Windows Server 2000 & 2003 support the Non-Microsoft windows printing as well.

Windows 2003 printing terminology:

1. Printer: It is the software interface between print device & user.
2. Print device: It is actual hardware device that produce the printed output.
3. Print server: The computer on which print device is installed.
4. Print driver: It is a software which activates hardware.

Note:   

1. By default everyone has print permission
2. We can use windows xp as print server but maximum 10 concurrent connections are possible.

COMMON OPTION OF PRINTER:

1. Printer Pool: A Printer Pool is a single printer that can queue job to multiple ports and their associated print devices. Print pooling allows you to connect multiple print devices to a server and manage them as though they were a single print device. Print job will be allocated to the first available print device.
   
   
2. Printer Priority is set when multiple configured printer uses a common print device, print jobs of printer with high priority will be completed first.
   
   
3. Spooling: A process of caching (copying temporarily) the print request to the hard disk (in spool folder) on print server until printer is ready to accept them. Once the print request has spooled completely you can close your application (file) from which you have send the print request. When the print device is free, the printing will be done automatically. By default this feature is enable in windows 2003 server.
   

 To set / change spool location:

1. Select printer
2. file menu       
3. server properties
4. advance tab  (C:\windows\system32\spool\printer)

Note: After changing the spool folder location you need to restart spooler service or reboot the server.
4. Print Queue: is a list of print jobs from different workstation that is saved on the spooler of the print server.
5. Pooling: It means transfer of print job automatically from one printer to another printer.

1. Right click on printer
2. properties
3. port tab
4. display

  
6. Print redirection: It means pooling on another server

1. Click add port button 
2. display
3. Enter a port name: \\server name\printer shared name
4. Ok

Note: For print redirection,we have to use identical (similar) hardware device.

To install local and network printer:

1. Local printer:
   Local printer means which is physically attached to the physically machine through physical port (from LPT, COM, USB)
   
   
2. Network printer:
   Which is connected to the network.
   
   
3. Internet printing:
   To access the print server through internet.

Installation of network printer:

1. Open printer & fax:
2. Click add a printer
3. next
4. select local or network printer
5. next
6. select port
7. select printer model  & name
8. next
9. type printer share name
10. next
11. finish.

Managing printer properties:
The printer properties dialogue box has 6 tabs:

1. General
2. Sharing
3. Ports
4. Advanced
5. Security
6. Device setting

We can configure additional driver (for Win 9x, NT, 2000, XP), separator page and printer priority through printer properties.

How to configure internet printing:
On Server (concept in VPN)

1. Click add/remove
2. windows component
3. application server
4. details
5. IIS
6. details
7. check internet printing
8. finish

On client:  Install internet printing

1. Open internet explorer
2. and type in URL (Universe resource locator) (http://servername\printersharename)

Supporting printing for non-windows client:
Windows 2003 server support printing to Unix, Netware and Macintosh clients.

Support printing for Unix client:
Unix clients print jobs to printer through LPR (Line printer remote) utility:
We can configure printing for Unix through

1. add/remove
2. windows component
3. check printing for Unix print (In windows 2003 server)

Configure for printing job on Unix client:
The following commands is used for printing through windows 2003 server in Unix client.
# LPR -S computer name  or IP address of windows 2003 server -pprint-shared-name b
# LPR filename

Support printing for Netware clients:
If we want to support Netware client printing through windows 2003 server print device must be install File and print services for netware client through.

1. Add / remove
2. windows component on the windows 2003 print server
3. check (e) file and print service for netware.

 

Support printing for Macintosh client:
For Macintosh client printing, must install (e) print services for Macintosh through add / remove windows components on the windows 2003 print server

Note:

1. Add apple talk protocol on the windows 2003 server
2. On the Macintosh client, no other configuration changes are required.

 

Managing printer and print documents:
Only administrators and member of print server operator can manage printers and print documents.

Managing printers:
Select printer --> right click--  the following options will appear:

1. set as default printer
2. printing preference
3. pause printing
4. sharing
5. use printer offline
6. create shortcut
7. delete
8. rename
9. properties

 

Managing print documents:
To manage print documents, double click on printer --> click document menu --> the following options are available:

1. Pause -  Pause the print document
2. Resume - Print normally after paused
3. Restart -  Restart job even if already printed
4. Cancle -  Delete job from spool folder
5. Properties -  It allows to set options

 

Monitoring print queue status:
Step 1:             click admin tools – click performance
Step 2:             select system monitor in performance – click add button
Step 3:             select the print queue object option
Step 4:             click all counters radio button – click add – click close
Step 5:             minimize performance and send some jobs to print queue
Step 6:             maximize performance and view the print queue activity