10758 - SAPSprint or SAPLPD cannot be reached. What should be done?

Symptom

Print requests in R/3 are marked as FAULTY. The system log contains the message "Connection to SAPLPD/LPD cannot be established".

(This note does NOT deal with the problem of requests not being processed, for instance requests remaining in the R/3 spool in status "Waits". It deals only with cases where requests get the status "Error".)

Other Terms

Reason and Prerequisites

a) There is a network problem.

b) The configuration in R/3 is incorrect.

To begin with, however, here is some information on terms used. The formatting computer is the computer on which the spool work process runs and in whose local system log the error message was located. The formatting computer sends the data after formatting to another computer which is then to print the data. This computer is the switching computer.

Solution

Carry out the following tests, log the results of the individual steps and communicate them to SAP Support if the problem has to do with the SAP system.

1. Is the "switching computer" a "printer box" located between the network and the printer or is it a network card in the printer itself?

              Although such boxes behave like actual computers, they cannot store large amounts of data temporarily. If a request is currently being printed, the box will not be able to set up an additional connection.
              The second print request is rejected and ends with this error.
              We urgently recommend that you operate these boxes only from the host spool, as this has more time and resources available. Therefore, set the output device in SPAD with access method 'L' or 'C' or using a print server with access type 'S' or 'U'.
              A direct connection from the R/3 system will result in these messages being issued repeatedly.

2. Now establish the name by which the computer was addressed. You will find this in the error message in the system log.

              Is this name correct?
              If NOT:
              Correct the name using transaction SPAD. If the name is too long, use an alias in SPAD. Choose the 'Long Host Name' button, which is to the right of the 'Destination Host' field and enter the long name.

3. Log on as <sid>adm to the computer to the computer on which the spool work process is running. Now call the command "ping" from a command line with the computer name given in the system log as the argument.

              If "ping" issues individual packages with runtimes, the connection works.
              If "ping" does not respond, it should run for just over a minute. Then you can terminate it. A statistics record is issued. If this record contains the message "100% packet loss", this means that there is either no connection to the other computer or else TCP/IP is not running there.
              Correct this problem and then try to print again.

4. Configure the printer concerned as a remote printer in the operating system and try to print something on the remote printer using the usual operating system commands (lp, lpr).

              If this does not work, and the software used for the remote printer is not SAPSprint (see Note 894444) or SAPLPD, the error does not involve SAP components. Solve this problem first and then try again to print something from the SAP System.

5. The next test requires an FTP server attached to the switching computer. If this is a PC, you may need to start it manually.

              Enter "ftp <switching computer> on the formatting computer.
              If problems are reported, start by eliminating these problems. Then try to print again.
              Normally, the FTP prompts you to enter a user name and password for the switching computer. Make valid entries here.
              Now transfer a file of approximately 10 Kbytes from the formatting computer to the switching computer: put <filename>
              The file is created on the switching computer. If this process terminates or lasts more than a minute, the network is not stable. Correct this problem before you proceed.
              Check that the data has arrived at the correct computer!
              Log off from FTP with "quit". Delete the test data if required.

6. Then the connection to SAPSprint or another LPD is checked.

              Enter the UNIX command "telnet computer 515".
              First, the message "trying ... " appears, followed by "connected to ...".
              If the message "connection refused" appears quite quickly, either SAPSprint or LPD is not running or else the TCP packet is malfunctioning.
              It may help to reboot the switching computer.
              If the message "connection timed out" is issued even though FTP was working, check whether a firewall is preventing the connection from being established for reasons of security. If this is not the case, reboot the switching computer.
              If the connection to telnet has been established ("connected to ..."), you can query the SAPSprint with the command "4 x 1<return>". However, this usually only works if the Telnet command was started on a UNIX platform. If the connection is working, it will identify itself by means of a brief text and close the connection.
              In this case, the connection is working and the problem was presumably a temporary one. You should now be able to print.

7. Use the command: netstat -ano | find "<port>" to determine which process listens to a certain port. <port> refers to the port that SAPSPrint should listen to.This is port 515 in the standard system. The command: tlist | find "<PID>" displays the application that runs in the process found by netstat.

If all tests were successful, but the SAPLPD still cannot be reached, a more detailed examination is required.
When you log a problem message, remember to specify the results of each of the above tests, which SAPSprint/SAPLPD/LPD is used, and which network software has been installed.