SPOOL Process
It’s the only process which is used to print documents.
Dialog and background process initiates the spool request.
Structure
The
figure below shows the individual components of the print architecture that are
required to print from the SAP System:
The
individual components interact as follows:
...
1. After the user triggers the print process, the
print requests are sent to the spool server, which contains the dialog and
spool work processes required for the processing.
2. A dialog work process (D-WP) of the spool
server forwards the spool data to the spool database for temporary storage.
3. When the data is explicitly sent to an output
device, an output request is generated from the spool request. This is
forwarded to the spool work process (S-WP).
4. The spool work process formats the output
request data.
This
converts an internal data stream of the SAP Systems to a data stream that the
output device understands.
5. After formatting, the spool work process
forwards the print request to the host spool system (operating system spooler).
The host spool system has the following tasks:
Wait
queue management
Transferring
the data to the output device
Depending
on the situation of the host spool system, one of the following print types is
used:
1.
Local: The print requests are forwarded to the printer through a local
network. The host spool system and the spool work process are on the same host.
It
is irrelevant whether the output device is directly connected to the server, or
whether it is defined using a remote print server.
2.
Remote: The print requests are forwarded from the spool work process to
the printer through a remote network. The host spool system is on a different
host to the spool work process. This remote host is called the target host.
The figure below shows how a document is formatted for
printing.
While other spool systems have only
print requests that go directly to the printer, the SAP spool system
differentiates between spool requests and output requests. The print process in
the SAP spool system therefore consists of two steps:
...
1. When you have released a document for
printing; that is, you have chosen a print option, a spool request is first
created. The system differentiates between following print data during the
creation of the spool request and stores the data in different places:
-
Spool request data
This
is the administrative information for the request, such as created on, created
by, and the output device. This data is stored in the SAP spool
database.
-
Spool Data
This
is the data that is to be printed; that is, the content of the document to be
printed. This data is stored in a special data store for temporary sequential
data (TemSe).
2. Only once the document is sent to the output
device is the administrative data and the data to be printed combined, and an
output request is generated.
To
do this, the system converts the device-independent print data in the spool
request into the appropriate printer language understood by the output device (
By
differentiating between spool requests and output requests, print data can be
temporarily stored, without an output being required. This gives you the
following options:
·
Print immediately (Spool and output requests are both created immediately)
·
Create a spool request first, and only print this later
Spool
and Output Requests
Definition
The
SAP System differentiates between two types of request when printing:
Spool request
Output request
A
spool request is a document for which a print function has been
selected. However, it has not yet been output on a printer or another device.
The output data for the print document are stored in a partly formatted form in
the TemSe Data Store, until an output request is created for it, that is, until
it is sent to a particular output device.
The
spool system uses a spool request to store the print data temporarily in TemSe
and to be able to access it. The data is stored in a temporary format. You can
also display the print document.
The
system automatically assigns a 10 digit ID number to a spool request.
From
the point of view of the SAP spool system, an output request is
outputting the print data of a spool request on a particular output device.
Multiple
output requests may exist for a single spool request. Each represents an
instance of the output of the same spool request. Each of these output requests
may have different attributes, such as the target printer, number of copies and
so on.
By
differentiating between spool request and output requests, the spool system
provides way of storing the data temporarily.
You
an administer spool requests and output requests using the Output Controller
(Transaction SP01).
Spool request
workflow:
User initiates a print request using either dialog process
or background process.
-
The spool requests are created and stored in TEMSE
-
TEMSE Stands for Temporary Sequential Object which as
stored either at O.S Level or D/B level which is determined by parameter
rspo/store_location
-
If it is G then it is stored at System Global directory
/usr/sap/sid/SYS/global
-
IF it is database it is stored in the table TST03 &
TST
You
have the following options to define a storage location for spool requests:
Using the profile parameter rspo/store_location; where
you can specify file system (parameter value G)
or table TST03 (parameter value db)
In the device definition of an output device (Edit ® File Storage)
(OUTPUT DEVICE) SPAD ® Output Devices ® Change ® Output device ® Create/Create
using template
Advantage of TEMSA at File System
It is easily accessible
Disadvantage:
-
When the spool size increases, managing the spool will
be difficult bcoz (no indexing at file level.
-
Files will (may) be corrupted
-
File system is not part of regular backup in case of
crashes entire spool data will be lost.
Advantage of TEMSE at DB
-
Data in D/B is organized and can be accessed with
indexes.
-
It is part of regular backup
-
Permissions can be setup
Disadvantages
- Slower when
compared to OS level
Spool process reads the temse and crates OUTPUT request.
Define the printer
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
E.g.. LP (Line Printer), BC (Bar Code), CR Colour Printer,
CP Check Printer)
Short Name: LP01
Specify the Short name.
Go to device attribute
Device Type
Device types specify the type of printer, model of the
printer, name and make.
Device types are by default provided by SAP. If device type
does not exist, write to SAP they will send a device type in terms of
transport.
Go to SPAD\ Utilities\ Device Type\ Import the Object
SPECIFY THE SPOOL SERVER
The server with atleast one spool process is referred as
real spool server.
Logical Spool Server : These are assigned logically.
- Advantage
: Used during overload (load balance type of thing)
- Can
also be used as fail over server
Creation of spool Server
Go to SPAD \ Spool Server (2nd Option)
Click on Create spool server
Specify the server name (Lgoical_spool_server)
Specify the server class (Mass printing, desktop printing,
Production printing)
Device Class
To specify whether it is a fax or standard printer, programming
(archiving), Telex,
REMOTE ACCESS METHODS (RAM)
If the spool process and the OS System spooler does not
reside on the same machine then it uses remote access method.
IF the spool process communicates with remote spooler to
create a output request then RAM is used.
SPOOL Monitoring
Go to SP01 \ Spool request can be displayed based on request
no, Userid, client, date and time.
Spool request has the following status:
-
Not yet sent to the host system ( no output request )
-
Spool is generated (Stored in spool request)
-
Waiting for the spool process to process the spool
request.
-
IN process: The spool process is in the process of
formatting the output for printing.
-
Printing: The host spool process printing the output
request.
-
Status can be to completed statues or error.
-
Error: Indicate a error, such as network error.
PROBLEMS:
- Device type is not matched.
-
Device drivers are corrupted.
-
Network error
-
Print Server disconnected
-
Cartridge problem
-
Out of paper
SPOOL REOGRANISATION
GO to SPAD\ Go to Admin\ Select delete old spool request\ or
schedule report RSP….41 to delete the old request.
Access
Methods
Use
To
be able to address an output device from the SAP System in which you are
working, you must configure the output device in this SAP System using a
device
definition.
When
you configure the output device in a device definition, you specify the access
method with which the output device is connected to the SAP System, such as
whether you are using local or remote printing. The access method is identified
by a letter and informs the system which architecture is in use and which
operating system you are using.
The
access method is specified during the definition of output devices in the SAP
System so that the system knows how it should transfer the spool work process
data for this output device to the host spool system.
There
are the following access methods:
Access
Method
|
Use
|
C
|
Local
printing from a Microsoft Windows NT or Microsoft Windows 2000 system or from
AS/400 and OS/390.
The
spool work process of the SAP System and the host spool system (operating
system spooler) are on the same host.
|
L
|
Local
printing from a UNIX system
The
spool work process of the SAP System and the host spool system (operating
system spooler) are on the same host.
|
S
|
Printing
using a remote Microsoft Windows PC with the SAPlpd transfer program. The
spool work process of the SAP System and SAPlpd are on different hosts.
The
spool work process transfers the output data to the SAP transfer process
(SAPlpd) in the remote PC.
|
U
|
Printing
using a remote UNIX server or Microsoft Windows PC (with or without use of
SAPlpd), where the spool work process of the SAP System and the host spool
system (operating system spooler) are on different hosts.
The
spool work process transfers the output data to the host spooler in the
remote system using the Berkeley
protocol (BSD).
|
F
|
Printing
on a frontend printer
Output
requests are printed locally at the user’s PC.
|
E
|
Printing
using an external output management system
The
printer is connected to an external output management system.
|
P
|
Printing
using a device pool
|
I
|
Archiver
The
device is an archiving device for SAP Archivelink.
|
M
|
Printing
using e-mail
|
