difference between logical spool server and alternative printer

[Former Member]

Hi All,

We are in the process of implementing load balancing among printers. As of now, they are printing as static printers. I want to know:

1) Is it necassary to define logical spool servers for printer load sharing or we by using printer load balancing and defining the alternative printer, we would be able to accomplish printer load sharing?

2) Also, even after going by the help manual, still not able to figure out the correct advantage of logical spool servers.

Thank You,

Antarpreet

[Former Member]

Hi Antarpreet,

Logical spool server is at application server level while printer load balancing or what is known commonly as pool printing is something at print server level.

They are 2 different concepts.

If you mutiple application servers and each one of them has spool work processes then the best way of making sure that printing makes use of these work processes on load sharing basis is to create logical spool server. In a logical spool server you can define 2 application servers or 1 application server and another logical spool server. Then this logical spool server can assigned to all the printers. When you fire a print out dispatcher would look for which of servers in the logical spool server is free and direct printing to it.

In case of pool printing you create a printer pool again consisting of 2 physical printers or 1 physical printer and 1 pool printer. Here SAP is not responsible for load balancing but the actual print server is which will decide which printer in the pool is free and will direct the print out to it.

So logical spool server helps in load balancing at SAP application server level while pool printing does load balacing at physical printer level.

Regards.

Ruchit.