Printing cause Load average to climb!!??

[fathead]

Look at the following output for 'ps -ef |grep account'

When user account1 tries to print the printer lasernet, the load average start to climb. Lasernet is connected to an HP Jetdirect printserver. If I kill all these prosesses everything is OK.
SCO 5.0.6

account1 2278 2188 0 08:19:46 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/hpnp/hpnpf -x las
rnet
account1 2241 1 0 08:14:46 ? 00:00:00 /usr/spool/lp/admins/lp/in
erfaces/lasernet lasernet-159 account1 1 /usr/spo
account1 2188 2187 0 08:13:06 ? 00:00:00 /usr/spool/lp/admins/lp/in
erfaces/lasernet lasernet-159 account1 1 /usr/spo
account1 2279 2278 0 08:19:46 ? 00:00:00 /usr/spool/lp/admins/lp/in
erfaces/lasernet lasernet-159 account1 1 /usr/spo
account1 2187 2186 0 08:13:06 ? 00:00:00 /bin/sh -c /usr/spool/lp/a
mins/lp/interfaces/lasernet lasernet-159 account1 ""
account1 2194 1 0 08:13:07 ? 00:00:00 /usr/spool/lp/admins/lp/in
erfaces/lasernet lasernet-159 account1 1 /usr/spo
account1 2254 1 0 08:16:26 ? 00:00:00 /usr/spool/lp/admins/lp/in
erfaces/lasernet lasernet-159 account1 1 /usr/spo
account1 2198 2194 28 08:13:07 ? 00:03:38 lprpp -l60
account1 2199 2198 0 - - 00:00:00 <defunct>
account1 2245 2241 21 08:14:46 ? 00:01:52 lprpp -l60
account1 2246 2245 0 - - 00:00:00 <defunct>
account1 2266 1 0 08:18:07 ? 00:00:00 /usr/spool/lp/admins/lp/in
erfaces/lasernet lasernet-159 account1 1 /usr/spo
account1 2283 2279 11 08:19:47 ? 00:00:10 lprpp -l60
account1 2258 2254 40 08:16:26 ? 00:01:08 lprpp -l60
account1 2259 2258 0 - - 00:00:00 <defunct>
account1 2284 2283 0 - - 00:00:00 <defunct>

 

[schnook9]

The <defunct> processes are your problem here. Essentially they are created when SCO cannot print to the device after a period of time. If you continue to leave it unfixed, it will crash your server too. Basically, you have a printer that is either unreachable or otherwise mis-configured. Try pinging the printer. Make sure you have the proper IP in the /etc/hosts file, as well as the proper IP, MAC, name, etc in /etc/bootptab. Make sure the hosts file IP and bootptab IP match as well. Hope that helps.