Print Server overrides Paper Source parameters when using HPT (189621)

SYMPTOMS

The Host Print Transform (HPT) configuration in SNA Server 4.0 and 4.0 SP1 no longer includes the options to specify the Paper Source to be used by the AS/400 print session. Even though the Paper Source parameters can be configured manually on the AS/400 for the AS/400 Print Device(s) being used, these parameters are overridden by SNA Server's Print Server each time the print session is restarted. If the AS/400 Print Device is configured to use a Paper Source of *CONT132, it is changed to *LETTER when the AS/400 print session on SNA Server is restarted.

CAUSE

When a print session is configured to use HPT, the Print Device on the AS/400 is updated each time the print session is started on the SNA Server computer. The print server passes various parameters to the AS/400 in the PIP (Program Initialization Parameters) data of the FMH-5 Attach message when it initializes a print session. The Paper Source parameters are included in this PIP data, which causes the manually configured Paper Source parameter to be reset on the AS/400 print device.

RESOLUTION

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft SNA Server version 4.0 and 4.0 SP1. This problem was corrected in the latest SNA Server version 4.0 U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining this Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces): S E R V P A C K

MORE INFORMATION

An updated Snacfg.exe file is now available that allows the Paper Source parameters to be configured for the AS/400 print sessions on SNA Server. The following is an example of the format of the command used to set these parameters:

snacfg printsessionappc <print session name> /server:<server name> /as400devicename:<AS/400 Print Device> /locallualias:<Local APPC LU Alias> /remotelualias:<Remote APPC LU Alias> /papersrc1:CONT132

SNA Server version 4.0 and 4.0 SP1 do not include all of the Host Print Transform (HPT) options that SNA Server versions 3.0 SP2 and 3.0 SP3 included. Only the following HPT options are available with SNA Server versions 4.0 and 4.0 SP1:

Message Queue Name
Message Lib Name
Printer Type

The following options are available when HPT is configured on SNA Server versions 3.0 SP2 and 3.0 SP3:

Font ID
Message Queue Name
Message Lib Name
Form Feed
Printer Type and Model
Paper Source 1
Paper Source 2
Envelope Source
ASCII Code Page 899 Support
Customizing Library Name
Customizing Object Name

For more information on these features, please refer to the following Knowledge Base article:

169892 Host print transform can now be configured by SNA Server

For more information on a similar issue in SNA Server 4.0 and 4.0 SP1 regarding the Font ID parameter, please refer to the following Knowledge Base article:

194598 Print Server overrides Font ID parameter when using HPT