How to automate the upgrade from NDPS to iPrint

  • Document ID:7004661
  • Creation Date:13-Oct-2009
  • Modified Date:26-Apr-2012
    • Micro Focus Products:
      iPrint

Environment

Novell iPrint for Linux

Situation

NDPS printers are installed to workstations.  This TID provides steps to upgrade those NDPS installed printers to iPrint printers without user intervention. 
 
These steps are also important for those planning to migrate printing from NetWare to Linux.  The iPrint Linux migration tool requires printers to be installed as iPrint printers to workstations if the migration is to take place without users taking manual steps.

Resolution

Prior to transitioning from NDPS to iPrint, ensure the print manager is configured to follow Novell's CNAME recommendation*.  (See explanation below)

  1. Install the iPrint client to all workstations which will transition to iPrint.
  2. IPP enable printer agents that you wish to have upgraded as iPrint printers to the workstations.
    • iManager -> iPrint -> Manage Print Manager -> Printer Agents -> Check the 'iPrint' check box.
  3. Change the UpgradeNDPSPrinters value within the iprint.ini to 1 or 2
    • sys:\apache2\htdocs\ippdocs\iprint.ini
      • Explanation of values:
        • 0 = Leave NDPS installed printers alone (DEFAULT).
        • 1 = Prompt the user to upgrade the printer to an iPrint printer.
        • 2 = Silently upgrade the printer to an iPrint printer.

Additional Information

You can control:
  • which workstations participate in the upgrade to iPrint by not installing the iPrint client to those machines.
  • which NDPS printers participate in the upgrade to iPrint by unchecking the IPP box for the printer agent within iManager.
  • the timing that the upgrade occurs by waiting to enable the UpgradeNDPSPrinters value.

    • After all three conditions have been met (iPrint client installed, iPrint setting enabled, UpgradeNDPSPrinters value), workstations will see the NDPS printer auto-removed, then the same printer will auto-installed, but as an iPrint printer.

    *Novell's CNAME Recommendation
    iPrint printers installed to workstations will point to the address which the print manager is bound to.  The print manager, by default, will bind to the server's IP address, which is not recommended because an IP address is specific to a server and therefore creates problems when choosing to move the print manager to another server.  The clients will be pointing to that IP address, which makes moving the print manager problematic.  Binding the print manager to the server's DNS name is also not recommended because that DNS name is also specific to the server.

    Novell recommends the ndpsm be loaded with the /dnsname switch to point to a DNS CNAME, also referred to as a DNS Alias name.  Create a record in DNS that contains a name tied to the print manager (not server) and resolves to the IP address of the server.  Once that is complete, and it is verified that the server and workstations can ping that new name, load the print manager as follows:

    ndpsm .<printmanagername>.<ou>.<ou>.<o> /dnsname=<newCNAMEforPrintManager>.<company>.<com>

    Replace the text between the <> with information specific to your environment.

    Once this is complete, you can proceed with upgrade from NDPS to iPrint and have the flexability of moving the print manager to other servers in the future.  When moving the print manager to another server, simply update the DNS CNAME record to resolve to the new server's IP address, then load the print manager to that new server.