SAPSPRINT vs Local Printers (Pro and Cons)

[former_member229542]

Hi guys.

Anyone can help me out citing pro and cons by installing a SAPSPRINT over windows vs having printers installed directy over the Iseries Server.

Its planned to install productive printers which are very critical, so we would like to devise the best approach.

By installing the SAPSPRINT would avoid the bottlenecks if the printers are installed locally?

Thanks!

[markus_doehr2 · Accepted solution]

The advantage of having a central print server instead of local installed printers is the fact, that in case a printer breaks you can redirect the queue and the print jobs to another one whereas if you have the printers locally you have to "reprint" from SAP. Depending on the amount of print jobs this can be a tedious exercise.

Markus

[former_member229542 · Accepted solution]

Hi Markus, nice to see you.

I agree with the fact that a central print server you can have a better administration of your printers.

My concern is that based on Note 19706 - Tuning the Spooler, productive printers must never be defined with access type U or S, and all printers created on that print server are type U, which is the recommended access method for remote printers.

Group 1 (Productive printer):

All printers with the shortest possible response time.

For example: Goods receipt/issue sheets, delivery notes, patient entry sheets,...

Printers with a fast response (Group 1):

Devices with short response times must NEVER be defined with access type 'U' or 'S'. When a problem occurs (e.g. network problems, PC is switched off etc.), a single printer linked to a work process by access type 'U' disturbs all the connected printers. All printers in this group MUST be linked with access type 'L' or 'C' (depending on the operating system). If they are not linked to the server, they must be defined in the host spooler as "remote printers" and forwarded via the the host spooler.

So why this note recommends to put printers locally in order avoid network issues and so on, but SAP also recommends a SAPSPRINT as printing solution?

Does SAPSPRINT overrule any recommendation to local printers and is a definite solution way better than local printing?

Thanks Markus again

[markus_doehr2 · Accepted solution]

SAPSPRINT is a spool server for Windows, it's not installed on all PCs but on a central system, it's a replacement for SAPLpd.

Just out of curiosity: Is there any reason why you don't define the network printers on your iSeries directly?

Markus

[former_member229542 · Accepted solution]

Right, SAPSPRINT was on a central server, and all the printers were defined pointing to this print server; so far this workaround is working fine.

The initial issue started when all the printers were configured for using SAPLpd which caused several bottlenecks on the spool WPs

Regarding why the network printers werent defined on the Iseries directly, is the exact point of my concern.

We are at a point where we have to choose if A or B

A)keeping SAPSPRINT over a Windows Server which may have an unexpected downtime since is not on a High Availavility Environment, causing the printing cease to work.

B) Move all these productive network printers and install them directly over the Iseries.

Does having the network printers installed directly on the Iseries has much advantage over a Windows print server using SAPSPRINT?

What would be the correct choice for these critical printers? Having them installed directly on the Iseries, or keep using a Print Server?

Thanks a lot Markus!

[markus_doehr2 · Accepted solution]

> Does having the network printers installed directly on the Iseries has much advantage over a Windows print server using SAPSPRINT?

Not trying to starting a flame war here but everything is better than having a single Windows box for a critical environment (as you stated yourself).

> What would be the correct choice for these critical printers? Having them installed directly on the Iseries, or keep using a Print Server?

If you put them on the iSeries they work as long as the iSeries system is up and running

Markus

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Martin,

I would even go further ...

I would configure sufficient (4-8) Spool WPs and then would use access method U directly to the IP of the printer. This is in theory not recommended, but works very good at our customers. As soon as you start configuring the printers on the iSeries, you always need to take care, that the printer-writer is started and the there is no MSGW etc.

Regards

Volker Gueldenpfennig, consolut international ag

http://www.consolut.com http://www.4soi.de http://www.easymarketplace.de

[former_member229542 · Accepted solution]

Thanks Markus for all your advices.

One final concern.

By having all those network priting servers installed on the Iseries, would cause any bottleneck and/or require extra Spool WPs?

Or SAP would simply put the spool on the Iseries Output Queue, and release the WP?

Thanks again and awarded as always!

[former_member229542 · Accepted solution]

Hi Volker, thanks for your input.

As a first instance, the printers were configured that way, having 7 Spool WP, and pointing directly to the IP of the printers, but it caused a couple critical isseues due bottlenecks, so this was disregarded.

The solution was pointed towards a SAPSPRINT and as Markus stated, installing them directly on the Iseries.

Regards!

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Martin,

ok, if you do have issues with that setup, I would definetely recommend to use the setup on iSeries, as then all bottlenecks disappear automatically )

A Spool-WP directly "spools" to the OUTQ, that is very fast => the spool wp can then print the next one already ...

The OUTQ prints then to the printer either via remote OUTQ or via DEVD depending on your setup. This means, that you do have more or less "1 spool WP per printer", as the printer writer does most of the work of the spool WP and you do have as many as printers here ...

So, at least the critical printers should then be configured locally and used with access method C.

Regards

Volker Gueldenpfennig, consolut international ag

http://www.consolut.com http://www.4soi.de http://www.easymarketplace.de

[former_member229542 · Accepted solution]

Thanks again Volker for your advices.