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CERN Print Manager. Michel Jouvin LAL / IN2P3 [email protected]. Printing Client Problem. Automatic client configuration No privilege should be needed Update capabilities Roaming : Access to local printers for visitors - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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22/10/2003 CERN Print Manager - HEPix - Vancouver 2003
Printing Client Problem
• Automatic client configuration– No privilege should be needed– Update capabilities
• Roaming : Access to local printers for visitors– Should not require desktop configuration
change (ex: domain membership)– Ex : LAL people at CERN
22/10/2003 CERN Print Manager - HEPix - Vancouver 2003
SMB Printing
• Windows native protocol for network printing
• + : network served printers available to all users without client configuration
• - : must be member of the same domain as the server
• - : printer server must be Windows– SMB/LPR gateway (samba) : yet another layer to
manage/troubleshoot
22/10/2003 CERN Print Manager - HEPix - Vancouver 2003
Windows LPR Printing
• + : LPD is the access protocol of printing services at LAL– No gateway involved
• - : no central configuration possible– Configuration is more than a file (drivers…)– Mainly manual configuration
• - : require administrator privileges to add a printer
22/10/2003 CERN Print Manager - HEPix - Vancouver 2003
CERN Print Manager Approach
• 1 central database describing all printers– Printer server (in a dedicated DNS zone)
– Driver to be used for each printer• Per OS version (currently W95, WNT, W2K)
– Printer default settings
• 1 client with 3 main components– PrntTray : Printing Control Center (main application)
– LPRServ : LPR client (ability to show LPR transactions)
– PrinterWizard : add/remove printers, change defaults
22/10/2003 CERN Print Manager - HEPix - Vancouver 2003
Printer Database Management
• Reference database is an MS Access db– Text file database used by client (no MS Access
required on client)
• Database management tool : PrintMgr (GUI)– Add drivers to database
• Driver versioning support
– Add/remove printers
– Generate text file database
22/10/2003 CERN Print Manager - HEPix - Vancouver 2003
Client : General Characteristics
• No privileges required– Impersonation to a dedicated privileged account when
needed
• Automatic update capabilities for binaries, configuration files and printer/driver configuration– Handled by PrntTray et PrinterWizzard– Through direct access (domain membership) or FTP
• One control center to start all other stools– PrntTray
• Deployment through MSI
22/10/2003 CERN Print Manager - HEPix - Vancouver 2003
Client : PrntTray
• Main task– Available as an icon in icon tray of main menu
bar
• Update binaries and configuration on startup– Can be disabled
• Control LPR client (LPRSERV)• Launch PrinterWizzard and other tools
22/10/2003 CERN Print Manager - HEPix - Vancouver 2003
Client : PrntTray GUI
22/10/2003 CERN Print Manager - HEPix - Vancouver 2003
Client : LPRSERV
• Use C:\LPRSERV as the spool directory
• Show LPR Client from PrntTray allow to show LPR Client transactions
• Can be configured for different types of LPD server– Lines present in control file
22/10/2003 CERN Print Manager - HEPix - Vancouver 2003
Client : Printer Wizard
• GUI to add/remove printer to local computer– Maintains and updates a local copy of the
central database
• Modify printer defaults settings
• Test printers
22/10/2003 CERN Print Manager - HEPix - Vancouver 2003
Client : Printer Wizard
22/10/2003 CERN Print Manager - HEPix - Vancouver 2003
Multi-sites Configuration
• Allow to switch between different sets of parameters– Central database locations, LPR parameters, …
• No conflict between sites– Differents directories for data files– Differents registry paths
• Site definition in an INI file– Client can be distributed with several sites
preconfigured– Easy addition of a new site
22/10/2003 CERN Print Manager - HEPix - Vancouver 2003
More information
• http://printpackage.web.cern.ch/PrintPackage
