Lan-attached Printer - Spoolfile remaines PND
Joerg Tessmer
I have created a device description as followed :
device class *lan
device type 3812
device modell 1
lan attachment *ip
...
system driver prg *hppjldrv
...
activation timer 170 (standard)
inactivity timer *sec15 (standard)
-> The problem is, that over night, when the printer is switched off some
jobs send spoolfiles to it.
After some time the printer ends abnomally with the message :
"An open request was sent to the remote device, but that device did not
respond before the open time-out expired ..."
-> when the printer is started the next day, the spoolfile, which is still
PND can't be printed anymore.
Has anyone experienced this problem, and found a solution.
Thanks for any answer.
Koen Van Hulle
I had the same problem and the solutions is simple : Don't switch off the
printer. We use printers that have a power save option.
Regards.
Joerg Tessmer wrote in message <7n1k83$tbk$1...@news00.btx.dtag.de>...
Rodney Johnson
I assume that when you say the "printer ends abnormally" that you REALLY mean
that the printer writer JOB ends abnormally. If the printer writer is going
to START processing a spooled file, it should just go into message wait until
the printer is brought back on-line (ie turned on). If the printer writer is
in the MIDDLE of processing a spooled file, then the writer will end
abnormally. Remember, LAN attach printers are NOT TWINAX, therefore
NOT DEDICATED. The AS/400 cannot assume that it can auto-magically start
printing the spooled file where it left off when the printer was shut off.
Another printer writer job may have printed a spooled file prior to sending
the rest of the spooled file. Thus, a printout could have another print out
in the middle of it. Therefore, we END the writer abnormally when we are in
the middle of printing/processing a spooled file and we lose communciations
with the printer.
Make sure that there are NO files actively being SENT to the printer before
powering down the printer device.
Joerg Tessmer wrote:
> We have a PJL-Printer connected to the AS/400 by a LAN (TCP/IP).
> I have created a device description as followed :
>
> device class *lan
> device type 3812
> device modell 1
> lan attachment *ip
> ...
> system driver prg *hppjldrv
> ...
> activation timer 170 (standard)
> inactivity timer *sec15 (standard)
>
> -> The problem is, that over night, when the printer is switched off some
> jobs send spoolfiles to it.
> After some time the printer ends abnomally with the message :
> "An open request was sent to the remote device, but that device did not
> respond before the open time-out expired ..."
> -> when the printer is started the next day, the spoolfile, which is still
> PND can't be printed anymore.
>
> Has anyone experienced this problem, and found a solution.
> Thanks for any answer.
--
Rodney A Johnson
Technical Team Lead for AS/400 Spool
Dept GJC
IBM Rochester, Minnesota
The contents of this message express only the sender's opinion.
This message does not necessarily reflect the policy or views of
my employer, IBM. All responsibility for the statements
made in this Usenet posting resides solely and completely with the
sender.
Joerg Tessmer
My problem is, that I would like to make this the future connection for all
our AS/400-printers (at the moment twinax), so I can't afford any
work-around.
The printer I have the problem with, is the first one I tried this.
In this case I had to make it this way because (maybe important information)
it is not really in our LAN, but in another LAN which is connected over WAN.
I don't think that makes any difference, because if it was in the LAN and
switched off at night it would also not be available.
Does anyone know which timeout the message I mentioned is talking about, and
if I can change this timeout ?
Rodney Johnson schrieb in Nachricht <37947F03...@rchland.ibm.com>...
>What is the PRTERRMSG parameter set to (*INFO or *INQ...default)? -> it is
*INQ
>I assume that when you say the "printer ends abnormally" that you REALLY
mean
>that the printer writer JOB ends abnormally. -> Yes, that's it
If the printer writer is going
>to START processing a spooled file, it should just go into message wait
until
>the printer is brought back on-line (ie turned on). If the printer writer
is
>in the MIDDLE of processing a spooled file, then the writer will end
>abnormally. Remember, LAN attach printers are NOT TWINAX, therefore
>NOT DEDICATED. The AS/400 cannot assume that it can auto-magically start
>printing the spooled file where it left off when the printer was shut off.
>Another printer writer job may have printed a spooled file prior to sending
>the rest of the spooled file. Thus, a printout could have another print
out
>in the middle of it. Therefore, we END the writer abnormally when we are
in
>the middle of printing/processing a spooled file and we lose communciations
>with the printer.
>
>Make sure that there are NO files actively being SENT to the printer before
>powering down the printer device.
-> The spoolfiles are really sent, when the printer was switched off hours
ago.
Rodney Johnson
off the printer, but you have a external printer server box between the OS/400
writer and the actual printer, then you may have a printer server hardware
problem. Or writer will not send data to a "LAN printer" unless it can make a
connection. If the printer has an internal printer server, then once the
printer is powered off, there is NO WAY that the writer could send the files.
However, if the printer is attached to an EXTERNAL printer server, and the
external printer server is NOT powered off (only the printer), then we would be
able to send the spooled files (assuming the external printer server accepts a
connect request). How that external printer server box responds, depends upon
what will happen. A TCP/IP communications trace will be needed in order to
find out what is going on between the OS/400 writer and the external printer
server box.
Thomas Hauber
possibly two timeout value in the printer hardware setting that you have
to change.
1) Idle Timeout - set to 3600 seconds or 0 if allowed
2) Processor Timeout (or job timeout or wait timeout) - should be
disabled (if possible) or set to its max value
To reset a spool file that has become stuck at PND status:
1) End the writer
2) Vary the printer off
3) Call QSPFIXUP (IBM program)
4) Vary the printer on
5) Start the writer
Joerg Tessmer wrote:
>
> We have a PJL-Printer connected to the AS/400 by a LAN (TCP/IP).
> I have created a device description as followed :
>
> device class *lan
> device type 3812
> device modell 1
> lan attachment *ip
> ...
> system driver prg *hppjldrv
> ...
> activation timer 170 (standard)
> inactivity timer *sec15 (standard)
>
> -> The problem is, that over night, when the printer is switched off some
> jobs send spoolfiles to it.
> After some time the printer ends abnomally with the message :
> "An open request was sent to the remote device, but that device did not
> respond before the open time-out expired ..."
> -> when the printer is started the next day, the spoolfile, which is still
> PND can't be printed anymore.
>
> Has anyone experienced this problem, and found a solution.
> Thanks for any answer.
--
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Joerg Tessmer
SB-4e, which is an internal Ethernet Interface.
-> So, of course, if the Printer is off, the Interface is also off.
I am not sure, what you mean with "no way that the writer could send the
files". Can I somehow tell the AS/400, that if it doesn't find the printer
just to end the writer normaly ?
Rodney Johnson schrieb in Nachricht <3795CF9F...@rchland.ibm.com>...
Rodney Johnson
to the printer, it must be able to establish a connection. The network
interface would have to have power in order to accept a connection and receive
the spooled file.
No there is not an option to have the writer end normally if a connection
cannot be made. The OS/400 printer writer should not end if the printer was
shut off between files. However, if the printer writer has started processing
a spooled file, and the printer is powered off, then the printer writer will
end abnormally. It is not practical to have LAN attach printers work like the
old twin-ax interface because of the sharing capablilities of a LAN attach
printer. You need to refrain from powering off the printer when printer
writers are sending files to the printer. Determining when the printer writer
is communicating with the printer can be rather difficult because of how most
network interface cards and boxes work. A lot of times, the printer writer has
the whole spooled file sent before the printer even starts printing the first
page (especially with small spooled files).
The HP PJL driver uses the USTAT PJL command to determine when a spooled file
has been printed. Unfortunately, that usually translates to when the network
card has successfully received all of the spooled file data (usually this type
of response is called "early print complete"). Therefore, just looking to see
if the printer is actually printing isn't a good enough sign indicating that
the printer writer is actively communicating with the printer.
A lot of the new printers now have a power-save mode. I would suggest that if
your printers have this capability, to nolonger power off your printers.
Joerg Tessmer wrote:
--
Joerg Tessmer
And please excuse a (maybe) stupid question, but where are these parameters
to be set ?
It could also be possible, that I can't set these parameters because my
printer is afp(*no) !?!
Thomas Hauber schrieb in Nachricht <3795E8DC...@iname.com>...
Rodney Johnson
server network interface card. Sometimes these values can be set via the
printers menus. Sometimes these values have to be set by telneting to the
printer (network interface card). These recommended settings are a good idea,
but not sure what good they are going to do if the printer is powered off at
the time the writer attempts to send the spooled files.
There are some other settings that should be checked/set. I've posted these
many times before, but I'll post again. I don't think any of these settings
will address your particular problem, but are still a good idea to
implement/set.
1. On the printer set the Idle Timeout to 3600 secs (or 0 (if allowed) to
disable) or some other value dependent on step 5 below.
The reason for this is so that the printer will not terminate the connection
with the AS/400.
A timeout from the printer will result in a terminating error and the file
will be set to HLD or RDY (if a file is printing); and the writer will end.
The equivalent timer for the Lexmark print servers is the End of Job Timeout.
It should be set to 0 (disabled).
The equivalent timer for the IBM network printers is the Port Timeout. I
believe it's maximum value is 300, and cannot be disabled.
2. On the printer, the processor timer (called job timeout or wait timeout)
should be disabled or set to maximum (usually 300 secs) since individual pages
may have a delay in transmitting to the printer due to transforming
considerations.
3. The recommended setting for Inactivity Timer should be set at some value
other than *NOMAX so that the
connection will be closed during periods of no activity.
4. The activation timer should be set to a value large enough to prevent
posting of intervention errors due to TCP/IP transmission delays and printer
processing delays. The default setting of 170 secs is usually large enough to
accomplish this unless you send large files to a printer with a slow processor
that has a lot of memory. Increasing the activation time will prevent unwanted
intervention errors but that time will have to pass before you will get an
desired intervention error. Note that intervention errors do not stop the
print process. If the Printer Error Message parameter in the Device
Description for the writer was set to *INQ, then the intervention will require
an operator input to retry or to cancel the writer. If the parameter was set
to *INFO, then the driver will continue to retry until the connection has been
established or the TCP/IP has closed the socket or, in the case of a slow
printer processor, the proper response is obtained which is either the printer
is online or that the printer has received all the data. If the connection was
eventually successful the intervention message will be attempted to be removed
from the message queue, and process will continue.
5. When the Idle Timeout on the printer (step 1 above) is set to some value
(hopefully large), the printer will close the socket if the printer hasn't
processed any communication from the host within the Idle Timeout limit. This
can happen if the printer has a large buffer, and it is filled with data to
print. To prevent this from happening, the TCP/IP Keep-Alive value on the
AS/400 (via the CHGTCPA command) should be set to a value less than the printer
Idle Timeout value. This will cause a poll to be sent to the printer before
the printer times out. We want this value to be as large as possible to
prevent unnecessary network traffic. The recommend value if step 1 is done
(the 3600 secs), is 50 minutes.
Joerg Tessmer wrote:
--
Joerg Tessmer
it seems I have to live with little problems.
As all our printers have a power save function it might be best solution not
to power off the printers any more.
But I would be much happier, if the system would recognize if it can use a
printer or not.
Therefore I will place another question in this newsgroup, to ask for
experiences with other ways of printing on lan printers.
Best regards
Joerg Tessmer
Rodney Johnson schrieb in Nachricht <3798650E...@rchland.ibm.com>...
Rodney Johnson
writer should end immediately with an abnormal return code if the printer is
turned off while the writer it trying to process the spooled file.
The writer should not leave the spooled file in PND status. That is a BUG.
Have you made sure you have the LATEST PTFs for program QWPPJLDR in library
QSYS? How much control do you have over the powering off of the printer? Is
it possible to get those who power off the printer to check the writer to see
if it is handling a spooled file (before they shut the printer off)? What
about having the writers ended before powering off the printer?
Joerg Tessmer
please excuse my late answer, but I was out of the office since wednesday.
The control over those, turning off the printers, is exactly the problem,
which causes me to either tell everybody to leave their printers on or to
hope for a solution, where the AS/400 can handle printers, which are off.
The same with ending the writer before switching off the printer. I don't
think, this is practical.
The other thing, with switching off the printer while it is processing a
spool, I don't consider to become a big problem in our environment.
We have several PTF's installed on our V3R7, but I don't know if one of
these has updated the program QWPPJLDR (maybe a lack of knowledge). Do you
know the PTF-number, which has to be installed ?
Thanks for all the help
Joerg
Rodney Johnson schrieb in Nachricht <379DB03D...@rchland.ibm.com>...