IBM Support

Configuration Settings and Error Messages for *LAN 3812 PJL Device Descriptions

Troubleshooting


Problem

This document contains information on configuration settings and error messages for *LAN 3812 PJL device descriptions.

Resolving The Problem

Note: This document was previously entitled *LAN PJL TCP/IP Device Description Configuration Settings.

This document contains information on configuration settings and error messages for *LAN 3812 PJL device descriptions. The term PJL refers to HP's Printer Job Language. PJL allows for two-way communication with the printer when attached to the LAN using a print server that also supports bidirectional PJL.

*LAN 3812 PJL device descriptions have become a popular and recommended alternative to using Remote Output Queues (RMTOUTQs), which use LPR/LPD. This is only supported for laser printers and print servers that support HP's PJL (Printer Job Language) protocol.

For information on configuration and limitations of *LAN 3812 PJL device descriptions, refer to the following document:
N1010134: Configuring a *LAN 3812 PJL Device Description

The success of this connection is dependent on the configuration settings at both ends, the operating system and the printer. The TCP/IP network will also have an effect on performance and starting of the printer writer. The following suggestions are intended to make this transition smooth and different roles in its success. Because the HP, Lexmark, and IBM printers are the most common, the examples includes only these printers. This configuration has worked on other types of printers (for example, Xerox) if they are supporting the HP mode along with the PJL control language.

This document contains the following sections:

1. Timeout Settings on the Print Server discusses the timeout settings in the print server hardware.
2. Timeout Settings on the Printer discusses the timeout settings in the printer hardware.
3. Recommended Timeout Settings for IBM, HP and Lexmark Print Servers lists the recommended timeout settings for certain IBM, HP and Lexmark print servers.
4. Timeout Settings in the operating system Printer Device Description discusses some settings in the printer device configuration in the operating system that can cause writers to end.
5. TCP/IP Keep-Alive Value on the Operating System discusses setting the TCP/IP Keep Alive value by using the CHGTCPA command on the operating system.
6. Error Messages for *LAN PJL Device Descriptions contains the messages that are associated with remote output queue printing. These messages are found in the writer job log.
7. Getting the Latest Print-Related TCP Fixes and Print-Related Fixes contains links to the latest PTF lists for TCP/IP printing.
8. Checking and Changing the Size of the *SPOOL Pool contains information about how to determine the size of the *SPOOL pool and how to adjust the size.

This document was last updated on 16 May 2012.

  • - Timeout Settings on the Print Server



    The print server, sometimes called a LAN adapter or Network Interface (NIC) card (internal or external), has a timeout setting in the hardware configuration. A timeout is the amount of time that the print server waits for data before the print job is canceled. When this timeout expires, the adapter releases the printer so that other print jobs can be started. These other print jobs can be from another protocol, another interface, or another host. This function provides a safety net. If a host fails to send a complete print job, the print server waits for the specified time and then moves on to the next job. If a file is released to print and the timeout expires before a complete OS/400 or i5/OS spooled file is sent to the printer or the timeout expires between the sending of buffers, the printer writer ends with message CPD337C, The session with device &1 ended abnormally, and the OS/400 or i5/OS spooled file is set to HLD or RDY status.

    The timeout can be configured from the printer panel or through a network utility (for example, the HP JetAdmin utility for internal and external HP JetDirect print servers and the Lexmark MarkVision utility for Lexmark Marknet print servers). For printer panel configuration, the timeout is found under some network option -- under the IO and MIO menus for HP printers, under the Network menu for Lexmark printers, and under the Ethernet or Token-Ring menu for IBM printers.

  • - Timeout Settings on the Printer



    On the printer, the processor timer (sometimes called a job timeout or a wait timeout) should be disabled or set to maximum (usually 300 seconds) because individual pages might have a delay in transmitting to the printer due to transforming considerations. This timer controls the amount of time in seconds (5 to 300) the printer waits before printing the last page that does not end with a command to print the page. This timer should not effect the execution of this print driver because each page is terminated with a form feed. We could have a case where a partial page is sent to the printer's buffer while complex transforming is taking place during which this timer expires and, therefore, ejects an incomplete page.

  • - Recommended Timeout Settings for IBM, HP and Lexmark Print Servers



    IBM Network Printer and IBM Infoprint printers:

    Set the Port timeout to 300 (5 minutes). Setting this timeout to 0 does not disable the Port timeout . IBM does not have an external adapter that supports this configuration at this time. The port timeout can be set through the control panel on the printer

    IBM Infoprint 1100, 1200, 1300 and 1400 Family Printers:

    Disable the Job timeout by setting it to 0. The Job timeout can typically be set through the control panel on the printer, or it can be set using the Lexmark MarkVision Utility. The Lexmark MarkVision Utility can be downloaded from Lexmark's website, www.lexmark.com/.

    HP JetDirect cards/print servers:

    Set the IO timeout (or Job timeout ) to 300 seconds (5 minutes) and set the Idle timeout to somewhere between 900 seconds (15 minutes) and 3600 seconds (1 hour). Setting the IO timeout (or Job timeout ) and Idle timeout to 0 does not disable them. It causes the printer or print server to timeout immediately. The IO timeout can typically be set through the control panel on the printer, or it can be set using the HP JetAdmin Utility. The Idle timeout can be set by TELNETing to the TCP/IP address for the printer, or it can be set using the HP JetAdmin Utility. The HP JetAdmin Utility can be downloaded from HP's website, www.hp.com/.

    Lexmark MarkNet cards/print servers:

    Disable the End of Job timeout or Job timeout by setting it to 0. If the printer has a Network Job timeout then that should also be disabled by setting it to 0. These timeout values can typically be set through the control panel on the printer, or by using the Lexmark MarkVision Utility. The Lexmark MarkVision Utility can be downloaded from Lexmark's website, www.lexmark.com/.

  • - Timeout Settings in the OS/400 or i5/OS Printer Device Description



    Settings in the printer device configuration in the operating system that can cause writers to end are the Inactivity timer and Activation timer.

    The recommended setting for Inactivity timer should be set at some value other than *NOMAX so that the connection will be closed during periods of no activity. Even if not sharing on the network, *NOMAX can cause problems with the writer connection.

    The Activation timer should be set to a value large enough to prevent posting of intervention errors due to TCP/IP transmission delays and printer processing delays. The default setting of 170 seconds is usually large enough to accomplish this unless you send large files to a printer with a slow processor that has a lot of memory. Increasing the activation time will prevent unwanted intervention errors but that time will have to pass before you will get an intervention error. Note that intervention errors do not stop the print process. If the Printer Error Message parameter in the Device Description for the writer was set to *INQ, then the intervention will require an operator input to retry or to cancel the writer. (At R370, the Printer Error message is not recognized on ASCII printers. Change the User defined options parameter to ERRMSGINFO). If the parameter was set to *INFO, then the driver will continue to retry until the connection has been established or the TCP/IP has closed the socket or, in the case of a slow printer processor, the proper response is obtained which is either the printer is on-line or that the printer has received all the data. If the connection was eventually successful, the intervention message will be attempted to be removed from the message queue, and process will continue.

  • - TCP/IP Keep-Alive Value on the Operating System



    The printer will close the socket if the printer has not processed any communication from the host within the timeout limit for the LAN adapter, which is discussed in the section entitled Timeout Settings on the Print Server. This can happen if the printer has a large buffer and it is filled with data to print. To prevent this from happening, the TCP/IP Keep-Alive value on the operating system should be set to a value less than the timeout value for the print server. The TCP/IP Keep-Alive value can be changed using the Change TCP/IP Attributes (CHGTCPA) command. This causes a poll to be sent to the printer before the printer times out. We want this timeout value to be as large as possible to prevent unnecessary network traffic. Increasing the TCP keep alive (TCPKEEPALV) parameter to 50 minutes may help if printing large spooled files.

  • - Error Messages for *LAN PJL Device Descriptions



    CPD338D "An error occurred while receiving data"
    The LAN adapter timeout value has expired and the writer has ended. Refer to section Recommended Timeout Settings for IBM, HP and Lexmark Print Servers at the top of this document for information on changing the timeout settings.

    This can also be caused by a particular TCP/IP protocol violation that can occur when the printer is attached to the LAN using a Lexmark MarkNet print server, which includes Lexmark Optra printers with internal NIC cards. This specific protocol violation is known as the Double SYN problem and was reported in the following IBM Informational APAR:

    IBM Informational APAR II12692, LIC-COMM-TCPIP AS/400 SENDS RST DUE TO INVALID SEQUENCE NUMBER

    In the case of the Double SYN problem, the printer writer attempts to open a connection with the Lexmark Optra printer by sending a SYN (Synchronization Request). Due to high network congestion, the iSeries system does not receive a SYN ACK (Synchronization Acknowledgment) from the printer quickly enough and, therefore, sends a second SYN request. The Lexmark MarkNet printer sends two SYN ACKs in response to the two SYNs that were sent by the iSeries system, but the second SYN ACK has an invalid sequence number causing the IBM System i system to send a RST to the printer to reset or end the connection. That ends the connection to the printer, and the operating system spooled files do not print.

    It may require a TCP/IP communications trace to confirm that the Double SYN problem is occurring. If it is occurring, then it can be resolved by contacting Lexmark to get a firmware upgrade for the Lexmark MarkNet S and Lexmark MarkNet Pro series adapters. To get the firmware upgrade, contact the Lexmark Customer Support Center at 1-888-LEXMARK (or 1-888-539-6275) and ask for the fix for the Double SYN Sequence Number Increment problem, or ask for firmware version 191 or 192 (or higher). According to Lexmark Technical Support, the firmware upgrade can also be downloaded directly from the following URL:

    drivers.lexmark.com/drivers.nsf/SelectFirmware?OpenForm&MarkNet+S

    Note: The current firmware version for the MarkNet X2000 and MarkNet N2000 series adapters does not have this issue. Older MarkNet, MarkNet XL, and MarkNet XLe adapters can experience this problem, but no upgrade can be made available because those adapters are out of code space. If this problem is seen with these older adapters, attempt to reduce network congestion, replace the older MarkNet adapters with newer adapters that have the firmware upgrade, or do not use those printers with R440 OS/400 or later.

    If CPD338D is received with return code 3426 (RC3426), it could indicate that the print server or network interface card (NIC) is not set up for bidirectional communications. Verify that the parallel mode is set to bitronics, bidirectional, or ECP/MLC, rather than centronics.

    Receiving message CPD338D with return code 3426 (RC3426) could also indicate that the printer or print server does not support PJL. In many cases, the printer or print server may not support PJL but does support SNMP, in which case changing the *LAN 3812 PJL device description to be a *LAN 3812 SNMP device description may resolve the problem. This can typically be done by setting the User-defined options (USRDFNOPT) parameter to *IBMSHRCNN and changing the System driver program (SYSDRVPGM) parameter from *HPPJLDRV to *IBMSNMPDRV.

    For more information, refer to the following document:
    N1019572: Configuring a *LAN 3812 SNMP Device Description


    CPD337C "The session with device &1 ended abnormally"
    Message CPD337C indicates that the connection cannot make the socket connection, but may be issued for several different reasons. If this is occurring, check the following:

    If using an HP™ printer, refer to Writer for HP Printer Ends with Message CPD337C and CPD337F
    Change the system driver program from *HPPJLDRV to *IBMSNMPDRV.
    Verify the port value is correct for the LAN adapter or printer.
    If a firewall or SOCKS server is set up, or going through a router, make sure the port is not blocked. Check with the network administrator on the port that you are using to see if the firewall, SOCKS server, or router is blocking the port.

    Multiple devices configured for one physical printer and one or more have the Inactivity Timer (INACTTMR) set to *NOMAX or a value other than the recommended value of *SEC15. The INACTMR, commonly referred to as the release timer, specifies the amount of time the connection is held on the port on the physical printer after all spooled files have printed from the output queue. The Inactivity Timer is in minutes, not seconds so a value of 5 means the connection is released on the port 5 minutes after all spooled files from the output queue have printed. Identify all devices configured for the printer and ensure all have the INACTTMR set to *SEC15.
    Network function named intrusion prevention system (IPS) may be identifying print packets as malicious and blocking the connection.
    A connection trace shows the connection opening to the printer, but no response from the printer thereafter.
    This error message can also be caused by disabling bidirectional communications on either the printer or the print server/network interface card (NIC).
    If CPD337C is received when printing to an IBM Infoprint 1100, 1200, 1300 or 1400 Series printer or a Lexmark Optra printer, it could indicate that the Job timeout in the printer hardware is set too low. If this is the case, disabling the Job Timeout by setting it to 0 should resolve the problem. Refer to the section Recommended Timeout Settings for IBM, HP and Lexmark Print Servers at the top of this document for information on changing the timeout settings.
    If message CPD337C is received when printing a large spooled file with the Starting page portion of the Page range to print (PAGERANGE) parameter in the spooled file attributes set to a large number, it could indicate that the timeout settings in the printer hardware are set too low. This has been seen with a *LAN 3812 SNMP device description when printing a 22000-page spooled file that had PAGERANGE(15000 15002) specified to an HP LaserJet printer that had the Idle timeout set to 90 seconds. The SNMP print driver code had a performance issue, but even after the problem was fixed by a PTF it took almost 90 seconds to process the spooled file, so the same thing could happen with either the IBM SNMP print driver code or the HP PJL print driver code if it had taken a little longer to process the spooled file (for instance if the system had been very busy at the time). Therefore, it is recommended to increase the Idle timeout from the default value of 90 seconds to somewhere between 300 seconds (15 minutes) and 3600 seconds (1 hour), even after applying the PTF. Refer to the section Recommended Timeout Settings for IBM, HP and Lexmark Print Servers at the top of this document for information on changing the timeout settings.
    If message CPD337C is received when printing to IBM 4049, Lexmark Optra R, Optra L, or Optra Lx printers, ensure the setting Advanced Status is turned on. This setting is found under the printer's Parallel menu . According to the user's guide for the Lexmark Optra R, Optra L, and Optra Lx printers (which are equivalent to the IBM 4049 LaserPrinter), "if Advanced Status is set On, bidirectional communications is enabled through the parallel interface." The factory default is On, so normally bidirectional communications is enabled for these printers. The *LAN 3812 PJL OS/400 device descriptions require bidirectional communications, so turning the Advanced Status off would cause the *LAN 3812 PJL operating system device description to fail. Refer to the User's Guide for Lexmark Optra R, Optra L, and Optra Lx printers.
    Message CPD337C can also be caused by having the Network Job timeout set too low in a Lexmark printer. Setting the Network Job timeout to the maximum value of 255 may still be too low, so this timeout should also be disabled by setting it to 0. The Network Job timeout can typically be set through the control panel on the printer, or by using the Lexmark MarkVision Utility. The Lexmark MarkVision Utility can be downloaded from Lexmark's website, www.lexmark.com/.
    Message CPD337C can also be an indication that the printer may not support bidirectional PJL commands. Examples include all dot matrix printers, all line printers, all ink jet printers, older laser printers (anything compatible with an HP LaserJet III or earlier), or laser or inkjet printers that support SNMP communications but not PJL (such as HP OfficeJet or Panasonic WORKiO printers). If the printer supports HP PCL5e or HP PCL6, there is a good chance, but no guarantee, that it will support bidirectional PJL which is required for a *LAN 3812 PJL device description.

    You may need to switch to using a *LAN 3812 SNMP device description or a Remote Output Queue (RMTOUTQ) instead of a *LAN 3812 PJL device description. You could test this by changing the System driver program (SYSDRVPGM) parameter from *HPPJLDRV (or *IBMPJLDRV) to *IBMSNMPDRV and setting the User-defined options (USRDFNOPT) parameter to *IBMSHRCNN.

    Otherwise, to determine whether a printer model is likely to work when printing from a System i using LPR, PJL, SNMP, IPP or a PC5250 printer session, refer to the following document:

    N1019605: Information on Printers from Various Manufacturers


    CPF3330 "Necessary resource not available"
    This indicates that a resource is not available and the writer appears to hang. A good circumvention is to change the default wait timeout on the writer. This can be changed through the CHGCLS command, then restart the writer. An example is CHGCLS CLS(QSPL) DFTWAIT(120), to be entered at the command line.
    CPF33CD "No file found for specified handle &1"
    The handle is a 20 alphanumeric hex value, for example:  X'F5A6430965A411E00101'
    Cause:   The cause is unknown.
    Recovery:  Others have reported the error occurring once or twice and do not see it again.
    A remote output queue to the same printer does not log the same error.  
    CPI404F "Problem with device &1"
    Message CPI404F indicates that there is a problem with the printer hardware, including but not limited to one of the following:
    1 The printer may be busy printing from another host.
    2 The printer may be out of paper (end of forms condition).
    3 The printer may have a paper or forms jam.
    4 The printer may not be ready to print and may require operator intervention.
    The problem can usually be determined by either looking at the printer control panel, or by using the printer's web access (built-in web server) by specifying the printer IP address or host name in the Address Bar on a web browser. Once the printer hardware problem has been identified and resolved, the writer should continue to print without further intervention on the system, such as answering an inquiry message.

    Note: A change was made to the PJL Print Driver code in R530 PTF SI12295, and in the base code for V5R4M0 (R540) i5/OS) to start issuing message CPI404F when a spooled file cannot be printed due to a problem with the printer hardware.  Before this change, problems with the printer hardware would cause message CPD337F to be issued instead.


    CPD337F "Remote device rejected an attempt by the writer to open a connection"
    Note: A change was made to the PJL Print Driver code in R530 PTF SI12295, and in the base code for V5R4M0 (R540) i5/OS) to start issuing message CPI404F when a spooled file cannot be printed due to a problem with the printer hardware. Before this change, problems with the printer hardware would cause message CPD337F to be issued instead.
    If using an HP™ printer, refer to Writer for HP Printer Ends with Message CPD337C and CPD337F
    Change the system driver program from *HPPJLDRV to *IBMSNMPDRV.

    Message CPD337F may be issued for several different reasons, including but not limited to one of the following:
    1 An incorrect port number or Internet address was specified in the printer device description. If a name was used in the Remote Location parameter rather than the TCP/IP address for the printer, ensure the case matches with the Host Table entry or Domain Name Server entry. This parameter is case-sensitive when a name is used.
    2 The remote device, if it is a printer, may be busy printing from another host.
    3 The remote device, if it is a printer, may not be ready to print and may require operator intervention.
    4 The printer may have an error or informational message on the control panel, such as the following:

    002 TONER LOW
    INSTALL NEW TONER CARTRIDGE
    This is a common error issued if the writer is trying to send data to the printer and the printer is unable to receive. This is normal in some configurations and will not cause a problem unless the device description activation timer expires before the printer is ready to receive the data again. Refer to the section on Timeout Settings in the OS/400 Printer Device Description for information on setting the activation timer.

    Typical reasons for this error can include the following:
    The printer buffer may be filling up because it is being sent spooled files faster than it can print them. When this occurs, the writer waits and issues CPD337F. Sometimes adding more memory to the printer can alleviate this problem. It is recommended that you increase the Activation timer if this is causing the writer to end.
    The printer may be temporarily unavailable because it is out of forms, has a paper jam, is offline, is in power saver mode, and so on. There are some instances when the writer will not start because of the power saver, though getting the latest PTFs should resolve this problem. Refer to section Getting the Latest Print-Related TCP Fixes and PJL Driver Fixes at the bottom of this document for information on getting the latest PTFs. Otherwise, you should be able to get the writer to start by disabling power save mode on the printer.
    If using an external print server, the printer may be connected to the print server using the wrong type of parallel cable or the parallel port on the print server may not be configured correctly. Make sure the parallel cable is a bidirectional, IEEE 1284 printer cable and set the parallel mode on the print server to bitronics, bidirectional or ECP/MLC.
    The printer may not support bidirectional PJL commands. Examples include all dot matrix printers, all line printers, all ink jet printers, or older laser printers (anything compatible with an HP LaserJet III or earlier). If the printer supports HP PCL5e or HP PCL6, there is a good chance, but no guarantee, that it will support bidirectional PJL which is required for a *LAN 3812 PJL device description.

    Note: You may need to switch to using a *LAN 3812 SNMP device description or a Remote Output Queue (RMTOUTQ) instead of a *LAN 3812 PJL device description. You could test this by changing the System driver program (SYSDRVPGM) parameter from *HPPJLDRV (or *IBMPJLDRV) to *IBMSNMPDRV and setting the User-defined options (USRDFNOPT) parameter to *IBMSHRCNN.

    Otherwise, to determine whether a printer model is likely to work when printing from a System i using LPR, PJL, SNMP, IPP or a PC5250 printer session, refer to the following document:

    N1019605: Information on Printers from Various Manufacturers
    The print server may not support bidirectional PJL commands or may not pass the PJL commands to the printer.

    For a complete list of known print servers that support PJL, refer to the following document:

    N1019689: Recommended PJL Port Number Values for *LAN 3812 PJL Device Descriptions
    The print server may be configured with incorrect settings for the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway or host name. Check the network settings in the network interface card (NIC) or print server, and consult with your network administrator.

    To test this, prompt the Verify TCP/IP Connection (VFYTCPCNN or PING) command with the F4 key and type in the printer IP address or host name, then press the Enter key, and PING the printer from a Windows PC that is in the same subnet as the printer. If the PING fails from the IBM i, but PING works from a Windows PC that is in the same subnet as the printer, then the default gateway or subnet mask are most likely set incorrectly.
    A duplicate TCP/IP address may exist.

    To test this, power off or uncable the printer or external print server from the network then prompt the Verify TCP/IP Connection (VFYTCPCNN or PING) command with the F4 key and type in the printer IP address or host name, then press the Enter key. If the PING fails, then there is no duplicate IP address, but if the PING is still successful then another device has been assigned to another device in the network. Either the printer or the duplicate device will need to be giving a new IP address.

    Note: If the printer is given a new IP address, then the *LAN 3812 PJL device description will need to be changed to specify that new IP address in the Remote location (RMTLOCNAME) parameter.
    An existing printer may have been replaced with a new printer that has been assigned the same IP address and connectivity might not occur because of an old ARP cache entry that references the MAC address of the old printer that has been replaced.

    To check on this, or to remove the old ARP cache entry, refer to the following document:
    N1015699: Clearing a Specific ARP Cache Entry

    Note: Replacing an existing printer may also require changing from using a *LAN 3812 PJL DEVD to using a *LAN 3812 SNMP DEVD or a Remote Output Queue (RMTOUTQ). You could test this by changing the System driver program (SYSDRVPGM) parameter from *HPPJLDRV (or *IBMPJLDRV) to *IBMSNMPDRV and setting the User-defined options (USRDFNOPT) parameter to *IBMSHRCNN.

    Otherwise, to determine whether a printer model is likely to work when printing from a System i using LPR, PJL, SNMP, IPP or a PC5250 printer session, refer to the following document:
    N1019605: Information on Printers from Various Manufacturers
    If a firewall or SOCKS server is set up or if TCP/IP traffic is going through a router, particularly if trying to print across a wide area network (WAN), then the TCP/IP port specified by the Port number (PORT) parameter may be blocked. Also, the iSeries system can be used as a SOCKS client, but not as a SOCKS server.
    The *LAN 3812 PJL device description may be requesting a paper tray that is setup for a paper type other than PLAIN, such as PREPRINTED, PREPUNCHED or LETTERHEAD. The paper tray in the printer hardware may need to be setup with a paper type of PLAIN, or a modified Workstation Customizing Object (WSCST) may be needed to send the HP PCL Paper Type command to select the wanted paper type.
    The *LAN 3812 PJL device description may be requesting the Manual or Auxiliary Tray. This could be caused by using the wrong Manufacturer type and model (MFRTYPMDL) setting for the printer or because a modified Workstation Customizing Object (WSCST) is needed to send the correct HP PCL Paper Source command to select the proper paper tray, or the *LAN 3812 PJL DEVD may be configured with the Form feed (FORMFEED) parameter set to *CUT instead of *AUTOCUT.
    A switch may be misidentifying print packets from IBM i as an attack and shut down the port.  Or in an SD-WAN environment, 'packet inspection' is flagging the print data and not forwarding it to the printer.

    Turn the feature off on the switch or SD-WAN.  Refer to the documentation or contact the manufacturer for the switch or SD-WAN for instructions or for more information on the feature.
    Network function named intrusion prevention system (IPS) may be identifying print packets as malicious and blocking the connection.
    A connection trace shows the connection opening to the printer, but no response from the printer thereafter.
    Note: A TCP/IP communications trace or a sniffer trace may be needed to diagnose this further. For more information, refer to the following Software Knowledge Base document:

    New: Communications Trace for TCP/IP Printers Using the STRCMNTRC Command:


    CPD339A "An error occurred while trying to connect to device &1"
    This indicates that the iSeries system cannot communicate with the printer or print server across the local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN). This can including attempting to print to a LAN attached printer that has not yet been assigned an IP address or when a TCP/IP route has not yet been configured to allow communication with a printer that is attached to another network. Use the Add TCP/IP Route (ADDTCPRTE) command to add the route.

    Note: If writers fail with this message after an IPL or after coming out of Restricted State, such as for performing backups, then it is most likely that TCP/IP had not yet finished starting at the time that the writer was started. If this is the case, the issue can be resolved by modifying the QSTRUP source code to use the Delay Job (DLYJOB) command with the Job delay time (DLY) parameter set to 300 seconds (5 minutes) or 600 seconds (10 minutes) immediately before starting the QSPL subsystem.

    For more information, refer to the following document:
    N1010213: Solution to Printer Writers Not Starting at IPL

    CPF6DF9 "Transformed data buffer too small"
    This can be caused from using an incorrect Manufacturer type and model value in the printer device description. The value has to be a *LAN supported laser printer. For instance, since an HP500 printer cannot be configured as a *LAN printer device, using this value can cause this error message and end the writer.


    CPA403D "Operator action required on device &4 (C R)"
    This indicates that user intervention is requested on the printer (such as out of forms, paper jam, and so on). For the R410 operating system and above, change the printer device description so the Printer error message (PRTERRMSG) parameter is set to *INFO instead of *INQ. For the R370 the operating system, change the printer device description so the first User-Defined Options (USRDFNOPT) parameter is set to ERRMSGINFO.

    Changing the PRTERRMSG from *INQ to *INFO will cause either message CPI404F "Problem with device &1" or message CPD337F "Remote device rejected an attempt by the writer to open a connection" to be issued as an informational message rather than of getting CPA403D as an inquiry message, depending on the version and PTF level on your system. Since you will no longer be getting an inquiry message whenever user intervention is requested on the printer, you will not have to answer a message operating system to get printing to continue once the error condition on the printer has been resolved. The writer will continue to contact the printer to reestablish a connection. This should prevent the printer from timing out and should allow the writer to continue printing where it left off when the printer is once again available.

    Getting the latest PTFs may help with this problem. Refer to section Getting the Latest Print-Related TCP Fixes and PJL Driver Fixes at the bottom of this document for information on getting the latest PTFs.


    CPD337A "An error occurred while printing on device &1"
    This error message indicates that the writer has ended unexpectedly. If this is occurring, check the following:
    Display the printer device description and verify that the Port number (PORT) parameter is not set to 0. This should typically be set to 9100 for most newer IBM Infoprint printers or 2501 for most older IBM Network Printer and Infoprint printers, 9100 for HP LaserJet with internal HP JetDirect cards (9100, 9101 or 9102 for multi-port external HP JetDirect print servers), and 9100 for Lexmark Optra printers with internal Lexmark Marknet cards (9100, 9101 or 9102 for multi-port external Lexmark Marknet print servers).

    For a complete list of values to use for the Port number (PORT) parameter, refer to the following Rochester Support Center knowledgebase document:

    New, Recommended PJL Port Number Values for *LAN 3812 PJL Device Descriptions
    Display the printer device description and verify that the Inactivity timer (INACTTMR) parameter is not set to *NOMAX. This should typically be set to *SEC15, which means that the writer will end the connection to the printer 15 seconds after all RDY spooled files have been processed.

    Setting this to *NOMAX will cause the writer to attempt to keep a permanent connection to the printer. This could prevent printing from other hosts on the LAN/WAN (including PCs, NT Servers and other IBM® System i™ system) and could cause the writer to end if the connection is lost. Setting this to a large number, such as 10 - 30 minutes, could have similar results.
    Verify that the timeout settings in the printer and print server hardware are not set too low. Refer to section Recommended Timeout Settings for IBM, HP and Lexmark Print Servers at the top of this document for information on changing the timeout settings.
    Getting the latest PTFs may help resolve this problem. Refer to section Getting the Latest Print-Related TCP Fixes and PJL Driver Fixes at the bottom of this document for information on getting the latest PTFs.
    Some HP printers have an Internet printing setting that should not be selected. This can be changed by using a Web browser to access the hardware settings on the printer and unchecking it.
    Verify that the Remote location (RMTLOCNAME) parameter is set to the TCP/IP address for the printer. Microsoft® Windows® does not support the HP Printer Job Language (PJL) protocol, so the *LAN 3812 PJL device description will not work using the TCP/IP address of a Windows print server.
    The printer may not support bidirectional PJL commands. Examples include all dot matrix printers, all line printers, all ink jet printers, or older laser printers (anything compatible with an HP LaserJet III or earlier). If the printer supports HP PCL5e or HP PCL6, there is a good chance, but no guarantee, that it will support bidirectional PJL which is required for a *LAN 3812 PJL device description.

    Note: You may need to switch to using a *LAN 3812 SNMP device description or a Remote Output Queue (RMTOUTQ) instead of a *LAN 3812 PJL device description. You could test this by changing the System driver program (SYSDRVPGM) parameter from *HPPJLDRV (or *IBMPJLDRV) to *IBMSNMPDRV and setting the User-defined options (USRDFNOPT) parameter to *IBMSHRCNN.

    Otherwise, to determine whether a printer model is likely to work when printing from a System i using LPR, PJL, SNMP, IPP or a PC5250 printer session, refer to the following document:

    N1019605: Information on Printers from Various Manufacturers
    Use the Configure TCP/IP (CFGTCP) command and take Option 4 (Work with TCP/IP port restrictions) to verify that there are no port restrictions blocking the port number specified in the Port number (PORT) parameter in the *LAN 3812 PJL DEVD. If there are, remove the port restriction, then end and restart the printer writer.
    The printer or something else on the LAN may be responding to a SYN (open connection) request with a RST (or Reset), which is a both a rejection of the open requestion and a request to drop the connection immediately. Collecting a TCP/IP communications trace using the Trace Connection (TRCCNN) command will show if something is responding back to the SYN request with a RST; however, collecting a TCP/IP communications trace using the Start Communications Trace (STRCMNTRC) command is required to determine whether the RST is being sent by the printer MAC address. For more information, refer to the following Rochester Support Center knowledgebase document:

    New: Communications Trace for TCP/IP Printers Using the STRCMNTRC Command:

    CPD338A "Cannot resolve to remote device name &1"
    This message indicates that the local system cannot resolve the host name to a valid IP address. This can be caused by one of the following:
    Specifying an incorrect host name.
    Specifying a TCP/IP address with extra single quotation marks (such as ''9.10.46.254'' rather than '9.10.46.254').
    Specifying a TCP/IP address with leading zeros (such as '009.010.046.254' rather than '9.10.46.254').
    Specifying a TCP/IP address with extra blanks after the IP address (such as '9.10.46.254 ').
    If using a host name, verify that the host name is a valid name and that it is typed correctly. Use the Verify TCP/IP Connection (VFYTCPCNN or PING) command to verify that the host name can be successfully resolved to the correct TCP/IP address and that the printer or print server is able to communicate with the local system. If necessary, add the host name and its corresponding TCP/IP address to the local host table or to the host table on a DNS or DHCP server. Start the writer again using the Start Printer Writer (STRPRTWTR) command.

    If using a TCP/IP address, verify that the TCP/IP address is valid and that it is typed correctly. Use the Verify TCP/IP Connection (VFYTCPCNN or PING) command to verify that the the printer or print server is able to communicate with the local system. Start the writer again using the Start Printer Writer (STRPRTWTR) command.

    Note: Message CPD338A or CPD338B may also be issued after a socket error.


    CPD338B "No response from the remote name server for remote device &1"
    This message indicates that remote name server did not respond to the local server's request to get remote device information.

    Use the Configure TCP/IP (CFGTCP) command and take Option 12 (Change TCP/IP domain information) to verify that correct Domain name server IP addresses are specified, then check with the network administrator to verify that these servers are operational. Also, use the Verify TCP/IP Connection (VFYTCPCNN or PING) command to test the connectivity between the system and the Domain name server IP addresses.

    Note: Message CPD338A or CPD338B may also be issued after a socket error.


    Message ID *NONE PARSING PJL: INCOMPLETEPJL
    This problem was reported by APARs SA93765 and SE02716, and has been fixed by R450 PTF SF66284 and R510 PTF SI02932, or superseding PTFs. Refer to section Getting the Latest Print-Related TCP Fixes and PJL Driver Fixes at the bottom of this document for information on getting the latest PTFs.


    Message ID *NONE PARSING PJL: MISSING FORMFEED
    This problem was reported by APARs SA93765 and SE02716, and has been fixed by R450 PTF SF66284 and R510 PTF SI02932, or superseding PTFs. Refer to section Getting the Latest Print-Related TCP Fixes and PJL Driver Fixes at the bottom of this document for information on getting the latest PTFs.

    MCH1211 "Attempt made to divide by zero for fixed point operation"
    A problem log entry may also be logged with this message.
    The overlay being used with the spooled file is created as a color overlay.  Host Print Transform is unable to process color overlays.  Refer to Capabilities and Limitations of Host Print Transform (HPT) for more information.  Color overlays can be used when creating a PDF file using Transform Services or Infoprint Server, but not when printing to an ASCII printer.  Recreate the overlay as black and white.  Or, create the overlay into a .JPG or .TIFF image and use the AFPRSC DDS keyword to attach it to the spooled file.

    MCH3601 "Pointer not set for location referenced"
    You should not get this message. Getting the latest PTFs should resolve this problem. Refer to section Getting the Latest Print-Related TCP Fixes and PJL Driver Fixes at the bottom of this document for information on getting the latest PTFs.


    TCP2617 "TCP/IP connection to remote system &2 closed, reason code &5" with RC2
    Message TCP2617 with RC2 indicates that the remote printer is unreachable. The TCP connection was closed because the writer has attempted to contact the remote host several times and has reached the R2 retry threshold defined in the Change TCP/IP Attributes (CHGTCPA) command.

    If the messages are constant and contain the same TCP/IP address over and over again, then it is most likely that the writer is trying to print to a LAN attached printer that is down or offline, though it also could indicate that the IP address has changed in the printer hardware. Ending or holding the writer will suppress the messages until the problem with the printer hardware has been resolved.

    For more information on message TCP2617, refer to the following document:
    N1016564: Message TCP2617
  • - Recommended PTF Levels



    There are no required PTFs in order to print using a *LAN 3812 PJL device description; however, getting the latest Print Group PTF will typically help you avoid problems:

     
    PTF Number Licensed Program Version Description
    SF99356 5761SS1 V6R1M0 610 Print Group PTF for V6R1M0
    SF99347 5722SS1 V5R4M0 540 Print Group PTF for V5R4M0
    SF99346 5722SS1 V5R3M0 530 Print Group PTF for V5R3M0
    SF99345 5722SS1 V5R2M0 520 Print Group PTF for V5R2M0

    Otherwise for a list of the latest PTFs, including PTFs that are not yet included in the latest Print Group PTF, contact the Rochester Support Center or refer to the Recommended Fixes data base at the following website:

    http://www-912.ibm.com/s_dir/slkbase.nsf/recommendedfixes
  • - Checking and Changing the Size of the *SPOOL Pool



    The amount of memory allocated to the *SPOOL pool and the maximum number of active jobs can have an effect on whether a writer is able to print, or how quickly a writer is able to print, to a network attached printer. To check and change the size of the *SPOOL, do the following:

    1. Use the Work with System Status (WRKSYSSTS) command and press the F11 Key twice to display the pool data, including the pool names. Note both the Pool Size and the Max Active settings for the *SPOOL pool. Starting in V4R5 OS/400, the pool size is specified in megabytes (M). Before V4R5 operating system, the pool size was specified in kilobytes (KB).
    2. Check the *SPOOL pool and estimate if it is an acceptable size for the system's printing needs:

    Refer to the Pool Configuration information in the Work Management Guide (SC41-4306) for a list of the suggested values. When using remote output queue printing, in most cases, Host Print Transform is also being used which increases the requirement for the *SPOOL pool. A good suggestion to start with is 5000K. The Printing V IBM Redbooks recommends a minimum of 6 MB. If the system has many, many writers, this value should be higher. Contact Work Management or Performance for more help if needed.
    3. Use the following Display System Value (DSPSYSVAL) command to display the current setting of the QPFRADJ (Performance adjustment) system value:

    DSPSYSVAL SYSVAL(QPFRADJ)
    4. If the QPFRADJ system value is set to 0 (No adjustment), then proceed to the next step to set the size of the *SPOOL pool. If the QPFRADJ system value is set to 1 (Adjustment at IPL), 2 (Adjustment at IPL and automatic adjustment), or 3 (Automatic adjustment), then use the Work with Shared Storage Pools (WRKSHRPOOL) command to first set a minimum percentage for the *SPOOL pool.
    5.
    To change the size of the *SPOOL pool, use the WRKSYSSTS command and press the F11 Key twice, as was done in Step 1 above. Type over the existing values for the Pool Size and Max Active settings and press the Enter key to change the settings.  Memory from *BASE pool will allocate to *SPOOL pool.

    Note: If the minimum percentage for the *SPOOL pool is not increased and Performance Adjustment is used, then the pool size will gradually reduce by Performance Adjustment until it matches the minimum percentage.  At which time the pool will no longer be an acceptable size for the system's printing needs. For further assistance with adjusting the system's performance, contact a Technical Support representative in the Performance team.

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Historical Number

14461435

Document Information

Modified date:
29 September 2022

UID

nas8N1019652