Printing considerations

Storing and printing spooled files

Start of changeIf you choose to store external resources for spooled files in a disk pool group, you must be aware of the printing implications. You can store the external resources such as, Advanced Function Presentation™ (AFP™) objects such as *FNTRSC, *FORMDF, *OVL, *PAGDFN, *PAGSEG, and non-AFP resources in a disk pool group. In order for the printer writer job to access these objects, you must set the disk pool so that it exists in the library namespace with the writer job. End of change

Follow these steps to set the disk pool in the library namespace of the writer job:
  1. Make sure that the disk pool group that contains the external resources is available.
  2. Set the disk pool group for the current thread using the SETASPGRP (Set ASP Group) command (disk-pool-group-name).
  3. Print the spooled file using the STRPRTWTR (Start Printer Writer) command (printer-device-name).
Start of changeConsider the following environment:
  • Two or more systems in a cluster
  • A switchable disk pool to be switch between two or more systems in a cluster
  • Spooled files using external resources are placed onto the switchable disk pool
  • The external resources are in *SYSBAS
To print a spooled file correctly, from any system in the cluster, the external resources must reside in the same libraries on each of the systems in the cluster.End of change
Start of changeIf a spooled file is not with its' external resource in the disk pool that is in a switchable disk environment, then the external resource must exist in the same library on both systems. If the external resource is not in the same disk pool as the spooled file or the external resources are not stored in both libraries on the systems, then the spooled file cannot be read.
Note: Start of changeFor ease of use, it is recommended that the spooled file and the external resources be stored in the same disk pool.End of change
End of change
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Avoid duplicated spooled files

Only one version of a spooled file is allowed to exist in a namespace. A spooled file cannot be:
  • Restored into *SYSBAS if it already exists in a disk pool.
  • Restored into a disk pool if it already exists in *SYSBAS.
  • Moved from disk pool to *SYSBAS if it already exists in another disk pool.
A disk pool can fail to vary on if the disk pool contains the same version of a spooled file that is in *SYSBAS. To correct the problem, do the following steps:
  1. View the job log for the job that attempted to vary on the disk pool for a list of duplicate spooled files in *SYSBAS.
  2. Use the Delete Spooled File (DLTSPLF) command to delete the duplicate spooled files in *SYSBAS.
  3. Vary off the disk pool.
  4. Vary on the disk pool.
End of change
Parent topic: How independent disk pools work