Install printer in Active Directory (ADS)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jan-Willem
  • Start date Start date
J

Jan-Willem

Hello,

I have the following question:

I have two windows 2000 advanced servers installed with file
replication. I have serveral printers installed with a Jet Direct. I
have installed these printers on one server. Workstations connect to
these printerqueues.
But what i would like to have is, that if one server goes down the
printers will be still online. How can this be accomplished in the
active directory.

Any help would be appriciated.

Jan-Willem Koenraad
 
I don't know, but my initial thoughts are:

1. This sounds like something Windows clustering would do, but I have no
experience with it and it would mean upgrading to expensive versions of
Windows.

2. If the printers use Jet Direct, that means they have in IP address. If
you have everyone install the printer as a local printer with TCP/IP port,
instead of as a network printer using your print server, the print servers
would be unecessary. That's the whole point of Jet Direct.

Paul
 
Thanx Paul for your input....

The initial Idea was to use clustering service, but we thought it
would be possible with internal scsi disks. It turned out it isnt...
therefore we are use file replication in stead.

We always use jetdirects for our printers... only, as far as i know,
it isnt possible to connect an lpt port to an ip address, this is
neccesary for our DOS-program. The only thing i can come up with is to
install the printers on the workstations and share them and then
connect the lpt port to the local share, but it means that i have to
do that for every workstation seperately. But i guess that's the only
choice.... Maybe you or any one else any idea ?

All help is welcome...

Jan-Willem Koenraad
MC-Data
Netherlands
 
Hi,

How important is your DOS program to you? You can have the DOS program use
one of the print servers or, as you say, a client (even the same machine
maybe) by capturing the port. This will only be a problem if the print
server goes down. I don't know what your situation is, but I personally
wouldn't want to do something so complicated for the sake of a DOS program!
If this program one you wrote, you could cosnider writing an equivalent for
Windows. If it is not, there may already be an equivalent.

Your Windows programs will still be protected.

So, anyway, unless someone else has some ideas, you know your choices. None
of them is ideal.

Paul
 
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