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SpoolOrganzier/400™ FAQ

PREREQUISITE FAQ:

Q: What are the system requirements in order to run SpoolOrganizer/400?
A: OS/400 Version 5 Release 4 Modification 0 or later
Security Level 40 or less
If you are updating from an older release of SpoolOrganizer/400 to the latest release, you must be at SpoolOrganizer release 4.0 PTF 0000 or later.

MONITOR FAQ:

Q: Can I monitor an outq that is attached to an IBM Print Writer?
A: We do not recommend you doing this. Having an IBM Print Writer and a BDS Monitor defined to the same outq causes unpredictable things to happen. We have seen the IBM Print Writer 'grab' the spool entry and process it before the BDS Monitor could. This is why we suggest creating a new outq that the spool entries can be moved into and have the IBM Print Writer process the new outq.

Q: Can I use the Monitor to automatically process spool entries in a *SAV status?
A: NEW in version 5.4 0000:  SpoolOrganizer Monitors, when defined to process HELD entries, can optionally process entries in a *SAV status.

Q: I don't understand Monitor Selection Specs. What are they used for?
A: When you create a Monitor to monitor an outq for spool entries, you can either process every spool entry that arrives in this outq the same way, or you can tell us to process certain spool entries differently than the others. In other words, Selection Specs are used when you do not want to process ALL spool entries arriving in XX outq the same way. Each Selection Spec tells us which SPECIFIC spool entry to look for and how to process it. You uniquely identify the spool entry by spool file attributes such as Job Name, Job User, Form Type, etc. If no Selection Specs are defined to a Monitor (or no spool entries in the outq you are monitoring match any of the Selection Specs you defined), then the Monitor Default Processing Options are used.

Q:  I have made some changes to my monitor definitions, yet the changes do not appear to be taking effect. Why?
A:
You must stop and restart any monitors that you have changed for those changes to take effect. The same is true with bundle descriptions
.

E-MAIL FAQ:

Q: What are the OS/400 requirements to be able to use the E-mail feature of SpoolOrganizer/400?
A: Appendix E of the SpoolOrganizer/400™ manual gives this information as well as offers OS/400 set-up suggestions. Step 8 of the set-up suggestions gives a test message command string using the IBM SNDDST command. To test your setup, use the given command.  If you do not receive mail as a result of using the given command, contact IBM or your network support personnel for assistance. 

Q:  Does your E-Mail product use the AS/400 POP mail server?
A:
  We use MSF, which can be configured to use POP or others such as Notes.  Contact IBM for help configuring MSF.

Q: How can I tell if OS/400 Mail Server Framework (MSF) is active on the AS/400 that contains the spool files I want to e-mail?
A: Do a WRKACTJOB on the AS/400 that contains the spool files. Under subsystem QSYSWRK you should see one or more active QMSF jobs. This would be your indication that MSF is active.

Q: Is there a file size limit when sending an email with SpoolOrganizer/400?
A: No. However, as shipped from IBM, OS/400 will split up large outgoing E-Mail messages. The split message will appear to most browsers as several messages, each labeled in the message header as message/partial, and each message is usually 'gobbly gook'. Refer to Page E-2 of the SpoolOrganizer/400™ manual for instructions on how to get around this.

Q: When I do a DSPOLE and take option F15 to Email a spool entry, the email message arrives in the recipients INBOX as being from : USER@ name of my AS/400 instead of USER@ABC.COM. How do I fix this?
A: Enter the following command: BRODERICK/SPLADM. Take option 7- Tailoring Options, then option F10 E-Mail and change the domain name. The Domain Name will become the default for any Spool Entries sent via email through the DSPOLE command. Spool Entries sent via the EMLSPLE command will use the From-Address of the EMAIL SPEC used or one you specify.

ARCHIVING FAQ:

Q: Is there a limit to the number of spool files in an outq I can archive or backup to tape ?
A: In the past, we encountered problems with >34,000 but those problems have been fixed in a recent PTF. We expect problems with approximately 130,000 due to certain IBM size limitations.

MISC. FAQ:

Q: What do I do about damaged dataq messages?
A: The damaged dataq can be one of three types. Below are the types and the solutions to fix the damage.

If the damaged dataq is the same name as one of your Monitors:
-Switch to another session. Leave the Damaged Dataqueue message unanswered
-End the Monitor
-Delete the damaged dataq  (DLTDTAQ F4)
-Enter the command: BRODERICK/SPLADM
-Take Option 1-Define System
-Take Option 2-Define Monitors
-Press Enter to display the complete list of Monitors
-Find the Monitor name
-Put a '2'( to change) beside the monitor name and press Enter
-Continue pressing Enter until you get back to the Define System Menu
We recreate the dataq 'under the covers' for you
-Switch back to the session with the message. Take a 'R' to retry
.

If the damaged dataq is BSO###### (BSO + 6-digit number):
Don't worry about it!
Delete it
It's a temporary dataq

If the damaged dataq is BSO followed by anything BUT a 6-digit number:
Enter the command RCTSPORQ (F4) and put a *YES beside the name of the dataq that is damaged.
This command will:
Attempt to delete the old data queue
Create the data queue
Change the owner to QSECOFR

Q: What causes damaged dataq's??
A: The most common cause of damaged dataq's is a system halt/crash, usually due to a power outage.

Q: What information do you need when I am getting an 'MCH' or 'CPF' etc. message ?
A: We need the MCH/CPF number, the program (all of our programs are prefixed by BSO) and the COBOL statement number. Example: MCH0603 was detected in COBOL statement 587 in program BSO006 in BRODERICK.

Q: How do I find a joblog that will be useful to BDS when we encounter a problem/error message?
A:
1.) If you have answered any BDS message with a C or a D, a joblog is automatically produced and dumped in outq QEZJOBLOG. Find the joblog of the failing job and read through it.

2.) If the error message has not been answered yet and the job is still running, do a WRKACTJOB. Under subsystem BDS you should see a job in MSGW status. Place a '5' beside the job in MSGW, then a '10' to display joblog. Press F10 to display detailed messages. Scroll up or down as needed. Pressing F1 (HELP) on any message may give more detailed information.

3.) If you submitted the job, try WRKSBMJOB. Take a '5-work with' then '10-display joblog' or '4-work with spooled files'.

4.) From a MESSAGE ID: Press HELP. Press F9 (msg. details). Write down Job Name, Job User, Job Number. Do a WRKJOB using the information you just wrote down. Take option '10-display joblog' or '4-work with spooled files'.

5.) From a spool entry, take option '8-attributes'. Write down Job Name, Job User, Job Number. Do a WRKJOB using the information you just wrote down. Take option '4-work with spooled files' or '10-display joblog'.

Q: You requested that I FTP an ARCFILE to my PC so that I can email a 'problem' spool entry to you via e-mail. How do I do that correctly?
1.) Move the problem spool entry by itself into an outq not attached to a printer.

2.) Create an ARCFILE:

CRTPF (F4)
FILE NAME/LIB : your choice
RECORD LENGTH: 4096
MEMBER, IF DESIRED: *NONE
(ENTER)

3.) Archive the outq (from step 1) into the ARCFILE created above

ARCOUTQ (F4)
OUTQ TO ARCHIVE: from step 1
DEVICE: *ARCFILE
ARCFILE NAME/LIB: from step 2
(ENTER)

4.) FTP the ARCFILE to your PC. On your PC:

CLICK START, PROGRAMS, MS-DOS PROMPT

TYPE: FTP YOUR.AS.400.COM

ENTER A VALID USER ID AND PASSWORD WHEN PROMPTED.
THE USER SHOULD HAVE A MODERATE AMOUNT OF AS/400
AUTHORITY.

WHEN LOGGED IN ENTER: BIN

ENTER: CD BRODERICK (or your library)

ENTER: GET AS400FILE C:/pcdir/pcfile (substitute your names)

WHEN TRANSFERRED, SIGN OFF FTP AND EXIT THE DOS
SHELL:
QUIT
EXIT

E-MAIL the file to us as an attachment.
The email address is: tech@broderickdata.com

Q: None of the documentation mentions starting the BDS subsystem. Should this be incorporated in our startup program or does one of the BDS commands submit a command to start the subsystem?
A: Any SpoolOrganizer/400™ command that needs BDS will automatically start the subsystem. STRSOMON, STRBDLMGR, etc.

Q: Does SpoolOrganizer/400™ support AFP? (Advanced Function Printing)
A: We only support TEXT AFP. We do not support graphics.

Q: My DASD is a xx%. Certain SpoolOrganizer files seem to be very large. How can I remedy this?
A: If there are entries in the online database, archive and/or purge them (ARCOLE, PUROLE)
Purge the archive catalog (PURARCCAT)
Purge the optical catalog (PUROPTCAT)
Clear our log (PURSOLOG)
Clear email log (PURSNTML)

Our usual large files are BSOARC (archive catalog) and BSOOLD (online database). Display each of these files to see if there are any deleted records. If so, run the IBM RGZPFM command (reorganize physical file member).

Q: Can the banner header/footer pages be combined into the spool entry?
A: No.

Q:  We have found in the Broderick library a very large number of objects like BSO000054 *DTAQ  BRODERICK.  Is there a procedure that we can run to remove these objects?
A: Lots of data queues are the result of BDS tasks (i.e. monitors) creating a work data queue for their processing but do not execute to the end to delete the  data queue. For example someone issues an ENDSBS *ALL *IMMED command for nightly backups.

 To remove the data queues, execute the following commands when no BDS task  is active. We recommend you put them in a cl program and run it at IPL:

 DLTDTAQ BRODERICK/BSO0*   /* thats B-S-O-ZERO-ASTRICKS */
 MONMSG CPF0000

DLTDTAQ BRODERICK/BSO1*
MONMSG CPF0000

DLTDTAQ BRODERICK/BSO2*
MONMSG CPF0000

DLTDTAQ BRODERICK/BSO3*
MONMSG CPF0000

DLTDTAQ BRODERICK/BSO4*
MONMSG CPF0000

DLTDTAQ BRODERICK/BSO5*
MONMSG CPF0000
 

DLTDTAQ BRODERICK/BSO6*
MONMSG CPF0000

DLTDTAQ BRODERICK/BSO7*
MONMSG CPF0000

DLTDTAQ BRODERICK/BSO8*
MONMSG CPF0000

DLTDTAQ BRODERICK/BSO9*
MONMSG CPF0000