Printer Goes into "disable" Mode While Printing

[George Lenzer]

We have an HP-UX 11.11 server with the December goldbase patch bundle applied. There are print jobs that send jobs to the printer every morning. Things had been working fine on our old HP-UX server, then we migrated to the new one (identical OS config including patch bundles) and now we have this problem. Right in the middle of the print job, the printer stops printing. If we look in SAM, the printer is disabled. If we run /usr/bin/enable the printer is back again. This has to be a simple problem, but most of my Google search results don't seem to apply to our situation. Any help appreciated.

[Ganesan R]

Hi George,

I would say you apply the latest patch bundle or atleast LP spooler patches.

[V. Nyga]

Hi,

>Things had been working fine on our old HP-UX
>server, then we migrated to the new one
>(identical OS config including patch bundles)

And the hardware? Identical or changed?

>send jobs to the printer every morning

A local, remote or network printer?

Volkmar

[George Lenzer]

The old server was an RP5400 series and the new server is an RP 7700. Both PA-RISC, both with 48 gigs of RAM.

The printer is a network printer (TCP/IP). It just occurred to me that when we migrated from the old server to the new one, I left the printer queues enabled on the old one. Could that cause a conflict? Are they fighting over the printer occasionally?

Regarding the LP spooler patches, wouldn't those be part of the latest goldbase patch bundles?

[V. Nyga]

Hi again,

>Could that cause a conflict?
Well, yes it could. But I think for that the old server should send some job to the printer - is the print job also running at the old server?
Well, just disable the printer queue at the old server an see what happens.

But maybe the printer is also too slow for the new server? Maybe memory overflow at the printer? Or network problems?

V.

[George Lenzer]

I've ruled out the other server since it's been powered down for two weeks, so the printer queue is not active on the network.

We checked our Cisco switch and the port that the printer is plugged into is not logging any errors, so networking is not likely to be an issue.

The printer itself is an HP 9050n (with the built-in Jetdirect card) which should be able to handle the jobs easily.

There are no other servers connecting to the printer (Windows or HP-UX) to tie up the printer.

Our original suspcion was that something in the print job was being interpretted as a control code or escape code (not sure of the right terminology here) that would send the printer off line resulting in the queue being disabled. But when we check the printer, it's in a normal status. It's simply the queue that is being disabled.

It is also of note that this happens many times *while printing*. Right in the middle of printing notices for us the queue becomes disabled and printing stops.

[V. Nyga]

Hi again,

was the printer configuration copied from the older system or a new config?

>Regarding the LP spooler patches, wouldn't those be part of the latest goldbase patch bundles?
Well there are several patches after Dec. 2008, the latest for 11.11 is PHCO_36805:
http://www11.itrc.hp.com/service/patch/patchDetail.do?patchid=PHCO_36805

Have you opened a call at HP?

V.

[George Lenzer]

The printer configuration was copied from the old server.

I haven't yet opened a case because it seems like a pretty trivial issue that someone else should have experienced. But... I may have to open one soon.

[V. Nyga]

Hi again,

so I think you have to
1. test the latest patch (hotline will ask for this surely)
2. try a new made configuration
3. open a call

Good luck
Volkmar