SAP BASIS Spool Process

SAP BASIS SPOOL PROCESS :

Spool Work process:

This is used to print the documents, user cannot access this process directly, user uses dialog process or background process to print the documents. The data which to be printed will be stored in Temse (Temporary sequential objects) either OS level or DB level .Spool process look into Tempse and print the documents.

 

Which is determined by parameter rspo/store_location= db/g

If it is G (Global ) it is tored in sys global directory Usr/sap/sid/sys/Global

If it is database , it is stored in the table TST01 & TSTC

Advantage of TEMSE at G file System :

It is easily accessable.

Disadvantages :

1. when the spool size is increases , managing the spool will difficult ( no indexing at file system level )
2. File system will (may ) be corrupted
3. file system is a not a part of regular backup in case of crashes entire spool data will be lost

Advantages of Tempse store at D/B :

1. Data in the d/b is organized and can be accessed with indexs
2. It is part of a regular backup.
3. Permissions can be setup.

Disadvantages :

Slower , when compared to OS level.

Note :

Spool process reads the temse and creats output request and output request can be a printer specifit request.

Defining the printers

Go to SPAD

Click on output device to define a printer

Click on change

Click on create

Specify the output device name

Output device name should follow the naming convention

Ex : LP ( Line Printer ) , BC ( Bar Code ) , CR ( Colour Printer ) , CP( Check Printer )

Ex : O/P Device :   CP_12_RW_HR , CP_12_LW_FI

       Short Name :   BC01 , CP01

Go to device attributes

Device types

Device types specifies the type of printer , model of the printer , name & Make

Device types are by default provided by SAP

If the device type does not exist , write to SAP they will send a device type interms of a transport.

Go to SPAD – Utilities – Device types – Import the object 

Specify Apool Server :

Real Spool Server :

The server with atleast one spool process is refered as real spool server .

Logical Spool Server :

These are assigned to a logical spool server or a real spool server .

• The advantages of the logical spool servers are

Used during overload ( Load Balance )

It is also used as a fail over server

Creation of Spool Server :

Go to SPAD

Spool Servers ( 2^nd option )

Click on create spool servers

Specify the server name ( logical – spool – server )

Specify the server class ( Mass Printing , Desktop Printing , Production Printing )

Check the logical server to define a logical server

By defining logical server we need to define maping server or alternate server .

Note :

Logical spool server identify the least loaded server and send the request to that printer or fail over.

Device Class :

To specify whether it is a fax or standard printer , programming (archiving)  , telex, device spool

Authorization Group :

To specify the authorization ( restrict to check printing , bar code )

Specify the model , location and message ( please print or not )

Acces Method :

Access method specifies to access the printer.

Spool process reads the Temse , identifies the name of the author , no of copies and data to be printed to create an output request.

If the output request and prints the spooler and resides on the same machine. It is called as Local Access Method.

On Unix environments Local Access Method  L is used.

On windows Local Access Method C is used , which communicates with operating system spooler generates printers specif request.

The printer can be connected to the host system spooler either Locally or Remotely.

Remote Access Methods :- ( RAM )

If the spool sprocess and OS system spooler does not reside on the same machine , then it is uses remote access method.

If the spool process communicates with remote spooler to create a output request then RAM is used.

On unix remote access method U is used  , It is based on Unix Berkley Protocal.

On windows protocol remote access method S is used , S is a SAP Properitary Protocal .

Front End Printing :-

The printers are connected to endusers desktop , the spool process is dedicated to end user till he completes the printing. So minimize the usage of front end printing , the spoll process goes to the user desktop.

Note :- Spool server is dedicated to print the documents .

Go to Access Method

Select whether it is local or remote

Specify wheter it is local or remo or front end

( If it is remote , we need to specify the remot host name )

Host Printer :-

Specifyt he name of the printer in the print management.

If the transfer program SAPLPD is used , it can specify default.

Check the box do not query host spooler for output status.

Note :-

If this box is checked , spool process will not query the status of the process. Spool process waits for one miniute and set the status to complete irrespective of the original status.

Output Attributes :-

            Check SAP Coverpage

            Check SAP Coverage Language

            Host Spool Coverpage

Tray Information :-

Defiene the page formate for each of the trays and save the printer

Spool Monitering :-

Go to SP01

Spool request can be displayed based on request no , user id , client , o/p device , date and time

Spool request displays the spool no , data and time , status , no of pages and title.

Spool Requests has the following Status :-

1. – Not yet sent to the host system ( no output request exists )
2. + Spool is generated  ( stored in spool request )
3. Waiting for the spool process to process the spool request
4. Inprocess :- the spool process is in the process of formatting the output request for printing.
5. Printing :- The host spoo is in printing the output in R/3 spool system doesn’t receive any information for 60 sec , the system sets the status to completed/error.
6. Completed :- The ouput request is printed successfully sometimes this misleads , because after 60 sec the status printing will be changed to status complete.
7. Problem :- Indicates a minor problem                                                                                                                

Ex:- Incompleted character set or problem at the printer

           

8. Error :-Indicates a serial error such as network error , this request will be                        

only deleted after the re-organisation.

Host Spool Problems :-

1. Device type is not matched .
2. Device drivers are corrupted
3. Network error
4. Print server is disconnected
5. Paper jam
6. Catridge problem
7. out of paper.
8. printer is not healthy or down

Spool Re-Organization :-

Go to SPAD

Go to Administration

Selecte delete old spool request.

Or schedule a report RSP01041 , RSP00041  to delete the old spool requests.

Check the consistency of the spool mechanism

By selecting consistency check of spool database or scheduling RSP00043 in the background.

Note :- The spool database can host upto 32000 but we can increase upto 99000