Configure iPrint to redirect printers on clients to different server.

  • 3006726
  • 30-Jan-2007
  • 17-May-2018

Environment

Novell iPrint for NetWare 6.5

Situation

Goal: Configure iPrint printers installed to Windows workstations to point to another server.

Problem: A print manager is a database that resides on a NetWare or Linux server that contains a list of Printer Agents that can be installed to workstations. Moving a print manager from one NetWare server to another is as simple as typing NDPSM on the destination server console. The administrator is prompted to browse to the print manager object in NDS, then asked if they want to move the database to the new server. Moving Print Agents from a NetWare server to a Linux server is also not difficult.
The challenge is that workstations have installed printer agents that point to the DNS or IP of the original server. Once the print manger or printer agents are moved, users will fail to print.

Solution: The manual solution is to instruct your users to delete and re-install their iPrint printers installed to their workstations. This TID explains an automated solution that will auto-delete and auto-install the printers for the users.

Reconfiguring iPrint printers installed to workstations using this TID has additional applications:
  • Migrating from iPrint on NetWare to iPrint on Linux.
  • Changing the IP address or DNS to which the print manager is bound.
  • Moving printer agents from one manager to another
NOTE: If the print manager was originally configured to bind to a CNAME (DNS of a service, rather than a server) AND you are moving ALL the printers to a different server, then the problem stated above is easily resolved: Change the IP address that is associated to that CNAME. However, many administrators bind their print manager to a server's DNS or IP address, which ties the Windows installed iPrint printers to that server. This common practice causes Windows installed iPrint printers break when moving printers agents or a Print Manager to another server. This TID shows you how to configure an iPrint printer installed to a Windows workstation to point to another server without user intervention.

Resolution

All versions of iPrint on Linux has this feature. As for NetWare, you need Support Pack 6 for NetWare 6.5.

The feature is found within iManager, go to iPrint -> Manage Print Manager -> Printer Agent Redirection. You will see a list of Printer Agents assigned to that Print Manager. You will also see a column to Redirect the Printer URL. By populating the second column, iPrint printers installed to workstations will see that the printer agent URL has changed. This will cause the iPrint client to remove the iPrint Printer from the workstation, and install the Printer Agent specified by the administrator in the "Printer Redirect URL" column.

With the default configuration, end users will receive a pop-up that notifies them the printer has been deleted. They receive another pop-up to notify that the new printer will be installed. To change that notification behavior, see KB 3476106.

Note:  If you are redirecting a printer from Print Manager A to Print Manager B, then both Print Managers must be running for the redirection to take place.  You can redirect same or different named printers.