Change Spooled File Attributes (CHGSPLFA) command results in message CPF3303

Resolving The Problem

Intermittently, changing the attributes of a spooled file using the Change Spooled File Attributes (CHGSPLFA) command results in message CPF3303, File &1 not found in job &5/&4/&3, even though the spooled file can be seen and accessed in an output queue. In some cases, message CPF3C40, Spooled file &4 not found, may be received instead.

The spooled file can be seen in the output queue and can be displayed by selecting Option 5 on it. If a writer is started to the output queue, the spooled file prints correctly; however, the attributes cannot be changed for the spooled file by selecting Option 2 on the spooled file or by using the CHGSPLFA command.

In V5R2M0 (R520) OS/400, changes made to the i5/OS Print and Spool code to allow spooled files to become decoupled from jobs. When issuing a change on the spooled file, the system looks through an index to find a match for the attributes of the spooled file. 

It turned out that a user was changing the system time back several hours while the job that created the spooled file was running. Consequently, the spooled file had a creation date and time that was before the job start time. When the indexes are searched, they are searched from the job start time. Since the spooled file creation time was before the job start time, the spooled file was not found. Moving the system date/time ahead does not cause a problem trying to change the spooled file attributes, since the spooled file is created after the job start time, but moving the system date/time back can cause this problem.

This error can also happen in the fall of the year when clocks are set back an hour during Daylight Savings Time. This problem affects only R520 and later. To avoid this problem, it is recommended to end any jobs that might create spooled files prior to setting the time back.

If there is a spooled file that is created this way, the user should be able to work with it by issuing a command that gives the spooled file name, spooled file number, and the fully-qualified job name. Here is an example of changing the form type: 

QSYS/CHGSPLFA JOB(584335/QSECOFR/OP03) FILE(QSYSPRT) SPLNBR(54)
              FORMTYPE(*STD)

Note: If the user is not able to change the attributes to send the spooled file to a printer, try one of the following options:

• Use the Send TCP/IP Spooled File (SNDTCPSPLF or LPR) command to send the spooled file to a LAN attached printer.
• Use the Send Network Spooled File (SNDNETSPLF) command with the spooled file name, spooled file number, the fully-qualified job name, and data format *ALLDATA to create a new copy of the original spooled. Then send this spooled file to the printer.

For More Information (References)

For additional information, refer to Information APAR II13593, OSP-MSGCPF3303 CHANGING SPOOLED FILE ATTRIBUTES: