Suspending Spooling [ Native Mode Spooler Reference Manual ] MPE/iX 5.5 Documentation
Native Mode Spooler Reference Manual
Suspending Spooling
Use the command SPOOLER with the parameter SUSPEND or the command
SUSPENDSPOOL.
SUSPENDSPOOL and SPOOLER...;SUSPEND without the ;FINISH option causes the
spooler process to retain ownership of the spool file it is currently
processing. Furthermore, the spooler does not cap the current file with
a page eject and trailer, but pauses the output. The printer resumes
printing exactly where it left off when the SPOOLER...;RESUME command
with no offset is issued.
Both SPOOLER...;SUSPEND ;KEEP and SPOOLER...;SUSPEND with no offset pause
the output. Again, the spooler resumes spooling exactly where it left
off.
CAUTION When using network printers, avoid using the following commands
to suspend the spooler in mid-file:
SPOOLER...; STOP
SPOOLER...; SUSPEND; OFFSET=anything
SPOOLER...; RESUME; OFFSET=anything
SPOOLER...; SUSPEND; NOKEEP
SPOOLER...; RELEASE
Many interfaces drop a network connection if the printer is
ready to receive data but no data is being sent within a
specific time period. The period is configurable at the printer
or in the printer's TFTP file (specified in the bootptab entry),
but many users simply use the factory default, which is 90
seconds.
The timer only runs when the printer is available but the host
is not sending data, as is the case during a mid-file
suspension. The timer does not run when the printer is unable
to print, i.e., it has been taken offline, or places itself
offline due to a paper out or toner low condition.
The behavior of SUSPENDSPOOL differs from its functionality in release
2.05 and in earlier releases. This difference is a result of mapping the
command onto the native mode spooler command set.
The difference permits RESUMESPOOL...;BACK nnn and RESUMESPOOL...;FORWARD
nnn to function as they did in the 2.05 and earlier releases.
A consequence is that SUSPENDSPOOL does not relinquish ownership of a
spool file that is printing.
To force the spooler process to relinquish ownership, you may choose
either of two methods:
SUSPENDSPOOL 6
SPOOLER 6;RELEASE
or
SPOOLER 6;SUSPEND;NOW;NOKEEP
Suspending a class
To suspend spooling where class LP consists of logical devices 6, 9, and
11, and where their spooler processes retain ownership of any spool files
that they are currently processing, enter:
SPOOLER LP ;SUSPEND
Suspending with an offset
You can specify an offset when you suspend spooling. Suppose that the
spooler for logical device 6 is printing page 20. You want to suspend
spooling so that when you direct the spooler to resume, it begins
printing page 17. Enter:
SPOOLER 6 ;SUSPEND; KEEP; OFFSET = -3
The KEEP parameter directs logical device 6 to retain ownership of the
spool file that it is currently processing. The KEEP option need not be
entered. It is the default.
You can use the RELEASE parameter of the SPOOLER command to release a
retained spool file.
MPE/iX 5.5 Documentation