Comments on: Help with CL to answer MSGW on printer WTR

By: TomLiotta

TomLiotta — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 03:20:47 +0000

I was hoping to be able to isolate the messages for WTR ‘TWEETY…

You can isolate to TWEETY first by assigning TWEETY to its own message queue. But even in QSYSOPR, the CPA403D message includes the device name beginning in position 31 of the message replacement data.

A system reply list entry can be added for CPA403D that explicitly applies only when a match for comparison data ‘TWEETY’ is found. If that works in your circumstances, nothing more might be needed.

Tom

By: ToddN2000

ToddN2000 — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 20:31:56 +0000

Another possibility might be to change the MSGQ for the OUTQ to the users OUTQ responsible for monitoring the writer “TWEETY”just a thought

By: pcoffin

pcoffin — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 19:16:05 +0000

The printer is manned 24/7, and they check the paper regularly. They are also the ones that generate the print to the printer, so they know when there should be something printing. Over the past few weeks, the only error I have seen associated with it is the CPA403D. I was hoping to be able to isolate the messages for WTR ‘TWEETY’ and just pay attention to them.

By: Splat

Splat — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 15:51:42 +0000

With rare exceptions the late night, printer related calls were requests to respond to the message in the QSYSOPR queue, the proximate cause of the message having been rectified.

By: TomLiotta

TomLiotta — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 21:31:22 +0000

Cut down on a lot of late night calls.

It can indeed cut down the number of calls, but it doesn’t necessarily resolve the problem. It (partially) resolves a symptom.

It doesn’t ensure that paper has been reloaded. It doesn’t let anyone know that paper is out. It simply puts things into a loop until someone figures out what’s going on. The writer either tries over and over without making progress or it ends and gets started later only to run into the same condition.

If nobody notices, there is no late-night call. If they do notice, they can be frustrated because they weren’t told to load paper.

We need to know what circumstances pcoffin needs to handle if a truly useful resolution can be created. The system reply list might be useful. It depends on exactly what problem needs to be solved. If it’s only reducing calls, that could be enough.

At least, that’s how I see issues like this. Other interpretations are possible. Make sense?

Tom

By: Splat

Splat — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 21:08:26 +0000

I got around a similar problem by setting up system reply list entries to end the writers when certain messages (such as ‘out of paper’) appear in conjunction with a program to restart the writers every 30 minutes. Cut down on a lot of late night calls.

By: TomLiotta

TomLiotta — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 01:20:30 +0000

Handling inquiry messages in QSYSOPR can be tricky.

First, authority to access QSYSOPR is needed, and the access must be high enough to change content. Second, only one program (one job) can allocate a message queue at a time; for a system message queue, that’s a potential issue. Third, the program will be continually monitoring for messages, or will be processing every message every time it runs, or will attempt to handle only the specific intended message; those will have very different structures. (Technically, it will essentially handle every message every time it runs no matter which method is chosen, but there are implications that may be different for each.)

How will the program know when to send a reply? How should it know which CPA403D to reply to if two of them are available?

Do users have emulator sessions? If so, why can’t they use option 6 to reply?

Tom

By: pcoffin

pcoffin — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:14:45 +0000

Tom, Thanks for the reply. All the writers are using QSYSOPR. There are a couple of writers that I will eventually do this on, but just one to start with. The usual cause is running out of paper.

By: TomLiotta

TomLiotta — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:04:02 +0000

It seems almost contradictory to have users with *SPLCTL special authority and not also to have command line access. The main purpose of *SPLCTL is to give authority over all spooled file activities regardless of who owns them. Users always have authority to their own spooled files and don’t need *SPLCTL for it.

The specific message that we need to reply ‘R’ to is CPA403D.

Do the users’ writers have their own message queues? Or are you using QSYSOPR? How many writers are involved? What is the usual cause of the CPA403D?

Tom