SAP Printing Guide
SAP Printing Guide
SAP Printing Guide
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51ea11d189570000e829fbbd/frameset.htm
SAP Printing Guide (BC-CCM-PRN)
Implementation Considerations
The SAP Printing Guide describes the functions of the SAP Spool System. This system was designed
to be used on various platforms. SAP provides its own spool service and a spool database so that
users do not have to deal with operating system-specific issues.
The platform-independent SAP spool system is responsible for the output of forms and documents.
The data to be printed is first temporarily stored (spooled), then formatted, and finally transferred to
a host spool system to be output. You can control all of your output from the SAP system and do not
need to arrange further processing in the host spool system.
The following are among the main tasks of the SAP spool system:
Processing and managing print requests
Administering output devices
Technical mapping of the output devices in the SAP system
Features
Among other things, the SAP Printing Guide describes the following:
Print Process in General
An introduction for users and administrators, in which the print process from document to
printout is explained in general.
The focus of the introductory sections is the Output Controller (transaction SP01), which can be
used by both administrators and users to manage print requests.
Spool Access Authorizations
This section and its subsections describe the access authorizations required specifically for the
spool system.
Possible Print Architectures and Print Methods
The various print architectures are described in this section and its subsections, that is, the
different constellations of hardware and software components with the corresponding access
methods: Each architecture also requires a specific print method, such as:
1. Local printing: The spool server (application server with a spool work process) and host
spool system (operating system spooler) are on the same host.
2. Remote printing: The spool server and the host spool system are on different hosts.
3. Frontend printing: Print data are to be printed on the default printer of the users PC.
4. Printing using SAP GUI for HTML
Output Devices in the SAP Spool System
Output devices must be defined in the SAP system so that they can be addressed from the
SAP system.
You do this using device definitions with which the devices are managed in the SAP system.
This link takes you to a description of these device definitions and their printer settings.
Spool Server
This section explains what a spool server is, how you define it, and what using logical servers
and alternative servers involves.
Device Types for SAP Output Devices
Device types are explained in this section. A device type in the SAP system is the category of
printer to be addressed. The information in the device type, such as font selection, page size,
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and character set selection is used to convert a document from the internal SAP format to a
device-specific, printable data stream.
Connecting to an External Output Management System (OMS)
This section explains how you can connect the SAP spool system to an external Output
Management System.
Maintaining the Spool Database
This link takes you to a section explaining how you maintain your spool database to ensure
optimal performance.
TemSe Database Storage
This section and its subsections explain what TemSe is and how you can manage TemSe
objects.
Analyzing Printing Problems
This link takes you to examples that will provide you with support in identifying and correcting
errors
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.
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).
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Output Control of Spool Requests and Output Requests
Purpose
Every user can manage his or her own spool and output requests in the Output Controller. Call the
output controller using transaction SP01 (Tools CCMS Spool Output Controller) or in the
system by choosing System Services Output Controller.
Features
Check the status of your own current spool requests. To do this, choose System Own Spool
Requests.
Specify selection criteria for displaying spool and output requests. A list of spool or output
requests then appears that match these criteria.
Output spool requests; that is, the system generates output requests that are sent to the host
spooler, for printing or output on other devices.
Display detailed data about a spool or output request and change certain attributes such as
destination printer and the number of copies
Display the data to be printed and download it as an ASCII file.
Add spool requests to another spool request.
Delete requests.
Constraints
Requests that have already been passed by the SAP spool system to the host spool
system (operating system spooler) cannot normally be deleted.
The only exception is the use of output management systems that offer this feature
On the initial screen of the Output Controller (transaction SP01), you can specify selection criteria on
the Spool Requests and Output Requests tab pages for displaying spool or output requests.
In the screenshot below, the user is searching in system BCE, client 200 for spool requests with the
creation date 09.12.2002.
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Choose Execute to display an overview of the spool or output requests that match the selection
criteria.
Procedure
3. Select the requests by entering any combination of criteria, as shown in the figure above.
For more information, such as how to enter value ranges or exclude specific values from the
selection, see Entering Selection Criteria.
4. Choose Execute to display an overview of the spool or output requests that match the
selection criteria.
5. Optional: If you want to change the display of the selection fields that appear on the Spool
Requests and Output Requests tab pages of the initial screen of transaction SP01, choose Further
Selection Criteria.
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You can choose between the following basic settings:
Minimum
Standard
Extended
All
User-defined
If you choose User-Defined, you make your own selection.
Users with administration authorizations are offered more selection fields than users
who are only authorized to change their own requests.
Result
The List of Spool Requests or the List of Output Requests shows the requests that match your
selection criteria.
Example
You want to display all spool requests created between 01.01.2002 and 01.02.2002 for the
output device PRINTER1.
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1. On the Spool Request selection screen, enter the date range in the Date Created field and the
name of the output device in the Output Device field.
Prerequisites
This procedure refers to SAPscript/Smart Forms documents and to ABAP lists. For information about
forms that were created with the PDF-based solution integrated as of SAP Web Application Server
6.40, see the section Displaying and Printing PDF-Based Forms.
Procedure
...
1. Select the desired spool request in the Overview of Spool Requests, and choose Display
Contents.
By default, the system displays the data in a graphical format, which simulates the print output.
For technical reasons, for example, when troubleshooting, it can be necessary to display the print
data either in Raw Format (ABAP list format or OTF format for SAPscript texts) or in Hexadecimal
Format.
To set the display, choose Goto Display Requests Settings from the list of spool requests.
To avoid having an excessive effect on performance, only the first ten pages of a request are
displayed, by default.
You can set the displayed area yourself by choosing Goto Display Request Settings. In the case
of a very long document, you can also display only the last pages. The system can display a maximum
of 9,999,999 pages.
However, note that a memory overrun can occur if you set too large a display area.
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You want to export the contents of a spool request as a text file to the SAP GUI working directory or
to a directory of your choice. The content of the spool request is downloaded as plain text without,
for example, graphics, images, or specific fonts.
The following procedures are irrelevant for the PDF-based form printing integrated as of
SAP Web Application Server 6.40, since the print data can be opened and stored as a
PDF. See also Displaying and Printing PDF-Based Forms.
Procedure
Example: ABC0000004327.txt
...
2. In the case of SAPScript/Smart Forms documents, activate list display by choosing Goto.
By default, only the first 10 pages of a spool request are saved in a file. You can increase the number
of pages to be saved by choosing Goto Display Requests Settings and making the desired
entries in the Display Area group box.
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You want to export the contents of a spool request as a PDF file to a directory of your choice, and
print the file as required. The PDF file contains the print data in the format in which it would be
output by the printer.
The following procedure is irrelevant for the PDF-based form printing integrated as of
SAP Web Application Server 6.40, since a PDF file is already returned. See also
Displaying and Printing PDF-Based Forms.
Procedure
The PDF file is generated as follows with report RSTXPDFT4:
...
3. In the displayed window, enter the spool request number and the directory in which the PDF
file is to be stored.
Choose Execute.
4. In the next window, you can confirm or change the path in which the file is be stored.
5. The system displays a log from which you can see whether the report was successfully
performed.
You can then open the file from the directory and print it as required.
Constraints
The PDF conversion only supports true bar codes for Smart Forms, which were generated with
the new bar code technology. In all other cases, the bar code is only simulated.
PDF conversion, especially of ABAP lists, is slower and is therefore not suitable for mass
printing. However, you can speed up the conversion to PDF using the FASTLISTCONV option
in report RSTXPDF3.
The font selection for ABAP lists is predefined in the PDF converter and cannot be changed.
For more information about constraints, see SAP Note 323736
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You want to export the contents of a spool request to a directory of your choice as a table, or in
RTF/HTML format.
Procedure
With this method of exporting a spool request, the content of the spool request is first displayed and
you then download the screen list as a text file to the directory of your choice.
...
2. In the case of SAPScript/Smart Forms documents, activate list display by choosing Goto.
By default, only the first 10 pages of a spool request are saved in a file. You can increase the number
of pages to be saved by choosing Goto Display Requests Settings and making the desired
entries in the Display Area group box
Procedure
...
You can also select multiple spool requests to display the associated information.
Result
Output device: If possible, only divert the output to an output device that uses the same device type
as the output device for which the request was originally created.
Usually, SAPscript/Smart Form documents cannot be sent to a printer that has a different device
type
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For ABAP lists, make sure the selected format is included in the device type of the output device to
which you want to divert the output of the request.
For PDF-based forms, you must select a PostScript, PCL, or ZPL printer, since print files can currently
only be created from the PDF-based forms for these printer types. You cannot use a printer with the
device type SAPWIN/SWIN.
Delete Date: After the spool request has passed the expiration date, it is marked for deletion. The
request is deleted during the next Reorganization of the Spool Database. For more information,
see Deleting Multiple Spool Requests Simultaneously.
To retain a spool request in the database, change the date specified in the Delete date
field. You can also do this past the expiration date as long as the database has not yet
been reorganized.
Authorization: You can enter an authorization in this field for the generated spool request or
change an authorization that was entered when the spool request was created.
The value in the Authorization field must match the value in the authorization field SPOAUTH. It
is compared with the authorizations of the user that is performing operations on this request.
The user can only perform the operations with the spool request for which he or she has
authorizations, for example, a user can print lists of salaries, but cannot view them. If the user
does not have sufficient authorization, the request is not performed.
Completed, no longer possible to add to:
Field selected:
You can close a spool request before it is printed by selecting the field Completed, no longer
possible to add to. The system creates a separate spool request for subsequent requests that
would have been added to this request.
For a spool request to be added to another, you must deactivate the New Spool Request
option when creating the spool request.
If the following situations exist, you cannot add any additional requests:
1. A request is "completed" and cannot have additional jobs added to it when it has
been sent to the host spooler for printing.
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2. No other spool requests can be added to a spool request you generated with the
Print immediately option set or that you sent to the printer from the output
controller.
For more information, see Adding Spool Requests to Another Spool Request.
Delete After Printing if No Errors: If this field is selected, the spool request, output request, and
output data are deleted automatically after the request has been successfully printed.
The spool system retains spool requests that contain errors. You need to delete requests of this
type manually. Otherwise, they are automatically deleted during a reorganization of the spool
database after the expiration date.
The delete option is set in a user's master record and can be changed:
1. When a spool request is created
2. In the request attributes ( ) for the spool request
The requests can then be handled as a single job for purposes of printing and spool management.
Prerequisites
Create the spool request to which the following requests are to be added. To do this, start the
print process as normal, for example, by choosing , and then deactivate Print Immediately
on the following print window.
The spool request to which the others are to be added must not be sent to the host spool
system. It is no longer possible to add there.
The spool requests that are to be added to an existing spool request must be generated in the
same transaction and have the same attributes (such as user, title, output device, client from
which the request was issued, number of copies, priority, cover sheet setting, archive mode,
and ABAP session number).
Procedure
...
1. In the list of spool requests, choose the spool request to which you want to add the
additional spool requests.
3. Ensure that the option Completed, no longer possible to add to is deactivated, and save
changes, if necessary.
4. Generate the spool request to be added by starting the print process as normal, for example,
by choosing .
5. In the following print window, ensure that the New Spool Request option is deactivated.
6. Choose Continue.
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Result
The second spool request is added to the first spool request generated.
You can display the content of the spool request or check whether the spool request was added as
follows:
...
1. In the overview of spool requests, choose the spool request to which the additional spool
request was added.
For SAPscript/Smart Forms documents and ABAP lists, the content of all added documents is
displayed at once. The reason for this is that these document types are written to one file when
added.
Prerequisites
The spool request was created without the attribute print immediately. It is therefore only
printed when you explicitly release it in the Output Controller (transaction SP01).
Procedure
You have the following options:
You can also select and then print multiple requests in this way.
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If you want to change the request before printing it, for example, to send the request to a different
printer or change the number of copies to print, choose Print with changed parameters....
You can change the following settings, among others, before printing:
Output Device: If possible, only divert the output to an output device that uses the same device
type as the output device for which the request was originally created.
1. Usually, SAPscript/Smart Forms texts cannot be sent to a printer that has a different
device type
2. For ABAP lists, make sure the selected format is included in the device type of the output
device to which you want to divert the output of the request.
3. For PDF-based forms, you must select a PostScript, PCL, or ZPL printer, since print files
can currently only be created from the PDF-based forms for these printer types. You
cannot use a printer with the device type SAPWIN/SWIN.
Start Time: To set a later time for printing, choose this pushbutton.
After changing the parameters, choose Print to print the request or Print All (if you have
selected multiple requests).
You want to delete multiple spool requests simultaneously. You can perform the deletion in the
output controller or, with appropriate authorization, in Spool Administration.
Prerequisites
Every user can delete his or her own spool requests in the Output Controller (SP01).
Procedure
4. Choose Delete.
...
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2. On the tab page Admin. choose Settings.
All requests
When deleting a spool request, you delete the following files or entries in addition to the request
itself:
1. The spool request itself; the record of the spool request in the spool database
2. The print file; the data is stored separately from the spool request, in the
temporary sequential object database (TemSe).
3. Administration data for all output requests generated for the spool request.
4. Any error logs that exist; these are stored separately from the spool request, in
the temporary sequential object database (TemSe).
We recommend that you regularly delete old print requests in the background with report
RSPO1041.
You can also delete inconsistent spool requests in the background during the spool
consistency check with report RSPO1043
As deleting in the background affects performance, you should schedule it either during
the night or at the weekend.
Prerequisites
You require appropriate administrator authorizations.
Procedure
Execute report RSPO1041 in the background (SE38).
When deleting in the background, spool data that has errors or is obsolete is also be deleted from the
TemSe data store
As of SAP Web Application Server 6.40, you can display and print spool requests of PDF-based forms
from an SAP system.
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Since printing PDF-based forms is based on a different technology, the Output Controller
(transaction SP01) has been adjusted appropriately.
Prerequisites
You must have created a form in the new PDF-based form solution that is integrated into the
ABAP Workbench (SE80) and the SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio as of SAP Web
Application Server 6.40.
To be able to print from the spool request list or from the part list described below, you
must have a PostScript, PCL, or ZPL printer, since print files can so far only be created for
these printer types from the PDF-based forms. You cannot use a printer with the device type
SAPWIN/SWIN.
Procedure
...
1. In the Output Controller (transaction SP01), display the list of spool requests.
Documents that were created using the new PDF-based form solution are marked with the PDF icon.
If you choose the print icon in the spool request list, the entire spool request is immediately output.
2. If you choose Display Contents or the PDF icon, the part list of the spool request appears. A
part corresponds to a print document. A spool request contains multiple parts, if the add function
was used when printing, and multiple documents were assigned to one spool request. The system
displays the individual parts of a spool request in the part list, together with their size, creation time,
and the number of pages.
You can display the PDF files and print from these.
If you print the PDF file using the print functions of the PDF plug-in, the file is printed locally on your
Microsoft Windows printer. No output request is generated in the SAP system when printing in this
way.
You can send the spool request or the part or parts to the printer from the part list.
If you print from the part list, you can select and print a part or any number of successive parts (such
as parts 4-6).
Spool Administration
Purpose
Unlike the Output Controller (transaction SP01), in which both users and administrators can work,
Spool Administration (transaction SPAD or Tools CCMS Spool Spool Administration) is
intended for administrators.
Features
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All devices, servers, and so on that are involved in printing are defined and managed in spool
administration (transaction SPAD).
The following separate spool access authorizations exist in the SAP System:
For more information about authorizations in the spool system, see SAP Note 119147 in
the SAP Service Marketplace
The authorizations for output devices define which users can generate spool and output requests for
which output device.
Use
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The system always checks the device authorizations before creating a spool or output request. Users
can only create requests if they have an appropriate authorization for the relevant output device.
The system checks device authorizations using the authorization object S_SPO_DEV. You can also
specify output quantity with the authorization object S_SPO_PAGE.
The authorization objects are shown with the corresponding field values in the figure below:
Integration
To be able to output with requests on output devices, the user must also have authorizations for the
following authorization objects in addition to the authorizations for the object S_SPO_DEV:
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System administrators and end users: Authorizations for the Output Controller (authorization
object S_SPO_ACT)
The authorizations for the output controller specify which operations a user can perform with
spool and output requests in the Output Controller (transaction SP01).
System administrators: System authorization (authorization object S_ADMI_FCD)
The system authorizations specify which spool administration operations (transaction SPAD) a
user can perform in which clients.
To be able to use frontend printing, users must have authorization for the output device
%LOC in addition to authorization for the frontend printer.
For more information about spool authorizations, see SAP Note 119147.
You can assign output devices to an authorization group. Users may then print on all output devices
in such a group, provided that they have authorization to do so.
Activities
To print on a device group of this type, you must perform the following actions:
If the output device does not yet exist and is therefore not included in the selection, switch to
change mode ( ) and create a new output device by choosing Output Device Create (Using
Template).
4. On the Device Attributes tab page, enter the name of the authorization group in the
Authorization Group field.
The group name is in the same namespace as the names of the output devices. For example,
members of the FI group can print on all printers beginning with FI.
Creating Device Authorization and Assigning the Authorization to the User Profile
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Instead of entering an output device explicitly in a user authorization, you can specify an
authorization group.
During the authorization check the system uses authorization object S_SPO_DEV for the output
devices as well as the authorization groups. This checks authorization either for the output device
concerned or for the authorization group.
If you use the name of an existing output device as the group name, usage authorization
for this device can no longer be assigned separately. The authorization still applies for
all devices in this group.
Example
...
1. Enter Printers in D3 in the Authorization Group field in the device definition of the relevant
printers.
The users are then authorization to use all of the printers in this authorization group, even if printers
are added or removed.
Use
The system checks an administrators authorizations if an administrator wants to perform the
following actions:
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Structure
System administrators require one or more values for the authorization object S_ADMI_FCD
to be able to administer the spool system in certain clients:
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TemSe Administration
The TemSe data store is a store for spool request data, background processing job logs, and
other data that must usually only be retained in the system for limited periods of time.
SPTD and SPTR are TemSe authorizations.
Integration
To be able to manage spool requests of other users, the administrator requires the
corresponding authorizations for the output controller of the authorization object
S_SPO_ACT.
The following table lists actions with the checked authorization objects and the associated
field values:
If the user wants to print the request on a printer, he or she also requires an additional device
authorization for S_SPO_DEV.
Example
You can assign a user the authorizations for the spool output control with the values below.
The user can perform all for spool output control operations.
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Authorizations for the System
Definition
The system authorizations specify which functions a spool administrator can run in which
client.
Use
Structure
System administrators require one or more values for the authorization object S_ADMI_FCD
to be able to administer the spool system in certain clients:
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The owner automatically has the authorization S_SPO_ACT BASE to access spool requests in
other clients (client of the request client of the administrator), to list spool requests and their
attributes.
If the administrator has the authorizations SPAD and SPAM for the authorization object
S_ADMI_FCD, he or she has unrestricted access to spool requests for other clients.
SPOR: An additional authorization is required for object S_SPO_ACT to access spool requests
of other users.
Spool Administration
The authorization for spool administration is controlled using the two groups of authorization
values SPAD and SPAR.
SPAD: Authorization for cross-client spool administration
SPAR: Authorization for client-specific spool administration
Functional Authorizations
Without a functional authorization, the owner of SPAD cannot perform any spool administration
functions.
The values SPAA, SPAB, SPAC, and SPAM are functional authorizations.
TemSe Administration
The TemSe data store is a store for spool request data, background processing job logs, and
other data that must usually only be retained in the system for limited periods of time.
SPTD and SPTR are TemSe authorizations.
Integration
To be able to manage spool requests of other users, the administrator requires the
corresponding authorizations for the output controller of the authorization object
S_SPO_ACT.
The following table lists actions with the checked authorization objects and the associated
field values:
If the user wants to print the request on a printer, he or she also requires an additional device
authorization for S_SPO_DEV.
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Example
You can assign a user the authorizations for the spool output control with the values below.
The user can perform all for spool output control operations.
Use
Basic authorization (authorization object: S_TCODE) is required by all administrators, otherwise, they
cannot access the spool administration functions (transaction SPAD, Administration CCMS Print
Spool Administration).
You can assign administrators separate access to one of the following spool administration functions
using predefined authorization profiles:
Defining and managing output devices (make printers and fax devices available to users in the
SAP system)
Defining and managing spool servers (attributes for spool servers, such as alternative server)
Defining and managing the mapping of external output management systems (OMSs) in the
SAP system
Defining and managing device types, formats, and other objects in the spool system.
Structure
The authorization object is S_ADMI_FCD (system authorizations).
The following predefined authorization profiles are available:
Predefined Authorization
Profile
S_ADMI_SPO_A This profile grants unrestricted spool system maintenance authorization.
It allows all operations in Spool Spool Administration, including defining
printers, modifying device types, and so on.
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S_ADMI_SPO_D This profile restricts spool maintenance to defining and editing devices
(printers).
Device definitions identify a printer in your system to the SAP system.
S_ADMI_SPO_E This profile restricts spool maintenance to managing external output
management systems (OMSs) in the spool system.
It allows a user to define or edit the physical and logical OMS definitions in
the SAP spool system. These definitions enable communication between
the SAP system and an external OMS.
S_ADMI_SPO_T This profile restricts spool maintenance to maintaining device types and
associated components. A user can define or edit a device type, work with
SAP formats and SAP character sets, and so on.
Add one or more of the user authorization profiles listed above to an
administrator profile to specify the access that an administrator has to spool
requests in the spool output controller
Users can manage spool requests, generate output requests, and check output logs in the output
controller (Transaction SP01, Tools CCMS Spool Output Controller).
The status of the user determines whether he or she requires authorization for the actions in the
output controller. Users can have the following status:
User/end user with unrestricted access to their own spool and output requests.
No authorization is required for the output controller.
System administrators with access to spool and output requests of other users.
They require appropriate authorization for the authorization object S_SPO_ACT.
Use
Whether the authorizations are checked for the output controller or not depends on whether the
creator of a spool request or another user is attempting to access the spool request.
The creator of a spool request does not require any special authorization to be able to work with his
or her own spool and output requests. The system identifies whether the creator of the spool
request or another user is attempting to access the spool request. To do this, the system compares
the value in the authorization field of the spool request with the name of the user.
The name of the user does not need to be explicitly specifies in the authorization field of
the spool request. If the field is empty, the system automatically assumes that the user
name of the owner of the spool request is entered as the authorization value.
Access by an Administrator
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If an administrator accesses the spool requests of another user and one of the following conditions
applies, the system checks the administrators authorizations for the output controller:
The authorization field of the spool request contains a value other than the user name of the
person that is attempting to access the request.
The authorization field is empty, however, a user other than the owner of the spool request is
attempting to access the spool request.
In these cases, the system only allows the user the access that is explicitly specified in the
authorization S_SPO_ACT.
Structure
The authorization object S_SPO_ACT must be assigned the following values, depending on the
desired function, so that system administrators can access the spool requests of other users:
Integration
To be able to work with spool requests in the output controller, the user must also have
authorizations for the following authorization objects in addition to the authorizations for the object
S_SPO_ACT:
Example
With the following authorization, a user can reprint all requests whose authorization value begins
with FI:
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Field Value
Authorization field for spool actions REPR
Value for the authorization check FI*
Depending on the order of these individual components, an architecture that fulfills different
purposes and requires a specific print method, such as those listed below, is produced:
Local printing
Remote printing (network)
Frontend Printing (SAP GUI for Windows)
Frontend printing (SAP GUI for HTML)
Structure
The figure below shows the individual components of the print architecture that are required to
print from the SAP System:
...
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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).
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:
Depending on the situation of the host spool system, one of the following print types is used:
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.
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.
You should plan especially carefully if you must deal with the following print tasks:
Process Flow
Perform the steps below to plan your print architecture:
4. ...
28
1. Determine the most important print requirements.
What is the expected total quantity of output requests that will occur in your SAP System?
2. Using the print requirements, determine how important the respective printers are.
Can the existing printers handle the expected print workload, or should you purchase additional
output devices?
Would a faster line printer be able to speed up printing of long lists yet provide the print quality
you require?
Would a central print department be more cost-effective than setting up small line printers in
individual departments?
Your hardware supplier, SAP consultant, and/or the SAP Competence Centers can help you select
printers appropriate to your printing requirements.
If you also classify your spool servers, the spool system checks that the device and server
classifications match. This helps to ensure an optimal output configuration.
4. Assign every print group to one or more spool servers, if you have set up three or more spool
servers in your SAP System.
Output devices are assigned to spool servers in their device definitions. The device definition
contains all of the required information about the printer; the SAP System uses this information to
address the printer.
For information about the server classes for spool servers and the optimal printer throughput, see
the General Guidelines for Optimal Printer Throughput.
29
Use local printing if the host spool system (operating system spooler) and the spool work process of
the SAP System are on the same host.
The print architecture has characteristics typical of local printing, explained below.
Local printing is the fastest and most reliable form of printing from the point of view of SAP Systems.
You can use local printing for the following operating systems:
all Windows platforms that SAP supports for application servers iServer eSeries
UNIX
All other operating systems use remote printing.
Prerequisites
Architecture Prerequisites
The system prints locally if the host spool system (operating system spooler) and the spool
work process of the SAP System are on the same host.
It is irrelevant whether the printer is directly connected to the PC or whether it is a shared
network printer.
The printer must be defined at operating system level of the spool server.
When you are configuring the output device in a device definition, you specify how the printer is
connected to the SAP System using the access method. The access method specifies 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. In this way, the system knows
the way in which data is to be transferred.
The system uses the following access methods for local printing, depending on the operating system
that you are using:
Access method C: supported on all Windows plattforms that SAP supports for application
servers; iServer eSeries
Access method L: UNIX
The figure below illustrates how your print architecture must look so that it can be used for local
printing:
30
Activities
With local printing, the spool work process of the SAP Systems transfers the output stream,
formatted for the printer, to the host spool system (operating system spooler) on the same host.
The system uses the access method (C or L) that you have specified in the device definition.
The data does not need to be transferred over a network connection to reach the host spool
system, which makes the connection fast and reliable.
The data stream is printed using a local or remotely connected printer
Procedure
The figure below shows the architecture for local printing:
31
To set up the print architecture for local printing, follow the procedure below:
...
Set up an SAP spool server on a host system from which you can conveniently drive your printers.
The spool server is an application server that provides spool processing. It therefore requires at least
one spool work process. The number of spool work processes is defined by the parameter
rdisp/wp_no_spo, and this must always be set to at least 1.
Define all output devices that the SAP spool server is to use in the host spool system (operating
system spooler).
You can use both locally connected and shared network devices.
To do this, create device definitions for the output devices in transaction SPAD (choose the
Output Devices pushbutton Output Device menu Create/Create Using Template).
1. Specify the host system on which the spool server (application server with a spool
work process) is running, as the spool server of the output device.
1. In the Access method field, choose method L for a UNIX host.
2. For a Microsoft Windows host, choose access method C.
The print architecture has characteristics typical of remote printing, explained below.
Prerequisites
32
Architecture Prerequisites
The system prints remotely if the host spool system (operating system spooler) and the spool
server of the SAP System (application server with a spool work process) are on different hosts.
There must be a network to transfer the data to the print server.
For performance reasons, we recommend that you use remote printing (production and
mass printing) only for LAN connections.
Fixed IP addresses are required (unlike frontend printing).
It is irrelevant whether the printer is connected locally or remotely to the application server.
Remote printing requires reliable communication partners so that timeouts do not occur.
When you are configuring the output device in a device definition, you specify how the printer is
connected to the SAP System using the access method. The access method specifies, for example,
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. In this
way, the system knows the way in which data is to be transferred.
The system uses the following access methods for remote printing, depending on the operating
system that you are using:
Access Method U: UNIX systems; Microsoft Windows system (using a TCP/IP Print Server
and SAPSprint)
Access Method S: Microsoft Windows systems (using SAPSprint)
The figure below illustrates how the print architecture must look for remote printing:
33
Activities
With remote printing, the SAP spool work process sends the formatted data stream to the output
device over a network connection.
The options for the data transfer to the output device are listed below:
Consider the storage capacity of the network printer and the size of the print requests.
Access method U
Transfer using a UNIX destination host
The host spool system is on a host that uses UNIX as its operating system. The data is
forwarded to the Line Printer Daemon (lpd).
Access method U
Transfer using a Microsoft Windows PC as the destination host
The host spool system is on a host that uses Microsoft Windows as its operating system.
Depending on the access method, you can use SAPSprint from SAP or, for Microsoft Windows
XP, the TCP/IP Print Server of Microsoft Windows XP. SAPSprint and TCP/IP Print Server
accept the data stream and forward it to the host spool system.
Access Methods:
S(proprietary SAP protocol) for use with SAPSprint.
34
U (UNIX Berkeley protocol) for use with the TCP/IP Print Server of Microsoft Windows XP
and with SAPSprint.
While data is simply forwarded with the access method U, the access method S has the
following attributes:
Encrypted transfer, for example for HR data
Compressed transfer.
However, we recommend that you use the SAPSprint transfer program, as the TCP/IP Print Server
can only forward data that has already been formatted for the printer, that is, device-specific data,
directly to Microsoft Windows without using Microsoft Windows printer drivers. SAPSprint, on the
other hand, can also interpret data streams that were generated with the generic, that is device-
independent, device type SWIN/SAPWIN, and call the appropriate Microsoft Windows drivers that
generate device-specific data streams. You can therefore use printers with SAPSprint that are not
specifically defined in the SAP System, but which are addressed device-independently.
Procedure
The figure below shows the architecture for remote printing with a Microsoft Windows PC:
To set up the print architecture for remote Microsoft Windows PC printing, follow the procedure
below:
...
35
To use SAPWIN/SWIN, install the SAPSprint service on a Microsoft Windows PC.
If you are using Microsoft Windows XP, remote printing can also be implemented using the TCP/IP
Print Server.
SAPSprint and TCP/IP Print Server accept the data stream and forward it to the host spool system
(operating system spooler).
Define the printers you want to use in the Microsoft Windows spooler.
You can use both locally connected and shared network devices.
To do this, create a device definition for the PC output device in transaction SPAD (choose the
Output Devices pushbutton Output Device menu Create/Create Using Template).
1. Specify the host system on which the spool work process is running, as the spool server
of the output device.
2. For printing using SAPSprint, choose Access method U (Print on LPDHOST using
Berkeley protocol) or S (Print on LPDHOST using SAP protocol). For printing using the
TCP/IP Print Server, you can only use access method U.
The SAP spool work process passes output data to the host spooler in a UNIX system using a network
connection. You do not require a special transfer program, such as SAPSprint under Microsoft
Windows for remote printing from a UNIX system, as UNIX already has a Line Printer Daemon (LPD).
You can use any printer that is accessible from the host spool system. It is irrelevant whether the
printer is directly connected or whether it is a shared network printer.
Prerequisites
High reliability required: This access method can lead to printing performance problems if the
UNIX communication partner is not active when an output request is sent. The UNIX partner
must have high availability. You should therefore only use this method if your company ensures
a high availability of the communication partner and has a fast network.
If the UNIX partner is not active when an output request is sent to it, then the spool work
process must wait for network time-outs to terminate the attempted communication. The spool
server cannot process other output requests while it is waiting.
Network printers: You should not use this access method to print directly to a printer that is
equipped with its own Ethernet or Token Ring card. The problem with this configuration is that
the SAP spool server must restrict its transmission speed to that acceptable to the printer.
If the printer does not have its own hard disk and you are not accessing it by way of a printer
server, then data transmission to the printer can tie up the SAP spool server for considerable
lengths of time.
Supported Host Systems: This method is available for almost all LPD systems.
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True64 systems (previously OSF/1) are an exception, however. Only local printing is possible
with these systems, as the True64 spool system requires that the sender is running as the root
user. However, the SAP System cannot run as the root user.
Procedure
The figure below shows the architecture for remote printing with a UNIX host:
To set up the print architecture for remote UNIX printing, follow the procedure below:
The spool server is an application server that provides spool processing. It therefore requires at
least one spool work process.
The number of spool work processes is defined by the parameter rdisp/wp_no_spo, and this
must always be set to at least 1.
2.Define the printers you want to use in the UNIX spool system.
3.Define the output devices in the SAP System.
To do this, create device definitions for the output devices in transaction SPAD (choose the
Output Devices pushbutton Output Device menu Create/Create Using Template).
1. Specify the host system on which the spool work process is running, as the spool
server of the output device.
1. For Access method, specify U (Print on LPDHOST using Berkeley protocol).
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Process Flow
The way in which you should configure your system to avoid conflicts of this type is explained
below.
The way in which you should configure your system to avoid conflicts of this type is explained below.
If possible, set up two spool work processes on each application server, in particular if you are
using front-end printing with control technology (access method G).
To do this, add the profile parameter rdisp/wp_no_spo (number of spool work processes) to
the instance profile of the relevant server, and set its value to at least 2.
Define the maximum number of spool work processes to be used for front-end printing.
By default, a maximum of one spool work process for each spool server is defined for front-end
printing; that is, this spool work process can also process front-end print requests.
If a very large quantity of front-end printing is performed in your system, add profile parameter
rdisp/wp_no_Fro_max to the instance profile, and increase the number of work processes.
If you want to reserve spool work processes for front-end printing, you can use the parameter
rdisp/wp_no_spo_Fro_min to do this.
The spool work processes reserved with this parameter are then available exclusively for front-
end printing.
So that your SAP spool system can process requests as effectively as before despite the
reservation, you should increase the number of spool work processes by at least one, as one
spool work process is used for front-end printing, by default.
Example: In the instance profile of the spool server mn1234_YXZ_99, the number of
spool work processes is defined as 2 using the profile parameter rsdisp/wp_no_spo,
and the number of spool work processes reserved for front-end printing is defined as 2
using the profile parameter rdisp/wp_no_spo_Fro_min. Increase the value of
rdisp/wp_no_spo to at least 3.
For more information, see SAP Note 351492 in the SAP Service Marketplace.
However, we recommend that you do not use front-end printing from the update
process, as it is not possible to check whether multiple update work processes are
attempting to perform front-end printing simultaneously. Front-end printing does not work
for more than one work process.
A free session is required for front-end printing, so it must not be the case that all sessions are
occupied.
However, front-end print requests are not lost if all sessions are occupied, but are temporarily
stored in the database. The printing is performed once there are sufficient sessions available on
the user terminal again. The print requests are output on the current terminal even if the user is
now working from a different terminal.
You can subsequently print the print requests in transaction SP01 by choosing Restart
Frontend Printing in online operation without requiring an additional session.
Front-end printing should not be used for production or mass printing.
For more information about constraints for front-end printing, see SAP Note 114426 in the SAP
Service Marketplace.
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Front-End Printing with Control Technology (Access Method G)
Use
Unlike traditional front-end printing with access method F, the front-end printing with control
technology and access method G, available as of SAP Web AS 6.20, provides the following
advantages:
Simplified configuration and more stable execution, especially when printing using Windows
Terminal Server, since SAPlpd is no longer required as a separate process with the new type of
front-end printing. The environment variable LP_CMD is also no longer required in terminal
server environments.
The printer selection is no longer displayed in the SAP system. Instead, a Microsoft Windows
printer selection window is called directly from the control. The restriction on the length of
printer names therefore no longer applies.
Front-end printing is possible for non-Windows platforms with SAP GUI for Java.
This means that front-end printing with control technology (access method G) is used for all cases
for front-end printing using Windows Terminal Servers and SAP GUI for Java. In the long-term, it will
also replace front-end printing using SAPlpd (access method F) for printing from SAP GUI for
Windows.
Integration
Technically, the new front-end printing is based on controls that have been implemented in SAP GUI
for some time. Controls are DLLs that run in the process context of SAP GUI. The new print control
receives the print data and forwards them to the underlying operating system print system. If you
are using the SAP GUI for Windows, you can also use the device type SAPWIN to use any printer with
a Microsoft Windows driver. When printing with the SAP GUI for Java on other platforms, you need
to use an appropriate device type, such as PostScript.
Prerequisites
To be able to use front-end printing with control technology (access method G), you need to install
the following:
You then need to use report RSPO0075 to add access method G. You can then create printers with
the new access method G in the usual way. G is the access method for front-end printing with
control technology.
If access method G is not yet provided in report RSPO0075, you need to import the correction
instructions attached to the above SAP Note. For technical reasons, the prerequisites for the new
39
front-end printing cannot be provided as correction instructions. Import the Support Package in any
case.
We recommend that, when you are creating a printer in the SAP system, you make the entry
__DEFAULT in the Host Printer field for the Host Spool Access Method. __DEFAULT calls the relevant
default printer name.
Activities
If you select a printer with access method G when printing from the SAP system, under Microsoft
Windows, the Microsoft Windows selection box appears, from which you can select a printer
defined at your front-end (see also Front-End Printing (SAP GUI for Windows))..
If you are printing using the SAP GUI for Java, whether a printer selection window appears depends
on your spool program.
Example
40
Front-End Printing (SAP GUI for Windows)
Use
With front-end printing under Microsoft Windows, the system addresses a printer that is defined in
the Microsoft Windows operating system of the front end PC.
Front-end printing using Microsoft Windows is therefore especially useful in the following cases:
Users want to print directly at their workstation, without having to create a specific device
definition in the SAP system. This is especially the case for users that often work at different
work stations or log on to the SAP system on a mobile basis, and want to print at their current
location.
Unlike the access methods of other methods of printing, the access methods F and G for front-
end printing do not require any fixed IP addresses. This means that the default printer of any
Microsoft Window PC can be generically addressed.
Administrators want to avoid costly administration work, in that they do not want to have to set
up front-end printers individually as remote printers. However, defining a generic output device
is sufficient.
There are two types of front-end printing. Front-end printing with access method F, which works
with the transfer program SAPlpd, is the traditional type of front-end printing. Since SAP Web AS
6.20, there is also a new procedure for front-end printing available to you, which you can use in
parallel: front-end printing using control technology with access method G. This no longer requires
SAPlpd. The printer selection is also no longer displayed in the SAP system. Instead, a Microsoft
Windows printer selection window is called directly from the control. The restriction on the length of
printer names therefore no longer applies.
You can use both types of printing in parallel for front-end printing in the SAP GUI for Windows.
Prerequisites
Authorizations
In addition to the general print authorizations, every user requires the following authorizations for
front-end printing:
41
RFC_TYPE FUGR
RFC_NAME LPRF
ACTVT 16
Architecture Prerequisites
At least one printer must be defined.
The host spool system (operating system spooler) must be on a front end PC.
There must be an active connection to the front end PC, that is, the user must be logged on to
the SAP system at the time of printing from the SAP system.
If you define an output device in an SAP system, specify the type of connection with which the
output device is to be addressed. This connection type is known as the access method and is
identified by a letter.
In the case of an output device for front-end printing, this is access method F or G, depending
on whether you want to use front-end printing with SAPlpd or front-end printing with control
technology.
So that the default printer at every host can be primarily addressed, you must specify the host
printer __DEFAULT (two underscores) in the device definition. __DEFAULT calls the relevant
default printer name.
Of course, you still have the option of selecting another printer:
In the case of front-end printing with control technology (access method G), the printer
selection window of the Microsoft Windows operating system is displayed. You can choose a
printer other than the default printer in this window.
In the case of front-end printing with SAPlpd (access method F), you can select another
operating system printer in the printer selection window of the SAP system. However, to be
able to do this, the option No Device Selection at Frontend must be inactive in the device
definition.
We recommend that you specify the device type SWIN or SAPWIN, or the relevant language-
dependent version of SAPWIN to ensure that the system sends a printer format that any
Microsoft Windows driver can interpret (see SAP Note 423003 in the SAP Service
Marketplace).
42
However, you can also use any other SAP device type for front-end printing.
Activities
1. When the user prints from the SAP system, he or she can select the name of the front-
end printer with the print parameters. This will either mean that the default printer is directly
addressed, or you can select another front-end printer in the SAP printer selection window. For
you to be able to select another operating system printer in the printer selection window of the
SAP system, the option No Device Selection at Frontend must be inactive in the device definition.
2. The output is first sent to the saplpd transfer program on the front end PC using SAP GUI.
As of SAP Web AS 6.20, front-end printing with control technology (access method G) is available,
which replaces the traditional type of front-end printing with SAPlpd (access method F) for printing
using the WTS. Front-end printing with control technology has the following advantages:
For information about setting up front-end printing with control technology, see the section Front-
End Printing with Control Technology (Access Method G).
All device types can be used to print the e-mail. However, you must ensure that the relevant display
program or printer is available for the device type. We recommend that you use device type pdf1, as
43
with pdf1, a PDF file is generated from the document, and sent as an e-mail attachment. You can
then display this with a PDF display program, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, and print it as required.
Prerequisites
As of SAP Web AS 6.10, you must have activated and configured the interface to send e-mails
from the SAP system, SMTP, in SAPconnect (transaction SCOT). For more information, see
the Guidelines for SMTP Configuration. These guidelines explain, among other things, how
to create an SMTP node in transaction SCOT, which can be used without special additional
settings for e-mail printing.
Up to SAP Basis 4.6D, communication is performed using an additional external
communication system and, accordingly, a SAPconnect node with the corresponding RFC
connection must be set up until SAP Basis 4.6D (inclusive).
So that the recipient not only receives the mail, but can also reply using the REPLY button, you
must maintain the e-mail addresses for all users in the user maintenance transaction SU01.
If you are using a default domain in transaction SCOT, the mail is sent, but the relevant
user cannot reply using the reply button, as the generic sender address does not really
exist.
You must have created a device definition for printing using e-mail in the SAP system.
To print using e-mail, the sender must, in addition to the usual authorization for the output
device, also have authorization for the (pseudo) output device %MAI.
With this authorization, you can easily remove the right to use devices with access method M
from individual users.
Activities
The figure below shows the process of printing using e-mail:
You are printing a document using an output device that was specially defined for printing
using e-mail.
The SAP spool system determines the recipient of the mail in three steps:
44
...
...
1. a. The system first checks whether the user has already entered an e-mail
address in the print window that appears after the user triggers the print function. If this is
the case, the system sends the e-mail to this address.
If the user in the print window selects an output device with access method M for printing
using e-mail (and for releases up to SAP Web AS 620, then chooses enter), a field appears, in
which the user can enter an e-mail address if required. The length of this mail address is
restricted to 50 characters.
2. b. If no e-mail address is specified, the e-mail is sent to the address that is
specified in the device definition.
This function was originally developed to replace the frontend printing function that was
missing up to SAP Basis 4.6 for the SAP GUI for HTML. The user should be able to send the
print file to himself or herself by e-mail and to print it.
For printing using e-mail, it is a prerequisite that SAP users that send e-mail using
printers with the access method M have a valid e-mail address in their user master
record. This address is used as the sender address. The recipient can send a reply to
this e-mail address using the reply function of his or her e-mail program.
SAPconnect sends the data to the target host. You must configure this interface appropriately
in transaction SCOT.
Result
The recipient receives an e-mail with the print document as an attachment. The recipient can display
and print this document with an appropriate viewer. If the print document is, for example, contained
in the mail attachment as a PDF file, you can read and print this document with the Adobe Acrobat
Reader.
The message text of the e-mail is defined by default, however, you can change it, as described at the
send of SAP Note 311037.
For more information about printing using e-mail, see SAP Note 513352 in the SAP Service
Marketplace.
45
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 Use
Method
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 SAPSprint service
program. The spool work process of the SAP System and SAPSprint are on
different hosts.
The spool work process transfers the output data to the SAPSprint on the remote
PC.
U Printing using a remote UNIX server or Microsoft Windows PC (with or without
use of SAPSprint), 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 users 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
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A target device must be specified for the output for every document to be printed in the SAP system.
As the document can be output using not only printers, but also archiving devices, these devices are
called Output Devices in the SAP system.
In the SAP system, output devices are the logical representations of the real output devices.
Use
You must create a device definition in the SAP system for every output device. This definition
contains all the important data for addressing the device; otherwise the device cannot be correctly
addressed. This data includes, for example:
Name of the spool server (= application server with a spool work process)
Defining an Output Device for Frontend Printing (SAP GUI for Windows)
Defining an Output Device for Frontend Printing (SAP GUI for HTML)
Printer Pools
Prerequisites
You should have analyzed the requirements of your company with regard to printing, as described in
Planning the SAP Print Architecture. You should also have put the planning into action.
For information about how the print architectures look and how to set them up, see Print Architecture
and its subsections that deal with the individual architectures.
Activities
Once you have determined the constellation of hosts, servers, and printers (print architecture)
create a device definition for the printer (output device) in transaction SPAD.
There are mandatory fields in the device definition that you must fill out, so that the system can
address the output device, such as Device Type of the Printer and Access Method.
47
Once you have created the device definition in your SAP system and specify the name of the
defined printer when printing, the system accesses the corresponding device definition to
address the printer.
Structure
The following fields are mandatory when you are creating an output device, depending on the printer
on which you want to print and from which operating system you are printing (transaction SPAD
Output Devices Change Output device Create/Create using template):
Tab Page Field Additional Information
Device Output device The name of the printer in the SAP system. It can
Attributes be up to 30 characters long, and is case-
sensitive.
Short name The system accesses the printer using this
name. It can be generated automatically.
Device type Enter the device type that is defined in the SAP
system for the printer model here, such as
HPLJ4 for the HP Laser Jet 4000.
The generic device type SWIN is available for
printing under Microsoft Windows, with which you
can use every device supported by Microsoft
Windows, even if the device type is not defined in
the SAP system.
For a list of device types, see SAP Note 8929 in
the SAP Service Marketplace.
For information about how to proceed if the
appropriate device type does not exist, see
Device Types for SAP Output Devices.
Spool Server Enter the name of the SAP spool server
(application server with the spool work process)
that is to prepare the output for this device here.
Host Spool Host Spool Access You select the type of connection to the printer
Access Method (operating here.
Method system spooler) The access method that you must enter depends
on your operating system and print architecture
(such as front end printing, local, and remote
printing). It determines how data is transferred to
the host spooler.
Host Printer Enter the name of the output device as it is
specified in the host system (operating system).
Enter the name exactly as it is defined in the
host, that is, with the same capitalization. The
name cannot contain any spaces.
If you enter __DEFAULT in this field, the default
printer of your Microsoft Windows PC is
addressed.
Host This field appears only for local printing. The
input is generated automatically and depends on
the spool server.
Destination host Fill this field out for remote printing (over a
network):
Name of the host that receives the data to be
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output.
This is the host on which the (SAP)lpd is running.
In addition to these mandatory fields, there are fields that already contain a default values or that can
remain empty. These are required for the type of printing, but not by the SAP system for controlling
the printer, such as tray and cover sheet information
Prerequisites
When printing using Microsoft Windows, you can connect an output device (PC printer) to
the SAP System using a local or remote connection. Before you can define an output device
for printing using the Microsoft Windows operating system, you must determine what type of
connection is used; that is, which access method you need to select for this printer.
Procedure
If the SAP spool server (application server with the spool work process) and the Microsoft
Windows spool system are on the same host, you can create a local connection to the printer.
The print requests are processed by the Microsoft Windows spool system.
Local connection is usually best, as it is the fastest and most reliable access method.
If the SAP spool server and the Microsoft Windows spool system are not on the same host,
you must create a remote PC connection to the printer. This is the standard PC connection, as
49
other than Microsoft Windows NT and Windows 2000, no other Microsoft Windows operating
system supports spool servers.
Prerequisites
When printing using UNIX, you can connect an output device (PC printer) to the SAP system using a
local or remote connection. Before you can define an output device for printing using the UNIX
operating system, you must determine what type of connection is used; that is, which access
method you need to select for this printer.
As of SAP Web AS 6.20, front-end printing with control technology (access method G) is
available. This allows front-end printing from the SAP GUI for Java on non-Microsoft
Windows platforms, such as UNIX. For more information, see the Front-End Printing
with Control Technology section.
Procedure
If the SAP spool server (application server with the spool work process) and the UNIX
spool system are on the same host, you can create a local connection to the printer. The print
requests are processed by the UNIX spool system.
Local connection is usually best, as it is the fastest and most reliable access method.
If the SAP spool server and the UNIX spool system are not on the same host, you can
create a remote PC connection to the printer.
You can also define output devices as logical output devices. These logical devices refer to physical
devices or to other logical devices, so that you can set up a printer hierarchy. This is useful in the
following case, for example.
50
You define the logical printer Shipment Document Printer. Your users can always select
this printer to print shipment documents. If the real printer to which this logical output
device points is not available, you simply assign the logical printer to another physical
printer.
If your logical output device Shipment Document Printer is first mapped to the physical
printer P330 and you now want to map it to the physical printer P521, you only need to
change the mapping. You do not need to adjust the whole device definition. Nothing
changes at application level, since the logical printer Shipment Document Printer is
configured as a printer.
With the definition of logical output devices, you can also easily transport a whole printer hierarchy
into a different system. You then assign the physical devices in the other system.
Procedure
1. Call Spool Administration (transaction SPAD), and, on the Devices/Servers tab page, choose
the Output Devices pushbutton.
5. In the Map to field, specify the physical device to which the local device is to map.
You can now assign this logical output device to another physical output device as often as required.
You are an outsourcer and are operating multiple clients for various customers on one SAP System.
You want to restrict the output devices for individual clients, so that each customer sees only their
own output devices.
Procedure
Follow the procedure below to create an output device for individual clients:
51
4. In the device definition, choose Extras Display Client Field, and enter the desired client.
5. 4. Save the output device.
If you want to display an overview of all output devices for a client, on the Spool
Administration initial screen, choose Settings Display Client Field, and enter the
name of the client.
Result
Users can only print on the output devices that have been defined for the client in which they are
working.
5. ...
1. If the spool work process waits more than 15 seconds for a reply, then it records the problem
in the SAP system log. You can therefore check in the system log for devices that have chronic
communication problems.
2. If the spool work process must wait more than 30 seconds, then it locks the output device
for five minutes and goes on to other output requests.
The output request remains in status Waiting. At the end of this lock period, the spool work
process attempts to establish communication again. The output requests are only reactivated
once the host spool system is available.
The connection test is repeated three times every five minutes. If the remote host spool service
cannot be reached, the output requests still have the status Waiting.
The connection test is restarted (three times every five minutes) if
A new output request is generated for the host spool system concerned
An output device of this host spool system is reactivated
The SAP application server is restarted.
The output requests are reactivated once the host spool system can be reached. This operation
can be repeated up to three times. If the output requests could still not be output, they are given
the status Error.
Instead, you can set individual timeouts for printers that need them in their device
definitions.
52
Procedure
...
2. Choose Utilities For device types and then, depending on the text, Test data (ABAP) or Test
data (SAPScript).
These utilities test printing from an ABAP report and from SAPscript and print out the character sets
specified in the output device type.
3. If you want to perform the SAPscript test, enter the text name sapscript-druckertest and
language EN or DE in the SAPscript text processing screen displayed.
You can search for additional print test files by entering the text name *test*.
For testing printers, you can define more than one name for a printer. This is useful because it
means that users can continue using the printer as usual under one name while you test different
attribute settings using a different name
Spool Server
Definition
The spool server is an SAP application server that provides spool processing. It therefore
requires at least one spool work process.
SAP Note 108799 in the SAP Service Marketplace explains how many spool work
processes you should configure for each server.
A spool server processes the data for transfer to the spool system of the operating system.
You can set up a spool server by adding the profile parameter rdisp/wp_no_spo to the
instance profile of the corresponding server (Administration CCMS Configuration
Profile Maintenance) and entering the desired number of spool work processes.
To do this, call transaction SPAD (Tools CCMS Spool Spool Administration), and,
on the Devices/Servers tab page, choose the Spool Servers pushbutton. The list of defined
spool servers appears. If you double click the relevant spool server, a window showing the
attributes of the spool server appears.
The following example shows the attributes for a mass printing server:
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You can enter or change the following attributes in this window:
Server Name: You can enter a description of the spool server in the long field of the Server
Name area.
Server Class: Choose a suitable entry, depending on the intended use of the server, from the
input options for the server class field, such as production printing, mass printing, and so on.
The classification of the spool server helps you to realize your planned printing architecture,
that is, to assign newly defined output devices to the corresponding spool server. If you specify
the spool server in a device definition, the spool system compares the classification of the
output device to the classification of the server. If they do not match, then the spool system
warns you.
If you are preparing to assign a mass printer to a time-critical production server, then the
spool system warns you of this disparity.
Alternative server: You can specify a replacement printer, the alternative server, for a spool
server. The alternate server takes over the processing of output requests if the original server is
down or unavailable. For more information, see Alternative Server.
Allow Load Balancing: You can define whether the output processing workload of a server
may be distributed among its alternate servers. By default, load balancing is deactivated.
Instead, the spool system ensures that output requests are printed in the order that they are
generated.
Logical server: You can define spool servers as logical servers. A logical server is a name
that can, in turn, stand for one or more logical or real servers (a real spool server is a server
that actually has spool work processes and can run in the SAP System).
Using logical servers, you can transport a complete printing architecture to another system with
only minimal changes. To activate printing in the target system, you only need to edit the
assignment of the logical server. You can do this using the Mapping field. For more information,
see Logical Spool Servers.
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Classifying Spool Servers
Use
You can classify spool servers according to their intended use, such as a spool server for
mass printing or for production printing. This classification helps to make your print
architecture clearer. It also helps you to realize your planned print architecture, such as
assigning classified output devices to the correct spool server. If you specify the spool server
in a device definition of an output device, the spool system compares the classification of the
output device to the classification of the server. If the classifications do not match, then the
system warns you
Procedure
You classify spool servers through the device definition:
...
2. Open an existing server definition by double clicking it, or create a new definition in change
mode by choosing Spool Server Create/Create Using Template.
Production printing: as a server for time-critical printers whose output is connected to the
production process, such as wine label printers.
Mass printing: as a server for printers with large print requests, such as long lists.
Desktop printing: as a server for local printers at the users workstation, such as small laser
printers for smaller, non-critical print requests
Test printing: is used to assign a test classification to new printers or to changes in the output
configuration
A logical server stands for one or more other logical and/or real SAP spool servers. Logical servers
can be used in place of real SAP spool servers anywhere in the spool system. The logical server is a
placeholder for the spool server assigned to it, while a real server is an actual application server
with a spool work process and can output print requests.
55
If, for example, a logical server is specified as the spool server for output in the device definition of
an output device, you have the following options:
The following figure shows some possibilities for how an output device can be assigned to a spool
server:
B: Two output devices that are assigned to the spool server using a logical server
B: Two output devices that are assigned to the spool server using two logical servers
Use
You have the following options for printer administration through the use of logical spool servers:
Grouping devices (local and remote printers): You can group the SAP output devices, for
example, defining logical servers for devices connected over a network and for local devices.
Both logical servers could point to the same real SAP spool server. However, you can
manipulate the devices separately for such purposes as switching devices to another spool
server.
56
Switching Spool Servers: If you assign output devices to a logical spool server, you can then
switch the devices from one server to another quickly and easily.
For example, if a spool server is down for maintenance, you can switch all of its devices
to another server simply by changing the Mapping field in the definition of the logical
spool server. When the original server is active again, you can switch the devices just as
easily back to it.
Switching spool servers can be performed automatically. To do this, an alternative server must
be specified in the spool server definition.
Balancing the Output Workload: You can distribute the output processing workload of a spool
server between the server and its alternative server.
To do this, you must have specified an alternative server and selected the option Allow Load
Balancing.
Transporting the Print Landscape Between Systems: Unlike real servers, logical servers can
have the same names in different SAP Systems. You can therefore define a uniform SAP print
architecture using logical servers and then transport this to all of your systems.
An output landscape of this type device definitions and server definitions can be transported
in its entirety to another SAP System. After transport, you only need to enter the real spool
servers that exist in the respective systems.
The list shows all real spool servers in your SAP System as well as any logical servers you have
defined. The color-coding in the list shows the status and availability for output-processing of each
server. For an explanation of the status coding, see Spool Server Hierarchy Display.
2. If you are not in change mode, switch to this mode by choosing Change.
You can create a new spool server by choosing Spool Server Create.
To do this, click the entry for the spool server that is to be used as a template, and choose Spool
Server Create Using Template.
To do this, fill out the desired fields and select the desired options.
57
Server Name: Enter a server name in the shorter field and a description of the server in the
longer field.
Server Class: Choose a suitable entry from the input options for the server class field, such as
production printing, mass printing, and so on. The classification helps you to realize your
planned printing architecture, that is, to assign newly defined output devices to the
corresponding spool server. If you specify the spool server in a device definition, the spool
system compares the classification of the output device to the classification of the server.
If they do not match, then the spool system warns you.
If you are preparing to assign a mass printer to a time-critical production server, then the
spool system warns you of this disparity.
Logical Server: Select Logical Server and choose enter.
In the Mapping field, specify the real or logical server to which this logical server should refer.
The spool system "maps" the logical server name to the server in Mapping. Because this
"mapping" is recursive, you can specify either a real server or another logical server.
Alternative Server: If appropriate, enter the name of the logical or real server in the Alternative
Server field.
Should the server you are defining be inactive or not have a spool work process, then the SAP
System uses this specification to find another spool server to carry out output processing.
Allow Load Balancing: If you activate load balancing, the load can be distributed between the
spool server and the alternative server if the spool server is overloaded.
If you activate load balancing, it is possible that requests are no longer printed in the
order in which they were created.
1. 4. Save the spool server definition and choose Back to return to the server display. Here,
you can use the server display functions to see how your servers are linked to one another
through the Mapping and Alternate server fields.
For help interpreting and manipulating the display, see Interpreting the Spool Server Display.
Result
If you have defined a logical server, you now can enter it as a spool server anywhere in the spool
system, for example, in device definitions. Using logical servers in place or in addition to real servers
offers benefits such as load balancing and use of a standardized printing architecture across SAP
Systems.
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Alternative Server
Definition
When defining a spool server, you can define another server as an alternative. This alternative server
is used in the following cases:
The actual server has failed; the system searches for the corresponding alternative server
The server is overloaded; the system balances the output workload over the actual server and
the alternative server. However, to do this, you must activate the Allow Load Balancing option
in the definition of the spool server. By default, this option is not activated to ensure that
requests are processed in the order in which they are created.
Use
When creating SAP output devices, specify a server under Spool Server in the definition of which an
alternative server is specified. In this way you ensure that the requests for this output device are
processed even if the primary specified server fails.
You can also distribute the output workload between the spool server and its alternative server by
selecting the Allow Load Balancing option in the definition of the spool server.
If you specify an alternative server when defining a spool server, all output devices are processed by
the alternative server if the actual server fails.
The figure below shows a server switch and the specifications required for this in the definition of
the spool server:
59
Distributing the Output Workload if the Spool Server Is Overloaded
The workload of a spool server is calculated from the number of spool work processes, the number
of requests to be processes, and the number of pages. If a server is overloaded, the processing of
output requests can be delayed. If an alternative server is defined for this server and load balancing
is activated, the requests can be distributed between the servers.
The figure below shows load balancing and the specifications required for this in the definition of the
spool server:
60
If you have activated load balancing for a server, the requests to this server may not any
longer be processed in the order in which they were created. Requests created later can
overtake requests created earlier if they are processed by an alternative server that has
a lower workload.
Sequence Consistency has priority in the classification. If an output device is configured to print
requests with a consistent sequence; that is, in the order in which they are created, and is assigned
to a spool server with load balancing, the load balancing is ignored for this device.
You want to change the server assignment for multiple output devices, because, for example, the
previous spool server has failed and you have not specified an alternative server or activated load
balancing.
Procedure
There are different methods to assign output devices to other spool servers, depending on whether
you have defined logical servers or not:
61
You have defined a logical server between the output devices and the real spool server,
that is, a logical server is specified as the spool server in the device definitions of the output
devices.
Somewhere in the hierarchy, this logical spool server points to a real spool server that performs
the output formatting. If this real server fails, you only need to edit the definition of the logical
spool server. You must enter a different real spool server in the Mapping field of the server
definition. You do not need to change the device definitions of the individual output devices of
the individual output devices, as they do not point to the real server that you are changing, but
only to the logical server.
You have assigned the production printers Prod1 and Prod2 to the logical spool server
Log_Prod, which is classified as a production server. The logical production server
Log_Prod points in turn to the real server twdf5001_DEV_00.
If the real server twdf5001_DEV_00 fails and you want to assign the production printers
Prod1 and Prod2 to the real spool server twdf5000_DEV_00, you only need to change
the mapping information in the definition of the logical server. It must point to the current
real spool server twdf5000_DEV_00. As the logical production server is specified in the
device definitions of the individual output devices, you do not need to change anything in
these definitions.
You have not defined logical servers in your system. In this case, you can change the
server assignment for all output devices whose names match a certain pattern (such as PRI*).
...
b. On the next screen, enter the desired pattern for the output devices, as well as the
name of the old spool server assigned and the name of the new spool server to which you want to
assign the devices.
Result
You have changed the server assignment for some or all of your output devices. If output requests
still exist for the affected devices, for which processing is not yet complete, processing of the
requests is transferred to the new spool server.
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Maintaining Character Sets
The SAP system manages its own character sets. These characters sets specify:
In general, you only need to maintain character sets when you add a new device type to the SAP
system. To maintain character sets, do the following:
Identify the manufacturer of the character set using Character Set Manufacturer.
You only need to perform this step if the manufacturer of the character set is not already
identified in the spool system.
Define the character set required by the printer using Character Sets.
To do this, you must:
1. Identify which characters are in the character set using their SAP ID numbers
2. Enter the binary code for each character, as required by the printer or display routine.
The easiest method for defining a character set is to copy the existing character set that most
closely matches the new character set. Then add or delete characters as necessary to
customize the character set
Maintain the spool database regularly to ensure optimal performance and size. You should perform
the following tasks to maintain the spool database regularly:
Process Flow
The figure below shows the most important methods of maintaining the spool database:
63
Scheduling both deletion and the consistency check in the background is preferable to performing
these tasks in dialog. Scheduling these tasks in the background ensures the regularity of deletion and
of consistency checks. It also eases the workload both of the administrator and of the systems.
For more information about consistency checks, see spool consistency checks.
You can use the spool consistency check to check whether tables that contain spool requests, output
requests, and output data are inconsistent. If necessary, you can delete inconsistencies.
Along with deleting old spool requests, the spool consistency check is one of the most important
functions for maintaining the SAP spool database. You should perform the spool consistency check
regularly in the background.
As the spool consistency check affects performance, you should schedule it either
during the night or at the weekend.
64
Prerequisites
Features
The spool consistency check checks the following table entries for spool requests:
Activities
You can identify and delete inconsistencies both in the background and in dialog:
You can use report RSPO1043 to identify and delete inconsistencies in the background. This
has the following advantages:
Inconsistencies are only deleted if they appear during repeated runs. There is therefore
no danger of accidentally deleting temporary inconsistencies.
Temporary inconsistencies are not actual inconsistencies and must not be deleted. Temporary
inconsistencies may occur, for example, if a user is writing data to the TemSe during the
consistency check.
No timeouts
You can use transaction SPAD or report RSPO0043 to display and delete inconsistencies
in dialog. However, we do not recommend these methods for your production systems due to
the following disadvantages:
Accidental deletion of temporary inconsistencies
Only after a minimum of a second check can you determine whether an inconsistency was
only temporary, because, for example, another user was writing to the TemSe during the
check, or whether the check has found an actual inconsistency.
Timeouts
For more information about spool consistency checks, see SAP Notes 48400 and 98065 in the SAP
Service Marketplace.
Only delete inconsistent spool requests with the spool consistency check and not with
the TemSe consistency check due to the following disadvantages of the TemSe
consistency check:
1. The TemSe consistency check does check the header entries in table TST01 and
associated objects only for spool requests, but rather for all TemSe objects.
65
2. Deleting TemSe inconsistencies includes only the header entry in TST 01 and
the actual TemSe object. However, to delete a spool request, you must also remove
the entry in TSP01 (spool requests) and, if an output request exists, in table TSP02
(output requests).
TemSe is a store for temporary sequential data; that is, objects that are not normally permanently
held in the system are stored in the TemSe.
The spool system uses the TemSe to store output data temporarily. You can set whether the spool
data is to be stored by TemSe in the SAP database or in the file system (for more information, see
Storage Methods for Spool Objects in TemSe).
TemSe Objects
Every TemSe object consists of a header entry in table TST01 and the actual object. This can be
stored in the file system (for example, job logs) or in table TST03 (for example, HR data).
With spool requests, you can decide whether the object is stored in the file system or in table TST03.
By default, a spool request is stored in table TST03. 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)
Spool requests also have entries in table TSP01 (Spool Requests) and possibly in table TSP02 (Output
Requests).
Features of TemSe
Storage of temporary objects, such as spool requests and job logs
Administration and display of temporary objects
66
TemSe cannot administer objects that require more than two gigabytes of storage
space, regardless of whether the objects are stored in the database or in the file system.
Spool requests of a size greater than two gigabytes must therefore be split into several
smaller requests.
Note that TemSe is not an archiving system. The maximum permissible number of spool
requests is limited. The default value is 32000 and can be increased to 2 billion.
However, this can affect performance, depending on the capacity of the database and
the database host (see SAP Note 48284). You should therefore use the print list
archiving option for spool requests.
You can check space usage to avoid storage space problems.
Procedure
In TemSe administration, you can also administer the character set buffer used by the spool system
(though not the buffer used by SAPscript). To do this, choose the Character Sets menu.
The TemSe functions TemSe Contents and TemSe Administration are only intended for
dealing with problems, such as for analyzing printer problems. Do not delete objects
using these TemSe functions if you can avoid doing so. Instead, delete old spool data
with spool deletion functions in dialog and in background processing.
You can use the profile parameter rspo/store_location to set up the TemSe database to
store spool request data either in the SAP database (default parameter db) or in the file system of
the host operating system (parameter value G).
67
The default storage method for TemSe objects is specified in the system profile of each
SAP application server.
You can therefore theoretically specify different storage methods for different servers.
However, we strongly advise against this, as only restricted data access is possible in
this case.
Further, you can set the storage location individually by SAP output device if required. Unless you
have special requirements with respect to a particular device, it is best to use a uniform storage
method across the entire SAP System.
The following table summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of each type of storage:
If the data is stored in files, the TemSe manages object management records for its objects in the
SAP database. However, it stores the object data, including the spool data, in files. By default, these
files are stored in the following global SAP directories:
You can specify an alternative directory with the rsts/files/roots/G system profile
parameter.
Files are held in directories that are named for the client (three digits) and the type of TemSe object
(five characters, as specified in table TST07).
001JOBLG contains logs for background jobs that were performed in client 001.
026SPOOL contains spool data for client 026.
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Within these directories, individual spool files are named with the spool request ID
number (such as 00013152).
The reports that check spool/TemSe consistency (RSPO0043) and that reorganize the spool and
TemSe (delete old spool requests, RSPO0041) are able to handle both database and file system
storage.
You want to display the distribution of the storage space among your TemSe objects.
Procedure
...
Result
The system display a large overview of the TemSe objects. You have the following options:
You can check the number and size of the TemSe objects.
You can check the number of objects that are stored with an unlimited retention period.
You can only determine the total number of objects with unlimited retention periods. You
cannot explicitly check the retention period of spool requests in TemSe administration. It
is display in the header data of the spool requests (transaction SP01).
If you store too many spool requests in the TemSe data store, capacity problems can occur.
Procedure
69
Encourage users to activate the option Delete after output in their user master records
This is especially important for users who have authorizations to execute background
processing jobs and batch input sessions.
delete inconsistent spool requests in the background regularly
Delete background jobs regularly with report RSBTCDEL
You can use the TemSe consistency check to check whether entries in the TemSe data store are
consistent.
Prerequisites
Features
...
1. The TemSe consistency check checks the following table entries for all TemSe objects:
Object associated with the header entry; it can be stored in the file system or in the database
table TST03 (TemSe data of the object)
The TemSe consistency check does not check the following entries:
However, as these entries are important for spool requests, the TemSe consistency check is not
suitable as a consistency check for spool requests.
2. You can determine TemSe inconsistencies in dialog (transaction SP12 TemSe database
consistency check) and delete them using the appropriate pushbuttons in transaction SP12.
We recommend that you do not perform the check in dialog due to possible timeouts.
3. You can use report RSTS0020 to determine inconsistencies in the background and delete
them in dialog with report RSTS0030. Deletion in the background is not possible.
70
Activities
...
2. Execute the report at least once more after an interval of around 30 minutes.
You must determine the exact interval based on the length of the running jobs.
It is possible that there is an entry in the first run that is marked as inconsistent, but no longer
appears in the second run. This is a temporary inconsistency.
Temporary inconsistencies are not actual inconsistencies and must not be deleted. Temporary
inconsistencies may occur, for example, if a user is writing data to the TemSe during the consistency
check. A check must be performed more than once to ensure that the inconsistency is not merely
temporary.
Inconsistencies that appear in multiple logs are actual inconsistencies and should be deleted.
However, you cannot delete TemSe inconsistencies in the background.
4. To perform the deletion, start report RSTS0030 in dialog for the subareas of TemSe, in which
the consistency check found inconsistent objects.
6. As soon as the report has generated the object list, you can delete either all or the selected
inconsistencies.
You can only specify the names generically using place holders and not as an area with a lower and
an upper limit.
The decisions that you must take at each step in the procedure
The actions that you should take to correct a problem.
Isolating the problem and finding the correct analysis procedure
71
Output Log
Use
The output log displays important details about output.
Features
The system records the following information in an output log:
Activities
You have the following options for creating output logs:
72
The administrator can also set up targeted output logging:
A log does not always mean that there is an error. When you are defining the printer, you can
specify that the print data is logged in each case, for example, for test purposes. For more
information, see Logging Output Data.
Use
Procedure
You can activate logging of output data for a specific printer in the Device definition.
Do the following:
1. In Spool Administration (transaction SPAD), switch to the Devices and Server tab page.
2. Either choose the Output Devices pushbutton and then the desired output device, or enter
the name of the desired output device.
5. Select a logging method from the list. You have the following options:
With access method L, you can also select on the Debugger tab page whether the print command is
to be logged. This is the command that the SAP System uses to pass an output request to the host
system spooler.
7. Output data is logged for each output request sent to the printer until you turn data logging
off on the Debugger tab page of the device definition.
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In addition to checking physically whether output has appeared, you can use the spool output
controller to check on the status of a job.
Do the following:
2. Enter all available information that you have on the spool request in the selection screen.
3. The most important status information about the spool requests means the following:
-- (no status): The spool request has not yet been sent to the output device. Print the spool
request to see if it is output normally.
Being processed: The job is currently being formatted and/or transmitted to the host system
spooler. You can wait to see if processing finishes normally. Or you can go to analysis
procedure Determining Why Output Request Was Not Processed to check whether processing
is proceeding normally.
Waiting or Complete and still has not appeared at the printer, you can go directly to the
analysis procedure Determining Why Output Request Was Not Processed.
If the status is Complete, also check the request information. To do this, select the spool
request and choose . The Output Attributes tab page shows the status of completed output
requests. If Processed without printing is selected, the output request has not yet been
printed. Go to the error analysis procedure shown above.
For information about the status in general, see the Displaying the Status of Spool and Output
Requests.
Was the correct device type specified in the output device definition?
To do this, call transaction SPAD, or choose Tools CCMS Spool Spool
Administration. Enter the name of the output device in the Output Device field on the Devices
/servers tab and choose enter. On the next screen, choose Goto Device Type.
The printer name definition for a Kyocera printer specifies device type HPLJIIID for a
Hewlett-Packard LaserJet printer.
Does the emulation specified at the printer match the emulation specified in the device
definition?
Many printers support several emulations. That is, the printers are able to understand multiple
printer languages. The printer can be switched between emulations either by an incoming print
job or by way of the printer control panel. For example: A correctly-configured Hewlett-Packard
LaserJet 4M printer can be switched between PostScript and PCL-5 emulations.
Do the following:
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1. Check the emulation at the printer as well as in the SAP System. You may be able to use the
printer control panel to determine the emulation that is active at the printer. Or you may need to
print a test sheet to see what the emulation setting is.
2. Once you have determined which emulation is active at the printer, check whether the
emulation in the defined device type is the same.
Choose Tools CCMS Spool Spool Administration. Enter the name of the output device in the
Output Device field on the Devices /servers tab and choose enter. On the next screen, choose Goto
Device Type.
3. If the emulations do not match, try to determine why. Is the default emulation at the printer set
incorrectly? Can the printer default be changed without causing problems for other output
requests? Did output requests from other users change the emulation at the printer?
If the printer default cannot be changed, can you change the SAP output device definition to match
the printer default?
You can specify that the SAP System sets the printer to the correct emulation at the start of each
output request. To do this, copy the SAP device type. Then, in the INIT (printer initialization) action,
enter the required print command to switch the emulation. Look in your printer manual for the
command to enter. The SAP System automatically restores the default emulation at the end of a
print request.
You specify that your Hewlett-Packard printer starts in PCL-4 emulation mode (Hewlett-
Packard LaserJet printer command language). However, the printer definition in the SAP
System specifies the device type POSTSCPT for the printer. That means that the SAP
System is sending PostScript code to a printer that is expecting commands in the PCL-4
language.
You can solve the problem in any of the following ways:
Change the default emulation setting at the printer so that it starts in the
correct emulation mode.
Specify a compatible device type in the SAP device definition.
Edit the SAP device type format so that the printer automatically switches to the
correct emulation at the start of an SAP print request.
Is the correct character set specified in the WIN.INI file (WinCharSet parameter) for the
Windows printer with device type SWIN (SAPWIN)?
Using the WinCharSet parameter, you can specify the character set and font to be used with
SWIN (device type) printers. Generally, the WinCharSet parameter should not be included in
the WIN.INI file or, if included, it should be set to 0.
If all SWIN output requests are printed using the wrong character set (Dingbats, for example),
check the WIN.INI file. If the parameter WinCharSet is included, remove it from the file.
For more information, see Setting the Character Set for SWIN and SAPLPD.
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