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Q275366: Restarting APPC Print Sessions Results in a Pending Status

Article: Q275366
Product(s): Microsoft SNA Server
Version(s): 4.0 SP3
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbDSupport kbsna400sp3 kbSNA400sp4fix kbSNA400PreSP4fix
Last Modified: 12-JUN-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft SNA Server, version 4.0 SP3 
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SYMPTOMS
========

If you stop and restart active APPC (5250) print sessions in SNA Server Manager,
the APPC print sessions may remain in a "Pending" state when you view their
status. The APPC print sessions are unavailable for use when this problem
occurs.

CAUSE
=====

The Advanced Program-to-Program Communications (APPC) printing subsystem was
redesigned in SNA Server 4.0 SP3 to use IO Completion Ports (IOCP) for increased
scalability. This change in the APPC printing threading model causes incorrect
handling of APPC print session cleanup when a session is stopped through SNA
Server Manager. The print server fails to send a TP_ENDED (Hard) to the AS/400
(or S/36) when the session is stopped, which causes the AS/400 Writer for print
device to stay active. The APPC print session cannot activate successfully while
its Writer is active, which causes the print session to stay in a Pending state.

RESOLUTION
==========

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for SNA Server 4.0. For
additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:

  Q215838 How to Obtain the Latest SNA Server Version 4.0 Service Pack

WORKAROUND
==========

To activate an APPC print session once it is in the Pending state, do one of the
following:

- Stop and restart the SNA Print (Snaprint.exe) service. If there are active
  APPC (and/or 3270) print sessions, stopping this service will cause all print
  sessions to end, and therefore this process may need to be scheduled so that
  active print sessions are not affected.

- Stop the Writer for the affected print session or sessions on the AS/400. The
  following is one example of how this can be done:

  a. Stop the affected APPC print session in SNA Server Manager.

  b. Open a 5250 session to the AS/400 by using an AS/400 user account that has
     sufficient privilege to perform administrative functions.

  c. Type the following command at the AS/400 command prompt:

  "ENDWTR PRT1" (without the quotation marks)

     NOTE: PRT1 should be replaced with the AS/400 Device Name that is used by
     the affected print session.

  d. Type the following command to view the AS/400 device description for the
     print session:

  "WRKDEVD PRT1" (without the quotation marks)

  e. Enter 8 (Work with Status) on the Option (Opt) column, and then press
     ENTER.

  f. Enter 2 (Vary Off) in the Option column for the print device (PRT1 in this
     example), and then press ENTER.

  g. Enter 1 (Vary On) in the Option column for the print device, and then
     press ENTER.

  h. Start the APPC print session in SNA Server Manager.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft SNA Server version 4.0
SP3.

This problem was first corrected in SNA Server 4.0 Service Pack 4.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbDSupport kbsna400sp3 kbSNA400sp4fix kbSNA400PreSP4fix 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbSNAServSearch kbSNAServ400SP3
Version           : :4.0 SP3
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

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