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Keyword: BASIS
Title : Exporting the Contents of Spool Requests

Keyword: BASIS
Title : Difference between Spool Request & Output Request

Auto convert SAP spool output to PDF file

As of Release 4.6D, PDF format (Adobe Acrobat data format) can be created via the SAP spooler by using the device type "PDF1".

As a workaround, a report (RSTXPDFT4) is made available for the missing "direct PDF printing", which can read spool requests, convert to PDF and perform a frontend download.

Read OSS Note 317851 - Printing PDF files in 4.6C/4.6B/4.5B

Note the restrictions specified in Note 323736 with the print output with PDF.

Caution when modifying device type ZPDF1, see Note 437696.

Version <>

If you are in version less than 4.6D, you can configure an output type to convert the spool automatically into a PDF format into your local harddisk but not do a "direct PDF printing".

When you print to this PDF output type, it will prompt you to enter the file name of your PDF file to be stored into your local harddisk.

First you have to add a printer using

Windows -> Start -> Settings -> Printers -> Generic / Text Only -> Port : Print to File

Next create a new device type e.g. ZPDF -> Select device type ZPDF1

Options for HostSpoolAccMethod -> Host spool access method : F : Printing on Frontend Computer
Host Printer : __DEFAULT or Generic / Text Only

Save your entries.

When you print to the device type ZPDF, choose Generic / Text Only for the Frontend Computer if it is not the default type.

Delete multiple spool request

The program are RSPO0041 or RSPO1041.

This is handy whenever you encounter a user who managed to create a lot of spool requests which are choking your system.

Use programs RSPO0041 or RSPO1041 when you have a large no of old spool requests to be deleted

As of Release 4.6D, PDF format (Adobe Acrobat data format) can be created via the SAP spooler by using the device type "PDF1".

As a workaround, a report (RSTXPDFT4) is made available for the missing "direct PDF printing", which can read spool requests, convert to PDF and perform a frontend download.

Read OSS Note 317851 - Printing PDF files in 4.6C/4.6B/4.5B

Note the restrictions specified in Note 323736 with the print output with PDF.

Caution when modifying device type ZPDF1, see Note 437696.

Version <>

If you are in version less than 4.6D, you can configure an output type to convert the spool automatically into a PDF format into your local harddisk but not do a "direct PDF printing".

When you print to this PDF output type, it will prompt you to enter the file name of your PDF file to be stored into your local harddisk.

First you have to add a printer using

Windows -> Start -> Settings -> Printers -> Generic / Text Only -> Port : Print to File

Next create a new device type e.g. ZPDF -> Select device type ZPDF1

Options for HostSpoolAccMethod -> Host spool access method : F : Printing on Frontend Computer
Host Printer : __DEFAULT or Generic / Text Only

Save your entries.

When you print to the device type ZPDF, choose Generic / Text Only for the Frontend Computer if it is not the default type.

The program are RSPO0041 or RSPO1041.

This is handy whenever you encounter a user who managed to create a lot of spool requests which are choking your system.

It is used to output the document to a printer, fax, email and SMS etc.
It is only the process which is used to display the documents before they get printed.
Once a spool request is generated in the system, It can be printed to any printer with n no of copies, at any time.
Where as normal printing, the document will not be available once it is printed.
We can change the output format at any time.

Spool work flow:

A dialog user or a background process initializes a print request.
The print requests are stored in a location which is determined by a parameter ‘RSPO/Store_location = G/DB’.
G- Global directory at OS level
DB- In database tables.

This location is referred as “Temse”( Temporary Sequential File).
Temse is stored in Global directory when it is referred as ‘G’. It is stored in database tables TST01 ; TST03. If it is referred as ‘DB’ .

By default the value is ‘DB’.

G: (Global Directory on Application Server):

1. If G is specified it is stored at OS level
2. The printing will be faster if there are less no of documents. Because from file system to spooler

The communication faster than database to host spooler

Disadvantages:

1.A dedicated backup has to be planned to save the contents of Global directory.
2. When the records are more the printing consumes more time because of ‘Lack of indexes’ at file system.

Advantages:

1. No special attention is required to backup the spool requests.
2. RDBMS rules are inherited to spool requests, because they are in the Database.

‘Temse’ stores spool requests

Spool process gets initiated and reads the contents from ‘TST01’ name of the Author, no of copies name of the printer and spool data from ‘TST03’. And converts spool requests into “Output Requests’ (Printer specific requests).

The communication between the spool process & Host spooler depends upon the type of “Access Method”.

1. Local Access Method: The spooler process and the host spooler resides on the same server, then LAM is used.
On UNIX- OS Access Method ‘L’ is used (SAPLPD)

(To print the spool requests ------à # lpstat (Queue Name))

On windows Local Access Method ‘C’ is used.

It is direct OS called method.

Note: The printer can be connected to directly or we can send request too print server.


2. Remote Access Method : The ‘Spool Process’ &’Host Spooler’ request on different machines

On UNIX machines Remote Access Method ‘U’ is used It is derived from UNIX Berkley Protocol.
On windows SAP proprietary protocol type ‘S’ is used.

3. Front end printing:

The spool process is dedicated to the user requests and it will not be freed until the process finishes the task.

The spool process are configured by parameter ‘RDISP/WP_NO_SPO’
Depending on the resources as many no of spool processes can be configured.

In order to avoid spool congestion configure front end printing process to either 2 or 3 i.e. at any given point of time 2 or 3 work process can go into front end mode.

Goto SPAD to define printer.

Click on ‘Output Device’------à Create -------à

Specify the name of the output device. Ensure that the naming conversation are followed to define the name of the printer.

Provide a short name

Specify the device type (i.e. serial no & manufacturer of the printer)

If the device types are not available, communicates with SAP or the vendor, get the device types and import it to SAP system.

Goto SPAD ------à Utilites-------àdevice types ---à Import

We can also import ‘Character sets’.

Specify the spool server

Spool Servers: The application Server which is configured with at least one spool process is called as spool server.


Spool servers can be logical or real

Goto SPAD -----à click on spool servers--àclick on change(F8)---------à Create

We can create our own spool servers.

Logical Spool Serever:

Define the logical spool server and assign it to a real spool server

In order to select Logical Server
Select [ ] Logical Server ------àspecify mapping real server alternate server

Also [ ] Allow load balancing.

Device Class : Specify whether it is a printer , Archiving , fax etc…
Authorization Group: For securing the printer
Specify Model, Location & Message

Access Method : Specify the Access Method specify the host name

[ ] Do not query host spooler for output status.

Output Attributes: Specify

Tray info:

“RDISP/WP_NO_SPO_PRO_Max” to limit the users for front end printer.

Spool Monitoring: Spool requests are monitored in transaction SP01

Go to SP01 to display ‘Spool requests’ and ‘Output requests’ specify the ‘Spool request ‘ number or user id, Date & Time, Output device to display the Spool requests.

The spool request has the following statuses:

‘-‘ : The request is not sent to the host system (output request does not exist)
‘+’ : Spool request is generated and stored in “Temse’.
‘Waiting’ : The spool request is waiting to be processed by a spool process.
‘in process’ :Te spool work process is processing the spool request into output request for printing.
‘Printing’ :Te host spool is printing the request. If the RS system does not receive any status from the host spool, the status is dispatched for one minute and shifts the status to ‘Completed’

Note: There are instances where the printing is continued and the status is set to “Completed”. This is due to the option set “[ ] Do not query host spooler for status”

‘Completed’: Generally the completed status donates that output request completed successfully, because the ‘spool system’ communicates with ‘Host Spool’ and if it doesn’t receive any status update within one minute , the status is set to “ Completed”

‘Problem’ : The output request is printed with minor error (Page Format, Margins).

‘Error’ : Indicates an error that the ‘Host Spool’ system is not reachable can a network error.

‘Archive’ : The request is waiting to be archived. Archived requests will be stored in external devices and are available to print at any time SARI & SARA.

Transaction SPIC is used to check the consistency of Spool Mechanism

Go to SP12 for “Temse” administration

It is used to identity the size based on users and applications in the “Temse”

Basic Understanding Regarding to Spool

Explain on Local Printing, Remote Printing, Front End Printing.
Concept of logical server and SAPLPD.

Tcode : SPAD

Local Printing means that your spool server (R/3) and print manager (OS) are running on the same machine and the printer is connected locally or via network connection to the Print manager (OS).
Access Method for local printing :
C : Direct operating system call - for windows
L : connect locally via lp/lpr with signal - for unix

Remote Printing means that your spool server (R/3) and print manager (OS) are running on different machine and the printer may be connected locally or via network connection to the print manager (OS).
Access Method for Remote printing :
U : Print on LPDHOST via berkeley protocol - for windows and unix
S : Print on LPDHOST via SAP protocol - for windows

Front end printing means that printer is connected to the front end system. there is no need to define the printer on the SAP system.
Access method for front end printing :
F : Print on front end (locally) via SAPLPD

Logical Server are mapped to the physical server or another logical server. These servers are used for load balancing purpose.

SAPLPD daemon is an interface between Spool server (R/3) and Print Manager (OS). when using the access method U,S and F this daemon program should be running on the print manager (OS) (in case of U,S) and on the front end system (in case of F).

Print data are usually stored temporarily in TemSe before output request are created for them. The parameter rspo/store_location is used to define where spool data are stored in SAP. Two possible values can be defined for the parameter. They are db – Database and G – Global directory at operating system level. These options have their respective merits and demerits. While I intend to explore the peculiarities of these options, I’d like to say that they have common attributes in some senses. For example, reports RSPO0041 and RSPO0043 which checks spool consistency and delete old spool respectively can be applied to both options – db or G.


Storing spool data in the database – db When db is specified for the rspo/store_location parameter, spool request are stored in the database. The table TST03 houses the spool data in the database. A major merit of this method is that data can be backed up and restored using conventional database management tools. It is worthy to mention too that consistency is guaranteed. The obvious demerit of this option is the high load on the database and possible high database maintenance cost and of course, the consequent performance degradation.


Storing data in the global directory at OS level – G When G is specified for the rspo/store_location parameter, spool requests are stored at OS level in the SAP global directory. The strength of this approach is that it ensures that the system is faster and performs better. The downside of this approach is that backup and restore operation is performed independent of the databases at OS level. Also restoring consistency can be a nightmare.

Conclusively, caution must be exercised in adopting spool storage location method especially in an environment where you have multiple application servers. A thorough evaluation of available resources and business need is important. It is pertinent to mention that SAP recommends the use of same spool storage location option across board.
Source Kehinde Eseyin