SPOOL Administration

It is used to output the document to a printer, fax, email and SMS etc.
It is only the process which is used to display the documents before they get printed.
Once a spool request is generated in the system, It can be printed to any printer with n no of copies, at any time.
Where as normal printing, the document will not be available once it is printed.
We can change the output format at any time.

Spool work flow:

A dialog user or a background process initializes a print request.
The print requests are stored in a location which is determined by a parameter ‘RSPO/Store_location = G/DB’.
G- Global directory at OS level
DB- In database tables.

This location is referred as “Temse”( Temporary Sequential File).
Temse is stored in Global directory when it is referred as ‘G’. It is stored in database tables TST01 ; TST03. If it is referred as ‘DB’ .

By default the value is ‘DB’.

G: (Global Directory on Application Server):

1. If G is specified it is stored at OS level
2. The printing will be faster if there are less no of documents. Because from file system to spooler

The communication faster than database to host spooler

Disadvantages:

1.A dedicated backup has to be planned to save the contents of Global directory.
2. When the records are more the printing consumes more time because of ‘Lack of indexes’ at file system.

Advantages:

1. No special attention is required to backup the spool requests.
2. RDBMS rules are inherited to spool requests, because they are in the Database.

‘Temse’ stores spool requests

Spool process gets initiated and reads the contents from ‘TST01’ name of the Author, no of copies name of the printer and spool data from ‘TST03’. And converts spool requests into “Output Requests’ (Printer specific requests).

The communication between the spool process & Host spooler depends upon the type of “Access Method”.

1. Local Access Method: The spooler process and the host spooler resides on the same server, then LAM is used.
On UNIX- OS Access Method ‘L’ is used (SAPLPD)

(To print the spool requests ------à # lpstat (Queue Name))

On windows Local Access Method ‘C’ is used.

It is direct OS called method.

Note: The printer can be connected to directly or we can send request too print server.


2. Remote Access Method : The ‘Spool Process’ &’Host Spooler’ request on different machines

On UNIX machines Remote Access Method ‘U’ is used It is derived from UNIX Berkley Protocol.
On windows SAP proprietary protocol type ‘S’ is used.

3. Front end printing:

The spool process is dedicated to the user requests and it will not be freed until the process finishes the task.

The spool process are configured by parameter ‘RDISP/WP_NO_SPO’
Depending on the resources as many no of spool processes can be configured.

In order to avoid spool congestion configure front end printing process to either 2 or 3 i.e. at any given point of time 2 or 3 work process can go into front end mode.

Goto SPAD to define printer.

Click on ‘Output Device’------à Create -------à

Specify the name of the output device. Ensure that the naming conversation are followed to define the name of the printer.

Provide a short name

Specify the device type (i.e. serial no & manufacturer of the printer)

If the device types are not available, communicates with SAP or the vendor, get the device types and import it to SAP system.

Goto SPAD ------à Utilites-------àdevice types ---à Import

We can also import ‘Character sets’.

Specify the spool server

Spool Servers: The application Server which is configured with at least one spool process is called as spool server.


Spool servers can be logical or real

Goto SPAD -----à click on spool servers--àclick on change(F8)---------à Create

We can create our own spool servers.

Logical Spool Serever:

Define the logical spool server and assign it to a real spool server

In order to select Logical Server
Select [ ] Logical Server ------àspecify mapping real server alternate server

Also [ ] Allow load balancing.

Device Class : Specify whether it is a printer , Archiving , fax etc…
Authorization Group: For securing the printer
Specify Model, Location & Message

Access Method : Specify the Access Method specify the host name

[ ] Do not query host spooler for output status.

Output Attributes: Specify

Tray info:

“RDISP/WP_NO_SPO_PRO_Max” to limit the users for front end printer.

Spool Monitoring: Spool requests are monitored in transaction SP01

Go to SP01 to display ‘Spool requests’ and ‘Output requests’ specify the ‘Spool request ‘ number or user id, Date & Time, Output device to display the Spool requests.

The spool request has the following statuses:

‘-‘ : The request is not sent to the host system (output request does not exist)
‘+’ : Spool request is generated and stored in “Temse’.
‘Waiting’ : The spool request is waiting to be processed by a spool process.
‘in process’ :Te spool work process is processing the spool request into output request for printing.
‘Printing’ :Te host spool is printing the request. If the RS system does not receive any status from the host spool, the status is dispatched for one minute and shifts the status to ‘Completed’

Note: There are instances where the printing is continued and the status is set to “Completed”. This is due to the option set “[ ] Do not query host spooler for status”

‘Completed’: Generally the completed status donates that output request completed successfully, because the ‘spool system’ communicates with ‘Host Spool’ and if it doesn’t receive any status update within one minute , the status is set to “ Completed”

‘Problem’ : The output request is printed with minor error (Page Format, Margins).

‘Error’ : Indicates an error that the ‘Host Spool’ system is not reachable can a network error.

‘Archive’ : The request is waiting to be archived. Archived requests will be stored in external devices and are available to print at any time SARI & SARA.

Transaction SPIC is used to check the consistency of Spool Mechanism

Go to SP12 for “Temse” administration

It is used to identity the size based on users and applications in the “Temse”