%DCPS-F-CONTERMINATED message on long jobs

[Steven P Underwood]

Hello and thank you in advance.  Not completely sure where to post this so I will start here.  I'm hoping this is DCPS or printer setting related.

We have several HP LaserJet 9050 and HP LaserJet 8150 printers on our network.  Unlike the similar thread I found on the old system (still have not found it here, http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1207192), these queues work fine most of the time, however...

When processing long VMS print jobs (1000 pages or more, depends on amount of data per page), we get the following error message: <Message from user SYSTEM on NOAH Queue HP9053$LASER: %DCPS-F-CONTERMINATED, Connection abnormally terminated> and the print job is held on error as is our setting and the queue is left in the idle mode.  The print job has always completed properly even when this error is produced.  The problem occurs if another job is submitted after the error occurs but before the print job physically completes.  In that case, the new job is sent to the printer, and gets the same error, but is never output by the printer.  To make sure all jobs are printed, I need to confirm the printed jobs against the list of held jobs.  I am thinking there is some timer in DCPS and/or printer that would adjust for this, but I have not found it yet.  Any suggestions are accepted.

Now for out environment (please don't laugh), and as the hardware and software versions indicate, upgrading is not an option per management.  If upgrade is the only fix, we will need to deal with the problem.

DIGITAL TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS VAX Version V5.0A on a VAX 7000-630 running OpenVMS V7.1

"DCPS$VERSION" = "V2.4"

Printer queue HP9053$LASER, idle, on NOAH::"IP_RawTCP/192.168.4.195:9100",

mounted form LASER2 (stock=DEFAULT)

<HP LaserJet 9050dn in Computer Room>

/BASE_PRIORITY=4 /DEFAULT=(FEED,FLAG,FORM=LASER2 (stock=DEFAULT))

/NOENABLE_GENERIC /LIBRARY=DCPS_LIB Lowercase /OWNER=[SYSTEM]

/PROCESSOR=DCPS$SMB /PROTECTION=(S:M,O:D,G:R,W:S) /SCHEDULE=(NOSIZE)

[Volker Halle]

Steven,

the DCPS release notes talk about problems like this in chapter 3.4 Connection Terminations for Raw TCP/IP Queue

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/82final/dcps/dcps027_release_notes.pdf

Seems like this problem is related to printers dropping the TCPIP connection, if they do not receive any message from the host for 'a long time'. It's suggested to increase the IDLE timeout of the printer, if such setting is available.

Volker.

[Paul Anderson_7]

Especially with printers with larger memory or disk storage, it's possible for DCPS to create the whole job and send it to the printer long before the printer finishes rendering it and then printing it.  As Volker mentioned, one solution could be to increase the printer's network timeout.  On many printers it's in the TCP/IP section of settings, perhaps called "IP timeout".

You could also upgrade to DCPS V2.7.  It will work fine on your OpenVMS V7.1 system and may treat your printer better with regards to timeouts.

Paul