Print Server

[Melissa Murphy]

Hi guys!

Is there some software that I could install to make my HP act as a print server for half a dozen other HPs? Or should I already have everything I need, just have to set something up? I have two network printers that I'd like to be able to print to from any of the HP-UX machines without installing some HP Print Server on every one of them. Any suggestions? Thanks a ton!

Melissa

[Rodney Hills · Accepted solution]

Yes,

If you haven't already downloaded and installed it, fetch the jetdirect installer software
ftp.hp.com/pub/networking/software/hp10e118.sd

This has a utility called "addqueue" which can add the printer driver to one HP box that can act as the server.

For the other HP boxes, use lpadmin .
example-
lpadmin -pmyprinter -ormtheserver -orptheprinter

This will add a print queue to the local machine that will use the print queue "theprinter" on host "theserver".

See man lpadmin for more info

-- Rod H

[Joseph C. Denman]

I would install the HP Jetadmin software on all the servers. It is free, easy to install/setup, and does not take up much disk space. You can download it off the hp web at:

http://www.hp.com/cposupport/nonjsnav/hpprinteri28674.html

Hope this helps,

...jcd...

[Bill Hassell]

You might want to rethink the use of a server for network printers. Every HP-UX machine can access all network printers directly, so why transfer the print data twice, one to the server and then again to the printer?

The same question can be asked of PC print servers when there are only networked printers. The print server is a big bottleneck--if it goes down, everyone stops printing, and if the printer is out of paper, most users will try printing again (and again and again) before they get up and look at the printer. Thus the server needs massive disk space to hold these jobs.

Most IT managers will assume that a print server can be used to control access and count pages for billing...but the reality is that neither is possible without special software and setups. And since PCs can print directly to networked printers (for HP Jetdirect cards, use the JetDirect printer installer), there isn't much reason to use a print server.

[Melissa Murphy]

So I've installed the software I've downloaded on a few machines. On my print server (Spock) I did 'addqueue -q printers -h mickey'. On another box I did 'lpadmin -pmickey -mlaserjet4 -v/dev/null -ormspock -orpmickey'. It all took and I can print test pages from within the JetDirect configuration utility, but if I open up a document and go to print it on my host I get: An X print server for mickey could not be found. Am I missing something?

I understand the argument against using a single machine as a print server, but I was asked to try it this way for now.

Thanks,
Melissa