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  • #2223052

    Windows 2003 Print server vs Jetdirect print server ?

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    by kentb31 ·

    Hi,
    I have setup a print server queue for about 150 users on our Win 2003 R2 server.
    I was wondering what are the advantages of using the server instead of using JetDirect or other hardware solution. I know that security is one advantage.

    I though that by setting a print server in Windows 2003, my user’s print jobs would be spooling on the server and not on their C: drive.
    Right now, what is happening is that if the printer has run out of paper or there is a paper jam and my user print to the network printer, they get an error message.

    Am I configuring my print server correctly ?

    Any pointer would be greatly appreciated

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    • #2639459

      Clarifications

      by kentb31 ·

      In reply to Windows 2003 Print server vs Jetdirect print server ?

      Clarifications

    • #2639449

      Print server

      by scott_heath ·

      In reply to Windows 2003 Print server vs Jetdirect print server ?

      In order for the Windows 2003 server to truly be the “print server” you woul dneed to have the printer directly attached via a cable. A jetdirect card\box allows you to assign the device an ip and put it anywhere you want. Then the Windows Server acts as the “print queue” and spooled jobs will go there.

      Users will still get an error if the job does not print. if they didn’t they wouldn’t know to go change the toner or paper or to call tech support.

      • #2639428

        Windows 2003 Print server vs Jetdirect print server ?

        by kentb31 ·

        In reply to Print server

        Our Windows 2003 is connected to the printer via a Jetdirect connection.
        So this means that our server will never be a true “print server”. Is this the case ?
        Is there any way around that ?
        (other than connected the printer to the LPT1 port. Server and printer are on different floors, so that’s not an option)

        Thanks!

        • #2638398

          Correct

          by scott_heath ·

          In reply to Windows 2003 Print server vs Jetdirect print server ?

          The server is where the queue resides. I’m not sure what your concern is though. The queue is where the jobs are sppoled and stored for printing. The printer server just handles the communication, although the printer itself can spool and store jobs as well.

          Can you explain what your objective is?

        • #2638324

          Printer server objective

          by kentb31 ·

          In reply to Correct

          I was under the impression that once the print jobs were sent to the queue on the server that it was the server’s job to handle the actual printing.
          It would have been preferable that users do not notification that there is a problem with printer (paper jam, no paper).
          I would like that the print job does not get spool on the local drive, but rather spooled on the server…

        • #2638208

          Well…

          by scott_heath ·

          In reply to Printer server objective

          You can probably go into the printer properties and maybe turn that stuff off.

        • #2639607

          Print server

          by kentb31 ·

          In reply to Well…

          Yes, I am quite aware that you can turn that off, but if there is no paper or there is a problem with the printer, then nobody would know about it.
          I would liked a real print server when users send their jobs to printer queue and the print server takes care of the actual printing; the job is not spooled on the drive of the users. That would be the ideal situation.
          Does a solution like that actually exist ?

        • #2637065

          Confused.

          by scott_heath ·

          In reply to Print server

          From your original post:

          “Right now, what is happening is that if the printer has run out of paper or there is a paper jam and my user print to the network printer, they get an error message.

          Am I configuring my print server correctly ?”

          You made it sound like you didn’t want them to get the messages.

          You have a “real” print server, the jetdirect box. I’m not sure why you think the job isn’t being spooled to the Windows Server. It then send the job to the print server which feeds it to the printer, which stores it in memory until it can be printed.

          So I am pretty sure your setup works the way you want it to. What symptoms are you seeing that suggest otherwise?

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