Introduction

This document describes how to troubleshoot label printing problems with E-WMS and when using BarTender Commander or BarTender Integrations for label printing (=E-WMS BarTender 'server' method)

Please use this document to troubleshoot Bartender, when not using BarTender Commander or BarTender Integrations ('client' method).

Description

Following steps are performed in sequence, in the label printing process when using BarTender Commander or BarTender Integrations.

1. E-WMS: checks for labels to be printed and reads the label configuration

   1. check if the expected label is configured and 'active' in menu System, E-WMS, Labels

   2. run SQL Profiler during the process step that should start label printing and check if 'csPickitBTLabels' is accessed, you can re-run the query in Query Analyzer to check for results.
       
      

2. E-WMS: Checks if the configured view results in records

   1. run SQL Profiler during the process step that should start label printing and check if the configured view is accessed: E-WMS selects from the view to check for results, before starting label printing

   2. check the view in SQL Query Analyzer for the expected results (same parameters as used in profiler)
       
      

3. E-WMS: creates a data file in XML format for BarTender Commander/BarTender Integrations

   1. is the DD file created in the BarTender scan folder ?
       
      

4. BarTender Commander (BTC) or BarTender Integrations (BTI): detects the new DD file, reads it, and executes it

   1. you can configure BTC or BTI temporarily to rename the DD file, instead of deleting it.
      You can 'execute' the DD file as many times as you like, by renaming it back to .DD, to troubleshoot.

   2. is BTC/BTI running?

   3. is the task or integration active?

   4. is the task or integration configured for the correct 'Bartender scan folder' ?

   5. was a specific account configured for BTC/BTI and does that account has sufficient rights to read from and write to the Bartender scan folder?

   6. does the BTC console or BarTender Administration Console show error messages? 

   7. you can run BTC as 'application' instead as 'service', this sometimes solves problems.
      When doing so, BTC is not automatically started when starting the BTC server! 
       
      

5. BarTender Commander (BTC) or BarTender Integrations (BTI): starts Bartend.exe with the provided data from the XML file

   1. Has the process Bartend.exe been started?
      Multiple 'hanging' process instances of Bartend.exe can indicate a problem in printing the label (see below).
      Bartend.exe is not visibly active on the BarTender server, but shows only in Windows task manager.
      After closing all pending bartend.exe processes and testing again: if the process bartend.exe is started again but no label is printed, then the problem is likely in the label or data itself. Go to (6).

   2. Check the Windows application event log for errors by Bartender

   3. Does the account used to run BTC/BTI have a changed password?
      This can be the account used to run the BarTender service(s), or the account configured in the BTC task itself.

   4. Check the BarTender History Explorer for BT messages.
      This requires specific components to be installed from the BT suite
       
      

6. BarTender: Opens the layout and reads the data

   1. Can BT access the configured layout file (check shared folder, drive mapping may not be available to administrator login)
      You can enable the 'Save' option in the E-WMS label configuration; if the modification date of the 'btw' layout file has changed after 'printing', then E-WMS did start BarTender successfully, and BarTender opened and saved the label.

   2. When using a SQL view in the layout:

      • can the configured BT data connection user access the used view? If using the WMS services and a trusted SQL connection in the label, this is the service account.

      • is the correct SQL server, database and view used in the layout ?

      • can the layout be opened and printed manually in BT?

   3. When embedded text data is used:

      • is there valid data in the DD file?

      • Try pasting the text into a separate text file and use as data source for manual printing (see this document)

   4. Can the layout be opened and printed manually in BT?

      • Using exactly the same data as in the regular process

      • Using the same account as used in the regular process

      • Using the same printer as used in the regular process
         
        

7. BarTender: Prints the layout

   1. Is the Seagull License Server running?

      • Can the Seagull License Server be reached from BT (firewall, configured ports in BT and in the License server) ?

      • Does the Seagull License Server console show error or license messages

   2. Does the label use the right printer?

   • Was there a specific printer used in the E-WMS label configuration? Was this specific printer also used in the DD file?

   • Is the used printer (driver) installed on the PC where the label was printed?

   • Can you print the layout manually from BT, using the same printer?

   • Using a PDF printer (for test environment) sometimes shows problems caused by the PDF engine. Try a 'real printer', or another image/file printer

   3. Check if the provided data for the label can be validated properly in the label;
      for instance when you print a GS1-128 barcode and the item ID ('02', GTIN) is too short, this field will fail validation on length in BT, preventing printing.
      This problem may cause some labels to be printed, and others not.

   4. Check the BarTender History Explorer for BT messages
      (requires specific BT components and the BarTender database to be installed from the BT suite)

Related documents

• Troubleshooting BarTender label printing (without BarTender Commander)
• BarTender Commander: installation and configuration
• BarTender-E-WMS integration: two techniques
• How to create BarTender layouts based on a text file data source
• Maintenance of WMS labels
• Product Update 409: Use BarTender Commander for all E-WMS labels
• Using Microsoft Process Monitor to trace file-, rights- or registry related problems
   
  
• E-WMS start page