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The following sections identify the current restrictions that exist
with DCPS. See the System Manager's GuideSystem Manager's Guide and User's GuideUser's Guide for
printer-specific restrictions.
3.1 Printers with Auto-Sensing Features
Many printers can sense the data type of a print job. Such printers allow you to specify how and whether the auto-sensing feature is enabled, per interconnect channel, through the front panel or printer management software.
For most printers that offer this feature, the DCPS software works properly when the printer is set to "PostScript" mode, or to "Auto-Sensing" mode. You must set such printers to operate in one of these modes before starting the DCPS queues. The DCPS software does not operate properly if the printer is set to "PCL" mode.
See Chapter 2 and the System Manager's GuideSystem Manager's Guide for additional information.
3.2 Job Remains in Starting State for Raw TCP/IP or LAT Queue
Most printers respond to the PostScript synchronization command at the beginning of a DCPS job, but some do not. If all jobs to a queue remain in the Starting state, you may need to take one of the following steps:
If you set up a DCPS queue that uses a raw TCP/IP connection and specify an incorrect TCP port number for the printer, any print jobs that you submit to the queue will remain in a starting state. DCPS cannot determine that you have provided an incorrect port number, because the network failure that it receives is no different than if the printer had been busy or offline.
Note that a print job in a raw TCP/IP queue may remain in a starting state for other reasons as well.
Check the documentation for your printer, network interface card, print
server, or terminal server to determine the correct TCP port number to
use. The TCP port number may also be listed in Table A-1.
3.4 Connection Terminations for Raw TCP/IP Queue
You may get CONTERMINATED errors for long print jobs when using raw TCP/IP connections. For jobs that consist of a single file or only use the native PostScript capability of the printer (for example, they do not use native PCL), these errors are most likely to occur at the end of the job, with job trailer pages (if specified for the queue) and print job accounting (if enabled) being lost. For other jobs, these errors may occur in the middle of the job, with subsequent documents as well as the trailer pages and accounting information being lost. DCPS requeues the terminated jobs, placing them in a Holding state so that you can reprint them once you resolve the termination problem.
Some network devices, including the HP JetDirect cards, drop a TCP/IP connection if they do not receive any input from the host system within a specified amount of time. This is a feature, meant to prevent host software from monopolizing the device. DCPS, however, waits for the printer to acknowledge that previous documents are printed before switching from PostScript to some other native printer language and also before printing a trailer page and gathering accounting information. Even though the printer may be busy, the NIC may not receive any more input from DCPS before the timeout is reached.
If your NIC allows you to alter the TCP/IP idle timeout value, you can work around this problem by disabling or increasing the timeout. Check your NIC documentation to determine if this is possible, and how to do it. Then release any requeued jobs for which desired output was lost, and delete the other requeued jobs.
Note that it is the length of a job in time (versus size) that is
important. For example, a very small PostScript program can take a very
long time to print. Hence, it is difficult to predict how large a
timeout is adequate.
3.5 NOT_READY Warnings for Unavailable Raw TCP/IP Printer
If a job is queued to a printer that uses a raw TCP/IP connection, and the printer is busy or offline, you will get NOT_READY warning messages for the printer.
If you believe or determine that the printer is busy, you can ignore
these messages. DCPS cannot, unfortunately, differentiate between the
printer being busy, offline, or otherwise unavailable.
3.6 Translators Do Not Generate Color PostScript
The translators provided with DCPS (for example, ReGIS) do not generate
color PostScript commands, even if your source file contains color
information. The colors are instead translated to various shades of
gray.
3.7 Job Trailer Page Jogs with PostScript Level 2 Printers
When job jogging is enabled on PostScript Level 2 printers to separate
jobs by offsetting them, jogging occurs between the body of a job and
its trailer page (if any).
3.8 Unable to Perform ANSI Tray Selection for Certain Printers
An attempt to print an ANSI file containing a tray selection escape sequence might fail, depending on which printer you are using. If so, the job might abort with a PostScript configuration error, with the offending command being "setpapertray".
Also, some printers, such as the Compaq Laser Printer LN16 and GENICOM microLaser 170, have input trays with PostScript tray numbers of 0. The ANSI escape sequence DECASFC is used to select trays, but a value of 0 means "no tray change" and selecting tray 0 is therefore not possible. For example, an ANSI escape sequence of
<CSI>0!v |
does not select tray 0, but rather indicates no change of tray.
A workaround to this problem is to create and subsequently invoke a setup module that redefines the settoptray, setbottomtray, setlcittray and setmanualfeedtray PostScript commands within the TRN$XLATE_DICT dictionary.
For example, for a Compaq Laser Printer LN16, DIGITAL Laser Printer LN15 or LN15+, or GENICOM microLaser 170, you should create a setup module that contains the following definitions for settoptray, setbottomtray and setmanualfeedtray:
TRN$XLATE_DICT begin
/settoptray { statusdict begin 0 setpapertray end } def
/setbottomtray { statusdict begin 1 setpapertray end } def
/setmanualfeedtray { statusdict begin 3 setpapertray end } def
end
|
For an HP LaserJet 4M Plus, you should create a setup module that contains:
TRN$XLATE_DICT begin
/settoptray { statusdict begin 3 setpapertray end } def
/setbottomtray { statusdict begin 0 setpapertray end } def
/setlcittray { statusdict begin 1 setpapertray end } def
end
|
PostScript tray numbers are documented in the User's GuideUser's Guide.
3.9 AppleTalk Queues Do Not Start or Jobs Remain in Starting State
The first print queue in the process to use AppleTalk fails with the following error and the queue does not start:
%DCPS-W-ATK_FOR_VMS, Error connecting to AppleTalk for VMS driver |
If other queues using the AppleTalk interconnect are started on that same process this error is not reported. These queues will start, but jobs on these queues remain in the "starting" state.
If a queue using the AppleTalk interconnect is started before the AppleTalk network software is running, then the queue might start but will not be functional. This occurs when DCPS is running as a multistreamed symbiont and another print queue is running in the same process.
To recover from such an error, stop all queues supported by any currently running symbiont processes that have detected that the AppleTalk network software is not running (one error message is generated per symbiont process). Restart the AppleTalk software and the queues.
To avoid this problem, run the AppleTalk network software before
starting any DCPS print queues.
3.10 Some Printers Do Not Send Status Messages to the Host
Some PostScript printers, because of their internal architecture, report status information only to the printer console and not to the host system with which they are communicating. As a result, DCPS is not aware of some status conditions (for example, paper out, paper jam, page too complex, cover open, etc.) and cannot report them to you. Instead, the DCPS queue will enter the Stalled state if DCPS subsequently attempts to communicate with the printer. This subsequent attempt may come during the same job that first experienced the problem or in a later one.
The following is a list of some of the printers which exhibit this behavior:
- DEClaser 5100 printer
- LN17ps printer
- some HP LaserJet III and IV printers (but not the HP LaserJet III with the HP PostScript-Plus Level 2 cartridge or the HP LaserJet IIISi if jam recovery is disabled)
When multinational characters are used in the PostScript
"printername", the printer name printed on the bottom of
separation pages may be printed in the wrong character set.
3.12 DDIF Printing Requires DECwindows Software or DECimage Application Services
To print DDIF encoded bitonal images, DCPS requires that either
DECwindows software or Version 3.1 of DECimage Application Services
(DAS) be installed on your system. DAS is only available on OpenVMS VAX
systems.
3.13 Compatibility of NUMBER_UP and PostScript Drivers
PostScript files created with the LaserWriter 8.0 or 8.1.1 driver or the Adobe 2.1.1 Windows driver in conjunction with the application may produce PostScript files that do not print as expected with NUMBER_UP greater than 1.
Symptoms include pages being clipped, printed outside of the NUMBER_UP
page spots, or being improperly scaled.
3.14 LIST Translator Ignores PAGE_SIZE Parameter
The LIST translator ignores the PAGE_SIZE parameter when formatting pages. It creates pages with maximum content at a size adequate for both A (Letter) and A4 paper:
PORTRAIT ORIENTATION: 80 columns, 70 lines
LANDSCAPE ORIENTATION: 150 columns, 66 lines
It is still possible to use PAGE_SIZE and SHEET_SIZE parameters
together to scale the logical page onto a different size sheet.
3.15 Embedded PJL Commands Discarded; Avoid Binary Mode
Drivers that create files for PJL printers, such as those for the DEClaser 5100 and the HP LaserJet IV family, include printer control commands in HP Printer Job Language (PJL). DCPS filters out and discards that data. Therefore, printer options selected by such drivers do not affect the print job.
When using these drivers, do NOT select binary mode. It will insert
additional commands into the file that can cause incorrect behavior
when printing via DCPS. The exact form of behavior depends on which
printer is actually connected to the queue and whether or not the job
passes through a DCPS translator.
3.16 Unreliable Communication After Errors on Some Printers
Unexpected errors can occur at the end of a print job when printing to some printers using the AppleTalk interconnect. The printers which can exhibit problems include the LaserWriter Pro 600, LaserWriter Pro 630, the LaserWriter IIg, and the LaserWriter IIf. Generally, the unexpected error occurs when an explainable error occurred during the print job; for example, a PostScript error which causes the PostScript interpreter to "Flush to the EOJ", or a timeout error while waiting for manual feed. The behavior a user may see includes one of more of the following:
The user's part of the print job prints as expected. The unexpected
error occurs during the end of job processing (for example, getting the
page count or the job trailer page printed) done by the DECprint
Supervisor. Once the offending job is complete, subsequent jobs print
as expected. No system operator intervention is needed.
3.17 Deleting Job When Using AppleTalk
When printing using an AppleTalk interconnect, a request to delete a
job (DELETE/ENTRY) is accomplished by closing the connection to the
printer. The AppleTalk protocol does not provide for interrupting the
PostScript interpreter; therefore, the printer will continue to print
page descriptions that are contained in its buffer before it stops
printing the job. A job trailer page will not be printed.
3.18 Avoid STOP/QUEUE/RESET Usage for PrintServer Printer Which Is Rejecting Connections
If you issue a STOP/QUEUE/RESET command for a queue to a DIGITAL
PrintServer printer while there is a job in the "Starting"
state and while the printer is rejecting connections (because, for
example, the PrintServer is powered off or is booting), the queue will
stop. Occasionally the symbiont process will not terminate. Avoid
issuing this command until the PrintServer printer becomes available.
If the job is in the "Starting" state and also in the
PrintServer printer's job queue, a STOP/QUEUE/RESET will execute
correctly.
3.19 No Job Trailer Page on DELETE/ENTRY
If you issue a DELETE/ENTRY command when the printer is printing the
job trailer page, it is possible to delete the printing of this page.
Also, if you issue a DELETE/ENTRY command for a job printing on a
PrintServer printer after all the data for the file is sent, it is
possible that the job trailer page will not print.
3.20 Problems with PostScript Files When Printing with /COPIES
When you use the /COPIES qualifier with a PostScript file, DCPS surrounds each file with a PostScript "save" and "restore" to avoid exhausting virtual memory in the printer.
However, there are infrequent cases when the print job aborts with an
invalid restore error message. If this occurs, use the /JOB_COUNT
qualifier instead of /COPIES.
3.21 Problems Using PAGE_LIMIT with /JOB_COUNT
If you use the PAGE_LIMIT parameter with the /JOB_COUNT qualifier, you are apt to get undesired results. In particular, if your intent is to suppress some initial pages of your job, DCPS will suppress them for the first copy of the job but print all pages of subsequent job copies. If your intent is to suppress some of the trailing pages of your job, DCPS will suppress them for the first copy of the job and omit subsequent job copies.
If you want multiple copies of your job with some pages suppressed,
issue the PRINT command the desired number of times rather than using
the /JOB_COUNT qualifier.
3.22 Setting I/O Buffers Too Small May Produce OPCOM Errors
If the size of the I/O buffers, set by the SYSGEN parameter MAXBUF, is too small, the print queue will be stopped, and the following message will be displayed to OPCOM:
%SYSTEM-E-EXQUOTA, process quota exceeded |
If this error occurs, increase the value of the SYSGEN parameter MAXBUF.
3.23 Cannot Start Queue for PrintServer Printer
Because of a CPAP protocol bug in some versions of DIGITAL PrintServer Software, DCPS symbionts can be given a badly formatted packet in response to a resource query. The bad packet prevents a symbiont from starting.
The problem is triggered by loading enough resources to require more than one packet describing the resources loaded to be returned. The suggested workaround is to load fewer resources. Empirical testing has found the limit to be 7 fonts.
This problem is fixed in version S5.0-29 and later of the PrintServer Software.
This section contains information about other problems that are known to impact DCPS and remedial patch kits ("ECOs") that address some of these problems.
You can obtain these remedial patch kits (or an update to them)
Over time, DCPS print symbiont processes may consume increasing amounts of memory and pagefile space, resulting in system performance problems. This problem is seen only on OpenVMS Alpha V7.1-2 systems.
The following DECthreads patch kit fixes this problem:
All sites running DCPS as a multistreamed process on OpenVMS V7.1 and earlier should install the Queue Manager Remedial Update.
The Queue Manager remedial update kits are:
This update corrects problems that cause the START/QUEUE command to hang under certain circumstances when operating with a multistreamed symbiont. The release notes provided with the kit describe all the problems fixed by this update. After installing this update, you need to reboot your system to enable these changes.
If this update is not installed you may encounter the following problem. If a queue running in a multistreamed process is stopped with STOP/QUEUE/RESET, then quickly started with START/QUEUE, it is possible that the start request will hang. In addition, sometimes the following message will be written to OPCOM:
%DCPS-F-STREAMUSE, Request 4 for Stream Id n ignored. Not consistent with symbiont state |
To recover, issue a Ctrl/Y to return to the DCL prompt, then issue a
STOP/QUEUE/RESET again, wait a few seconds, and try to start the queue
again. To avoid this problem, install the queue manager update.
4.3 Problem Starting Queues for LAT- and Direct-Connected Printers
There is an OpenVMS V7.0 terminal driver problem that may hinder you in using DCPS with LAT- and direct-connected printers. The symptom is that the associated queue cannot be started, with messages like the following being written to OPCOM:
%%%%%%%%%%% OPCOM 31-OCT-1995 21:53:55.73 %%%%%%%%%%% Message from user SYSTEM on FUNYET Queue SYS$PRINT: %DCPS-E-UNSUPPORTED, unsupported operation or function %%%%%%%%%%% OPCOM 31-OCT-1995 21:53:55.74 %%%%%%%%%%% Message from user QUEUE_MANAGE on FUNYET %QMAN-I-QUENOTSTART, queue SYS$PRINT could not be started on node FUNYET %%%%%%%%%%% OPCOM 31-OCT-1995 21:53:55.74 %%%%%%%%%%% Message from user QUEUE_MANAGE on FUNYET -SYSTEM-F-ABORT, abort |
The failure may be constant or intermittent. If you subsequently attempt to start the queue, you may succeed.
The following patch kits fix this problem:
There is an OpenVMS terminal driver problem that may result in your printer reporting I/O problems when connected to a serial port of your OpenVMS system. You may see the problem with OpenVMS Alpha V6.2 through V7.0, and with OpenVMS VAX V5.5 through V7.0, depending in part on what kind of serial port you are using.
The problem is that the terminal driver sometimes does not respond quickly enough to an XOFF request from the printer to prevent the printer from losing data.
This problem is fixed in OpenVMS Alpha V7.1.
The following patch kits fix this problem:
There is a DECthreads problem on OpenVMS VAX V7.0 and V7.1 systems that results in the DCPS symbiont aborting with an INSFMEM error. The DCPS symbiont consumes an increasing amount of memory over time, eventually aborting when it attempts to obtain more than the available dynamic memory. The probability of the symbiont aborting increases with each new print job that it processes.
The following patch kits fix this problem:
The DCPS symbiont can abort with an ACCVIO or BADPARAM error, possibly also indicating the CMA (DECthreads) facility, beginning 19 May 1997. Other software on your system, including DIGITAL TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS and anything layered upon DECthreads, may also fail after this date.
The problem is related to a long-standing OpenVMS restriction of fewer than 10,000 days in a delta-time value. POSIX-related software in particular, using the UNIX reference date of 1 January 1970, can encounter this limit on and after 19 May 1997. Refer to the OpenVMS web pages ( http://www.openvms.compaq.com ) for more information about the "Delta-Time Limit".
The following patch kits fix this problem:
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