CPU Use at 100 Percent with SNA Server 3.0 Print Server

• Microsoft SNA Server, version 3.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server, versions 3.51 and 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When using SNA Server 3.0 on Windows NT Server 3.51 or 4.0, the CPU use may reach 100 percent and stay at this value indefinitely. This problem has only been observed by using SNA Server 3.0's print server, where the local print processor is not spooling data in a RAW format to a destination print server. You can observe this CPU use by going into Performance Monitor and looking at the following counters:

   Object: Processor
   Instance: 0
   Counter: % Processor Time

   Object: Process
   Instance: snaprint
   Counter: % Processor Time

CAUSE

The cause of this problem is currently being investigated.

WORKAROUND

You can use a workaround until a fix can be made to the Windows NT Server print subsystem. The workaround is to make sure that the print job from SNA Server is spooled as a RAW datatype to the destination print server. You can accomplish this by doing either of the following:

• On a Windows NT Server 4.0 client (where SNA Server is running), go into the Properties for the defined printer. Click the Print Processor button and check the "Always spool RAW datatype" check box. By default, this option is not checked.
• On a Windows NT Server 3.51 client (where SNA Server is running), select the printer in Print Manager, click Properties on the Printer menu, and click Details. The default datatype needs to be RAW. By default under Windows NT Server 3.51, the default datatype is RAW.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT Server 3.51 and 4.0 and SNA Server 3.0. This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft SNA Server 3.0 U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining the service pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

   S E R V P A C K