7/5/24, 2:23 PM 19706 - Tuning the Spooler

SAP Note

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19706 - Tuning the Spooler

(/sap/support/notes/19706) 
Component: BC-CCM-PRN-SPO (Spool System), Version: 22, Released On: 31.07.2014

Symptom
The response speed or throughput of the SAP spooler is unsatisfactory.

Other Terms
..

Reason and Prerequisites

The spooler configuration is often inappropriately set.

Solution
This note contains recommendations and measures for SAP Systems in which spooler
performance is particularly important.

The reason for this note is that the R/3 spooler can be configured and
implemented in a large variety of ways. Because it aims to offer convenience and
robustness, it can reach printers in all sorts of ways and can also serve
unstable or unreliable host spoolers. However, this means that internal
alternative routes and protection and recovery measures become necessary, and
these may conflict with performance.

Organizational measures, coupled with care in making settings, are necessary for
systems with high demands placed on spooler throughput and/or spooler runtimes.

Note 16307 explains where specific times are used during printing. Focus your
attention on the time interval between transaction start and paper output.

Allocation of Printers to Spool Work Processes

The first step is to examine your output devices. Evaluate them according to
required response time and volume.

Now divide your printers into three groups. Place printers of the same type in
the same group.

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Group 1 (Productive printer):

All printers with the shortest possible response time.
For example: Goods receipt/issue sheets, delivery notes, patient entry sheets,...

Group 2 (Mass printer):

Printers with large volumes.
For example: Analyses, monthly lists, direct mailing...

Group 3:
Printers with small and moderate volumes, and without severe time demands.
For example: Small lists printed at the workstation...

If you have distributed your SAP System across several computers, you should
provide the spool service on each computer.

If you have three or more spool servers, assign each group to one or more spool
server. No spool work process may serve several groups. Group 1 devices should
NEVER be defined with access type 'U', 'S' or 'G' ('F' in old releases).

If there are two spool servers in the system, Group 1 must receive its own spool
server. Access type 'U', 'S' or 'G' must not be used in it. This should also be
avoided in the spool servers for the other two groups.

With only one spool WP, that is, a central instance without other application
servers, all requests inevitably have to be processed by one spool server.
. Likewise, this must NOT use access type 'U', 'S' or 'G'.

Number of Spool Work Processes

These groups should be distributed on more than one spool work process, depending
on the size of the group and the required response time. This is particularly
important for group 1. If you find that there are bottlenecks in your system, it
can be a good idea to set up instances on a host which only deal with spool
functionality (remember you need two dialog work processes as well as the spool
work process).

As of Release 4.0A, there are no more restrictions concerning the number of spool
work processes per instance. This enables a much more flexible structure for the
spool service. Please also see Notes 108799 and 118057 in this regard.

Access Methods

Access type 'L': The spool work process uses a command (such as 'lp', 'lpr',..)
to pass spool requests to the host spooler of its own machine. These commands are
quick, providing the host spooler queues do not overflow. However, they normally
copy the data around again. A command (such as 'lpq', 'lpstat',..) is used to
query the host spooler. With network problems, these commands become slow because
they (aim to) determine the current status. If the runtimes become two long, you
can use the print configuration of Transaction SPAD to deactivate the queries.

Access type 'C': Procedure calls are used to communicate with the host spooler on
the computer. However, UNIX spoolers generally do not have an API. The time
conditions are the same as those for 'L'. This access method is only available

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under Windows/NT and AS/400. Access method 'U':

A TCP/IP connection to the host spooler is set up. The host spooler normally runs
on a PC. Experience has shown that, with normal operation, it is impossible to
ensure that all printer PCs always accept/respond to data as soon as the spool WP
wants to talk with them. Thus, the spool WP is forced to wait again and again.

Access method 'S': A different protocol is used on the TCP/IP connection. Timing
problems, however, are about the same as for 'U'.

Refer to Notes 128105 an 821519 for instructions on how to use access type 'G'.

A characteristic of network access types 'U' and 'S' is that any network problems
directly cause an interruption of the spool work process, which hinders the
process from processing the print requests. This interferes with the processing
of print requests, with the consequence that printers which are not driven by a
network access type but still linked to the same spool work process are also
affected. If network connections are established via a WAN, you cannot expect a
fast response to print requests, and the spool work process is slowed down
further. Unlike access method 'U', access method 'S' uses a handshake procedure.
The result of this is that the response time over a WAN is at least twice as long
as it is with access method 'U'. If a network access method is required, 'U' is
to be preferred if only performance aspects are to be considered. (SAPSprint can
be run with access method 'U' as well as with access method 'S'). However, 'U'
complicates the error analysis as a result of cryptic file names for the print
jobs. It is hardly possible to make an assignment to spool requests in the SAP
system. Furthermore, some functions are available only with the extendable log of
the access method 'S'. Normally, given the present speed of the network, the
performance-related disadvantage of access method 'S' should not be very
significant. If there are interruptions in the transfer, the connection generally
should be checked because, in this case, acceptable operation is possible neither
with access method 'U' nor with access method 'S'.

Conditions for 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.

Host Spooler Requests

If host spooler inquiries take a long time - perhaps because the 'lpq' or
'lpstat' command is slow or because PCs are not responding - the spool WP can
lose A LOT of time. To avoid this problem, use transaction SPAD to deactivate
"Host spooler enquiries" for all printers which are giving problems.

Disadvantage: In R/3, spool requests are considered "finished" the moment they
are successfully handed over to the host spooler.

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Network Printers

A printer is converted into a network printer when a small network node processor
is installed, either as a plugin card or small peripheral device. A small network
node processor of this type usually implements a TCP/IP protocol stack and a
Berkeley-compatible "lpd". (Example of a product of this type currently on the
market: The HP-Jet-direct-cards.)
Advantage of conversion: The network node processor is always active (when the
printer is switched on).
Disadvantage of conversion: Normally these printers do not have a large buffer (1
MB max.), so that, beyond certain volume levels, data transfer comes to a
standstill and the spoolWP practically has to wait for the printer to finish
printing. In the worst cases, large print tasks may cause connection problems, as
SpoolWP will not wait long enough for the printer.
(for comparison: a PC with SAPLPD and also printers such as the QMS Crown
immediately accept everything and buffer it on the magnetic disk.)

Small network printers linked to the spool WP with access type 'U' are
performance killers! Wherever possible, you should define them via a local host
spool system which you can then address via access types 'L' or 'C'.

Other Measures

In general, spool request data is written and read much quicker if it is stored
in files rather than in database table TST03. The advantages and disadvantages
are described in Notes 11070, 10551 and 20176. Profile parameter:
"rspo/store_location".

Make sure that the spooler database does not become too full. Program RSPO0041 is
described in Notes 16083 and 41547.

Quite a few printers can be slow in various emulation modes. It may be worthwhile
abandoning continuous lines (note 15594). (See Note 15594).

As of Release 3.0A, all users should use the

Option: Use the option for deleting after the output to keep the number of spool
requests that are simultaneously in the system to a minimum.

Regardless of the configuration of the R/3 spool system, you can improve spool
performance to a certain extent by the way in which you generate spool requests
in applications. Performance is better if you create a few large spool requests
instead of several smaller ones. The amount of data transferred and the overheads
involved with establishing links to the external spool system are reduced. If you
can configure your applications in this way (for example, via message control),
this should improve the performance of your spooler system.

Further Information

Note 65109: Long delays when printing during load

Note 53047: Warning: Queries to print requests are too slow
Note 16083: Reorganization jobs
Note 16307: Processing times when printing
Note 11214: SPAD: Changes have no effect
Note 11070: Space requirements of TemSe and spooler

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Note 10551: Table TST03 (tablespace PSAPPROTD) size increasing

Note 07140: Problem printing very large lists
Note 108799: How many spool work processes per instance
Note 118057: Flexible structure of the R/3 spool service

Spooler chapter in the SAP System Administration documentation.

Online help at many places in transaction SPAD.

This document refers to

SAP Note/KBA Title

7140 (/sap/support/notes/7140 )

68511 How the print request gets to the spool work process (/sap/support/notes/68511 )

65109 Long delays when printing during overload (/sap/support/notes/65109 )

53047 Warning: Queries to print requests are too slow (/sap/support/notes/53047 )

504952 Composite SAP Note for spool and print (/sap/support/notes/504952 )

39412 How many work processes should be configured? (/sap/support/notes/39412 )

16307 Processing times when printing (/sap/support/notes/16307 )

16083 Standard jobs, reorganization jobs (/sap/support/notes/16083 )

12195 (/sap/support/notes/12195 )

11214 (/sap/support/notes/11214 )

11070 Space requirements of TemSe and spooler (/sap/support/notes/11070 )

10551 Table TST03 grows larger (/sap/support/notes/10551 )

This document is referenced by

SAP Note/KBA Title

16083 Standard jobs, reorganization jobs (/sap/support/notes/16083 )

39412 How many work processes should be configured? (/sap/support/notes/39412 )

10551 Table TST03 grows larger (/sap/support/notes/10551 )

11070 Space requirements of TemSe and spooler (/sap/support/notes/11070 )

68511 How the print request gets to the spool work process (/sap/support/notes/68511 )

53047 Warning: Queries to print requests are too slow (/sap/support/notes/53047 )

504952 Composite SAP Note for spool and print (/sap/support/notes/504952 )

16307 Processing times when printing (/sap/support/notes/16307 )

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65109 Long delays when printing during overload (/sap/support/notes/65109 )

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