an error occurs in RAW mode printing prior to despooling of the print task, embodiments of the present invention may roll the task over to another available device, as described in reference to  FIG. 2 . Upon initiation of a print task, but prior to despooling, the print processor  40  may check  50  the status of printers in communication with the user&#39;s computing device. These printers may be classified as being available, offline, busy or some other status. If the status is offline or busy, the printer may be determined to be unavailable. If the task is designated for a single printer, by default, the print task would be sent to the port  34  associated with the default printer  44 . If the default printer  44  is unavailable, a print processor  40  may roll over the print task to the port  36  associated with the next available printer. If no printer is available, the print processor  40  may roll over the print task to the port  38  associated with the next printer whose status is busy  48 . If all printers are offline, the print task may be canceled and the user notified. If the print task is rolled over to another printer, the print processor will write  32  the printer ready data to the printer port associated with the printer to which the print task was rolled over, and notify the user. 
   When an error occurs in EMF mode printing prior to despooling of the print task, embodiments of the present invention may redistribute the task to other available devices, as described in reference to  FIG. 3 . Upon initiation of a print task, but prior to despooling, the print processor  52  may check  58  the status of printers  70 ,  72  and  74  in communication with the user&#39;s computing device. These printers  70 ,  72  and  74  may be classified as being ready, offline, busy or some other status. If the status is offline or busy, the printer may be determined to be unavailable. If the task is configured for multiple printers, the print task may be redistributed across the available printers or a backup set of printers. If no printers are available, the print processor may redistribute the print task to printers whose status is busy. If all printers are offline, then the print task may be canceled and the user notified. When printers are available or simply busy, the print processor may play back the journaled data to the print drivers associated with the printers to which the print task was redistributed and notify the user. 
   As a non-limiting example of this type of task redistribution, a user may select printer “A”  70  and printer “B”  72  as default printers for a cluster printing task. When the cluster task arrives at the print processor  52 , the print processor  52  checks  58  the status of the printing devices and determines that printer “A”  70  is offline. Therefore, the original cluster task cannot be completed using the default selection. However, the print processor  52  may determine that another printer is available to take the place of printer “A”  70 , for example, printer “C”  74  may be available. In this case, print processor  52  may redistribute the print task to printer “B”  72  and printer “C”  74 . When this is done, the print processor  52  may redistribute spool data and EMF files  56  to the drivers  64  and  66  associated with the available printing devices  64  and  66 . This task playback  60  is sent to the available drivers  64  and  66  and forwarded to a spooler  54  for spooling  80  and  82  to the available printing devices  72  and  74 . 
   When an error occurs in RAW mode printing prior to despooling of the print task, embodiments of the present invention may redistribute the task to other available devices, as described in reference to  FIG. 4 . Upon initiation of a print task, but prior to despooling, the print processor  84  may check  88  the status of printers  98 ,  100  and  102  in communication with the user&#39;s computing device. These printers  98 ,  100  and  102  may be classified as being available, offline, busy or some other status. If the status is offline or busy, the printer may be determined to be unavailable. When a task is configured for multiple printers, the print task may be redistributed across the available printers. If no printers are available, the print processor may redistribute the print task to printers whose status is busy. If all printers are offline, then the print task may be canceled and the user notified. When printers are available or simply busy, the print processor will write the printer ready data to the printer ports associated with the printers to which the print task was redistributed and notify the user of task destinations and status. 
   As a non-limiting example of this type of task redistribution in RAW mode printing, a user may select printer “A”  98  and printer “B”  100  as default printers for a cluster printing task. When the cluster task arrives at the print processor  84 , the print processor  84  checks  88  the status of the printing devices and determines that printer “A”  98  is offline. Therefore, the original cluster task cannot be completed using the default selection. However, the print processor  84  may determine that another printer is available to take the place of printer “A”  98 , for example, printer “C”  102  may be available. In this case, print processor  84  may redistribute the print task to printer “B”  100  and printer “C”  102 . When this is done, the print processor  84  may redistribute printer ready data  90  to the ports  94  and  96  associated with the available printing devices  100  and  102 . This task redistribution  90  is sent to the available printers&#39; ports  94  and  96  and forwarded to the available printing devices  100  and  102 . 
   When an error occurs in EMF mode printing during despooling of the print task, embodiments of the present invention may rollover or redirect and restart the task on another available device, as described in reference to  FIG. 5 . If a print task is configured for a single printer, during despooling (i.e., playback to driver in EMF mode), the print processor  104  checks if the playback  130  of the journaled data to the printer driver  112  of the default printer  120  failed. If the playback fails, the print task for this printer is aborted. The print processor  104  then checks  108  the status of other printers in communication with the user&#39;s computing device. If the status is offline or busy, the printer is determined to be unavailable. The print processor  104  may roll over and restart the print task on the next available printer in the cluster. If no printer is available in the cluster, then the print processor will roll over and restart the print task to the next printer whose status is busy. If the playback on the rolled over printer fails, the print processor will repeat the above steps and roll over and restart the print task on another printer in the cluster. If all printers are offline, the print task may be canceled and the user notified. If the print task is rolled over to another printer in the cluster, the print processor may restart the playback of the journaled data to the print driver associated with the printer to which the print task was rolled over and notify the user. 
   As a non-limiting example of this type of task rollover during despooling, a user may select printer “A”  120  as a default printer for a printing task.-When the task arrives at the print processor  104 , the print processor  104  may check the status of connected printing devices and determine printer availability as explained above. When an appropriate printing device has been selected, playback of spool data  130  and EMF data  126  may begin. In this example, the default device  120  is originally determined to be available and the print task is sent to the default destination, the driver  112  associated with the default printer  120 . However, during despooling of the print task to the default printer driver  112 , a problem occurs which causes a failure in the printing process. This failure is communicated to the print processor  104 , thereby signaling the print processor  104  to abort task playback, check  108  the status of the printing devices and again determine their availability. When another printer  122  is available, the print processor  104  may restart playback  128  of the print task to the driver  114  associated with the available printer  122 . The driver  114  then interprets the task data and forwards the task to the spooler  106  to be spooled to the new destination printer  122 . 
   When an error occurs in RAW mode printing during despooling of the print task, embodiments of the present invention may rollover or redirect and restart the task on another available device, as described in reference to  FIG. 6 . If the print task is configured for a single printer, during despooling (i.e., write to printer port in RAW mode), the print processor  136  checks if the write  144  of the printer ready data to the printer port  150  of the default printer failed. If the write fails, the print task for this printer may be aborted. The print processor  136  then checks  140  the status of the remaining printers in the cluster. If the status is offline or busy, the printer may be determined to be unavailable. The print processor  136  may roll over and restart the print task on the next available printer in the cluster. If no printer is available, the print processor  136  may roll over and restart the print task to the next printer whose status is busy. If the write to an alternative printer fails, the print processor  136  may repeat the above steps and roll over and restart the print task to another printer. If all printers are offline, then the print task may be canceled and the user notified. If the print task is rolled over to another printer, the print processor  136  may restart the write of the printer ready data to the printer port associated with the printer to which the print task was rolled over and notify the user. 
   As a non-limiting example of this type of task redistribution in RAW mode printing, a user may select printer “A”  156  as the default printer for a printing task. When the task arrives at the print processor  136 , the print processor  136  checks  140  the status of connected printing devices and determines that printer “A”  156  is available. Accordingly, the print processor  136  directs the print task to printer “A”  156 , as explained above. However, during despooling, the original write of the print task  144  may fail. When this occurs, a failure message  146  may be directed to the print processor  136  to signal that the task has not been completed. When a failure message  146  is received, the print processor may again check  140  the status of printing devices and determine their availability. As printer “B”  158  is available at this time, the print task may be rolled over to that printer  158 . This is performed as print processor  136  restarts the printer write process  142  to the newly selected printer&#39;s port  152 . The task is then routed to the destination printer  158 . If the print task again fails, the print processor may again redirect the print task to another available printer or busy printer as explained above. 
   When an error occurs in EMF mode printing during despooling of a cluster print task, embodiments of the present invention may redistribute and restart the task or tasks on other available devices, as described in reference to  FIG. 7 . When a cluster printing task is printed, multiple printers will be involved and job splitting or copy splitting may be used. During despooling of these tasks (i.e., playback to driver in EMF mode) the print processor  162  may verify that the playback  172  of the journaled data to each of the printer drivers  176 ,  178  and  180  of the selected printers  186 ,  188  and  190  is progressing properly. If the original playback  172  to a printer fails, the print task for that printer may be aborted. When this occurs, the print processor  162  may then check the status of other printers. If the status is offline or busy, the printer is determined to be unavailable. A print processor  162  may restart and redistribute the failed portions of the print task or modified print tasks on the remaining available printers in the cluster. If no printer is available, the print processor  162  may restart and redistribute the failed portions of the print task or modified print tasks to printers whose status is busy. If the playback on one or more of the restarted printers fails, the print processor will repeat the above steps and restart and redistribute the print task or portions thereof on the remaining printers. If all printers are offline, the print task may be canceled and the user notified. If the failed portions of the print task are restarted and redistributed to the remaining printers, the print processor  162  will restart the playback  170  of the journaled data of the failed portion of the print task to the print drivers associated with the printers to which the failed portions of the print task were redistributed, and notify the user. 
   As a non-limiting example of this type of print task or modified print task redistribution, a user may select Printers A, B and C  186 ,  188  and  190  for printing a cluster printing task. As a result, separate print tasks or modified print tasks will be output from print processor  162  and directed to the selected printers. A print processor may check  166  the status of the selected printers to verify their availability and redirect when necessary, however, in this example, the selected printers are available. Accordingly, the spool data and EMF files of the tasks are played back  172  to the printer drivers  176 ,  178  and  180  of the selected printers  186 ,  188  and  190 . During playback  172 , the print processor  162  monitors the status of the print tasks to verify that they complete properly. When an error occurs, a failure message  174  is sent to the print processor  162  to signal that a task will need to be redistributed. The print processor  162  will then recheck  166  the status of connected printers and determine their availability. If other printers are found beyond the originally selected printers  186 ,  188  and  190  they may be added to the currently used group and the failed task may be directed to another printer not currently being used. However, in this example, no other printers are available and the print processor  162  is forced to redistribute the failed task to the printers currently in use. Accordingly, the print processor  162  redistributes the failed print task to printers B and C  188  and  190 . This is achieved by restarting the playback  170  of the failed print task to the drivers  178  and  180  of these printers. In this case the failed print task must be reconfigured for two printers rather than the original one which failed. Once the print task is processed by the printer drivers  176 ,  178  and  180 , the print task is forwarded to a spooler  164  and passed on to the destination printers  186 ,  188  and  190  for completion. 
   When an error occurs in RAW mode printing during despooling of a cluster print task, embodiments of the present invention may redistribute and restart the task or tasks on other available devices, as described in reference to  FIG. 8 . During despooling (i.e., write to printer port in RAW mode), the print processor  192  may check if the write  200  of the printer ready data to each of the printer ports  204 ,  206  and  208  of the selected printers  210 ,  212  and  214  is being completed. If the write to a printer fails, the print task for that printer is aborted. The print processor  192  may then check the status of other printers. If the status is offline or busy, the printer is determined to be unavailable. The print processor may restart and redistribute the failed portions of the print task to the remaining available printers. If no printer is available in the cluster, the print processor  192  may restart and redistribute the failed portions of the print task to printers whose status is busy. If the write to the printer port of one or more of the restarted printers fails, the print processor  192  may repeat the above steps and restart and redistribute the print task on other printers. If all printers are offline, the print task may be canceled and the user notified. If the failed portions of the print task are restarted and redistributed to the remaining printers in the cluster, the print processor  192  will restart the write  198  of the printer ready data of the failed portion of the print task to the printer ports associated with the printers to which the failed portions of the print task were redistributed and notify the user. 
   In a non-limiting example of this type of print task redistribution and error recovery, a user may select a group of printers  210 ,  212  and  214 . The print processor  192  will write the print task to the ports  204 ,  206  and  208  associated with the selected printers  210 ,  212  and  214  until an error occurs. If an error occurs, a failure message  202  may be sent to the print processor  192 . When a failure message  202  is received, the print processor  192  may abort the print task directed to the failed device and recheck  196  the status of printers in connection with the print processor  192 . If other printers are available, the failed task may be redirected to those other printers, however, in this example, no other printers are available, therefore, the failed print task is redirected to printers  212  and  214  in the original group which may or may not have completed the other portions of the original print task. The failed print task is reconfigured for printing on two printers and redistributed. This is achieved by restarting the write  198  to the new printer selection. The restarted write  198  redirects the print task to the ports  206  and  208  associated with the available or busy printers  212  and  214 .