Incomplete Print Jobs Using JetDirect over SPX

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The following lines from a Network Monitor trace illustrate the problem. The first sequence illustrates the failure.

5    CLIENT   PRINTER   0x99E4 -> 0xFFFF, Seq = 0, Ack = 0, Alloc = 3
6    PRINTER  CLIENT    0x3C8E -> 0x99E4, Seq = 0, Ack = 0, Alloc = 0
7    PRINTER  CLIENT    0x3C8E -> 0x99E4, Seq = 0, Ack = 0, Alloc = 0
8    CLIENT   PRINTER   0x99E4 -> 0x3C8E, Seq = 0, Ack = 1, Alloc = 4
9    CLIENT   PRINTER   0x99E4 -> 0x3C8E, Seq = 0, Ack = 1, Alloc = 4
10   PRINTER  CLIENT    0x3C8E -> 0x99E4, Seq = 1, Ack = 1, Alloc = 1
11   PRINTER  CLIENT    0x3C8E -> 0x99E4, Seq = 1, Ack = 1, Alloc = 1
12   CLIENT   PRINTER   0x99E4 -> 0x3C8E, Seq = 1, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
13   CLIENT   PRINTER   0x99E4 -> 0x3C8E, Seq = 1, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
14   PRINTER  CLIENT    0x3C8E -> 0x99E4, Seq = 2, Ack = 2, Alloc = 2
15   CLIENT   PRINTER   0x99E4 -> 0x3C8E, Seq = 2, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
16   PRINTER  CLIENT    0x3C8E -> 0x99E4, Seq = 2, Ack = 3, Alloc = 3
17   CLIENT   PRINTER   0x99E4 -> 0x3C8E, Seq = 3, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
18   PRINTER  CLIENT    0x3C8E -> 0x99E4, Seq = 2, Ack = 4, Alloc = 3
19   CLIENT   PRINTER   0x99E4 -> 0x3C8E, Seq = 4, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
20   CLIENT   PRINTER   0x99E4 -> 0x3C8E, Seq = 4, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
21   CLIENT   PRINTER   0x99E4 -> 0x3C8E, Seq = 4, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
22   CLIENT   PRINTER   0x99E4 -> 0x3C8E, Seq = 4, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
23   CLIENT   PRINTER   0x99E4 -> 0x3C8E, Seq = 4, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
24   CLIENT   PRINTER   0x99E4 -> 0x3C8E, Seq = 4, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
25   CLIENT   PRINTER   0x99E4 -> 0x3C8E, Seq = 4, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
26   CLIENT   PRINTER   0x99E4 -> 0x3C8E, Seq = 4, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
.
.
.
51    CLIENT   PRINTER  Diag Request: Exclude 0 Addresses
52    PRINTER  CLIENT   Diag Resp: Ver 1.0, SPX Socket = 0x4801, 2 Components
53    CLIENT   PRINTER  Diag Request: Exclude 0 Addresses
54    PRINTER  CLIENT   Diag Resp: Ver 1.0, SPX Socket = 0x4801, 2 Components
55    CLIENT   PRINTER  0x99E5 -> 0xFFFF, Seq = 0, Ack = 0, Alloc = 3
56    PRINTER  CLIENT   0xBA22 -> 0x99E5, Seq = 0, Ack = 0, Alloc = 0
				

Notice that in frame 18 the Printer increments the ACK to 4, but the allocation number remains at 3. The client should stop sending at this point, but in frames 19 through 26 the client continues to send data.

After a short time, in frame 51, the client begins negotiating a new session, but as long as there is a "buffer full" situation, the new session will also terminate. This process continues until the print sequence completes without encountering the "buffer full" signal from the printer.

The second trace sequence below illustrates the correct behavior.

131   CLIENT    PRINTER    0x1870 -> 0xFFFF, Seq = 0, Ack = 0, Alloc = 3
132   PRINTER   CLIENT     0x3CBA -> 0x1870, Seq = 0, Ack = 0, Alloc = 0
133   PRINTER   CLIENT     0x3CBA -> 0x1870, Seq = 0, Ack = 0, Alloc = 0
134   CLIENT    PRINTER    0x1870 -> 0x3CBA, Seq = 0, Ack = 1, Alloc = 4
135   CLIENT    PRINTER    0x1870 -> 0x3CBA, Seq = 0, Ack = 1, Alloc = 4
136   PRINTER   CLIENT     0x3CBA -> 0x1870, Seq = 1, Ack = 1, Alloc = 1
137   PRINTER   CLIENT     0x3CBA -> 0x1870, Seq = 1, Ack = 1, Alloc = 1
138   CLIENT    PRINTER    0x1870 -> 0x3CBA, Seq = 1, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
.
.
.
141   CLIENT    PRINTER    0x1870 -> 0x3CBA, Seq = 1, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
142   PRINTER   CLIENT     0x3CBA -> 0x1870, Seq = 2, Ack = 2, Alloc = 2
143   CLIENT    PRINTER    0x1870 -> 0x3CBA, Seq = 2, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
144   PRINTER   CLIENT     0x3CBA -> 0x1870, Seq = 2, Ack = 3, Alloc = 3
145   CLIENT    PRINTER    0x1870 -> 0x3CBA, Seq = 3, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
146   PRINTER   CLIENT     0x3CBA -> 0x1870, Seq = 2, Ack = 4, Alloc = 3
				

The printer increments the allocation numbers as expected up frame 146. After this frame, the client temporarily discontinues sending data until it gets the buffers clear signal from the printer. This occurs in the sequence below:

316   PRINTER   CLIENT     0x3CBA -> 0x1870, Seq = 2, Ack = 4, Alloc = 4
317   CLIENT    PRINTER    0x1870 -> 0x3CBA, Seq = 4, Ack = 2, Alloc = 5
.
.
.
				

In frame 316, the printer finally increments the allocation number, and the client immediately responds in frame 317 with more data. At that point, the print job continues uninterrupted until its completion.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: 151677
TITLE : NWLink SPX Ignores Allocation Number Sent By Peer

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