In the beginning of the digital age, computers were expected to do everything. The processing capabilities, however, were limited… both in terms of computing power and in the scope of problems that they were meant to solve. 

Over the years, though, computers got bigger and stronger. Unfortunately, so did the problems they were meant to solve.

Computers needed a way to distribute the burden, to share processing power and memory, helping minimize the amount of time to complete a task. But not all computers were built the same. Most differed with regard to hardware, operating system, and sometimes even the network infrastructure utilized. Because of these differences, computers needed a structured form of inter-process communication (IPC). In short, they needed a standard.

One form of that standard is an API (Application Programmable Interface). APIs always come with a standard definition for their purpose, as do most computing terms. However, the term ‘API’ can represent a wide umbrella of various technologies and applications. These may all utilize APIs but do so in varyingly different ways and forms.

One of the main questions when thinking of APIs (or any other IPC) is: who defines the standard? Is it the application? Or the hardware manufacturer? Or a trusted group of international peers? In many cases, the answer is “all the above.”

More on that in a bit.

At LRS, we are a software company, so we build our own APIs. These APIs allow 3^rd party solutions to interface with LRS software, enabling advanced capabilities such as job status feedback, remote server/printer configuration, detailed monitoring, and print job submission.

While LRS APIs do offer a standardized way to work with LRS software, they also conform to several software standards set by other organizations, helping to enable agnostic printing across all printer models or server infrastructures. For example, LRS print servers (including the API requests) deliver print output using the IPP standard.

Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) is a communication standard that was created in the late 1990s to address multiple companies’ desire to establish an international standard for printing. Today, the IPP printing standard is widely adopted and compatible with 98% of all current printer models. Thanks to the IPP standard, LRS does not have to worry about customizing our software to the features of specific print hardware. Instead, we can leverage the IPP standard to work with all printers under one simplified protocol.

But that’s just the printing piece.

There are many different LRS print server functions that all have their own integration strategies and considerations.

Let’s expand our scope to all communications between a printer and a server. LRS has also developed the Java Print Submission and Control API to support communication standards with Java-based devices. This API supports several functions such as status/resource update, remote configuration, and remote job submission.

The design of this API helps us more easily integrate with devices that rely on Java based SDKs. However, LRS also creates its APIs to help other organizations conform to LRS standards, such as utilizing IPP through the print submission within the LRS Java API.

Another example of API integration is LRS’ certified interface with the SAP application environment. LRS Solution Architects worked closely with representatives of SAP in Germany to develop a solution that would best accommodate SAP’s software standards, while also enforcing best practices set by LRS and others in the printing community. While our VPSX/OutputManager Cloud solution does utilize IPP job submission, it also utilizes the RESTful standard of communication.

Not only is VPSX/OutputManager Cloud an example of a RESTful interface, but the LRS/Gateway component is RESTful as well, managing authentication and authorization tokens.

RESTful APIs came about as a way to standardize communication over the internet. Obviously, the protocol supports conformity, but it is also widely used for its simplicity, scalability, and flexibility. Thus, LRS developers created solutions that operate RESTfully to enable the same simplicity, flexibility, and scalability within our own software. This delivers benefits to our customers and enables secure printing over WANs and other networks.

I hope this article has given you some additional insight into the world of APIs and IPCs. If you have any general questions about APIs or specific interfaces, feel free to Contact Us any time.

For reference, here is a list of LRS APIs and integration certifications for our open systems offerings. These are in addition to numerous integrations available for our IBM Z (mainframe) offerings, developed over more than four decades of industry experience.