Microsoft Corporation Published: April 2005

Abstract
Consolidating servers in corporate and enterprise environments offers many benefits to both the end users and system administrators. This paper presents the system administrator with several methods for performing print server consolidations, offering a range of automation and flexibility.

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 White Paper

The information contained in this document represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication. This White Paper is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property. 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server System, the Windows logo, and Windows XP are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 White Paper

Contents
Contents........................................................................................................................................3 Introduction...................................................................................................................................1 Server Migration............................................................................................................................2 Client Migration...........................................................................................................................2 Print Server Migration Tools........................................................................................................2 Print Migrator...........................................................................................................................3 Scripted Copy and Restore......................................................................................................3 Manual Printer Creation...........................................................................................................4 Client Impact Mitigation...............................................................................................................4 Point and Print.........................................................................................................................4 DNS Name Aliases..................................................................................................................5 Using Microsoft Cluster Services and NetNames....................................................................5 Login Script..............................................................................................................................6 Client Email..............................................................................................................................7 Summary........................................................................................................................................8 Related Links.................................................................................................................................9 Overview and Technical Reference.............................................................................................9 Automated Tools.........................................................................................................................9

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 White Paper

Introduction
Server administrators in corporate and enterprise environments are taking advantage of improvements in server hardware performance and reliability as well as operating system software upgrades. They are now able to consolidate server functions into fewer, higher performance systems while migrating them to more modern operating systems. Reducing the overall number of server machines offers many benefits to both the clients and the administrators of those servers. Fewer systems to manage often means a reduced workload for system administrators and the end-users reap the benefits of the additional features and reliability offered by newer versions of the operating system software. Consolidating server systems offers benefits for all types of servers. This paper, however, focuses on the methods and strategies available to consolidate print server functions and presents several migration methods that vary in their degree of automation and flexibility. Because each environment is unique, the system administrator is encouraged to evaluate their configuration and deployment requirements against the benefits and limitations of each method presented in this paper in order to arrive at the best combination of methods for their environment.

Migrating and Consolidating Print Servers

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 White Paper

Server Migration
A server consolidation effort is an excellent time to also migrate servers from one operating system to another. In one transition period, server functions may be consolidated into fewer, newer server computers and migrated to the current version of Microsoft Windows from another operating system or from an earlier version of Microsoft Windows. To plan the best migration strategy, the system administrator should understand how the end-users are currently using the existing printers and servers as well as become familiar with the new features and tools provided by the new version of the operating system. A range of print server migration tools is available for Microsoft Windows Server 2003; however which tool, or tools, will work best in a specific migration depends on the environment and the migration strategy. This section describes some of the available print server migration tools and methods that may be used during a print server migration and consolidation.

Client Migration
Print system reliability was improved in Windows 2000 when user-mode print drivers became supported. In Windows NT 4.0 and earlier versions of Windows, print drivers ran in kernel-mode which, at the time offered better driver performance than running in user-mode; however this advantage came at some risk to system reliability. If a kernel-mode driver fails, it can halt the entire operating system. If a user-mode print driver fails, in Windows 2000 and later versions of Windows, only the print spooler process is affected. In the more recent versions of Windows, however, the performance advantage of a print driver running in kernel mode is no longer as dramatic; however the risk of the driver running in kernel mode remains the same. For this reason, administrators are encouraged to upgrade their client computers to Windows 2000 or a later version of Windows. Migrating client computers to newer versions of Windows and creating an environment that does not have any Windows NT 4.0 clients makes it possible to use only the newer, user-mode, printer drivers. This improves overall server reliability by eliminating the system crashes that can result from a problem occurring in a kernel-mode print driver. The Choosing the Right Printer Drivers paper describes the details of the different print driver technologies as well as how the driver on the print client interacts with the driver on the print server.

Print Server Migration Tools

This section reviews the following print server migration tools: Print Migrator Scripted Copy/Restore Manual Printer Creation

The tools listed above are shown in order from the most automated to the least automated. This order is also from the least flexible to the most flexible. In most cases, a combination of these tools will be applied to facilitate the consolidation or migration; using the best tool for each specific situation. The system administrator will need to evaluate the need for automation with the need for flexibility when

Migrating and Consolidating Print Servers

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 White Paper

determining the best mix of tools for a particular environment and migration strategy with the goal being be to choose the most automated tool possible for each specific task. Print Migrator Print Migrator 3.1 is available for Windows Server 2003 and is used to automatically backup and restore print servers. Print Migrator 3.1 is not shipped with Windows; however it is available for download from Microsoft. A link to the download site for this tool may be found in the References section of this document. Print Migrator 3.1 has the following improvements over Print Migrator 2.0: Cross-OS Support Print Migrator 3.1 can migrate printers from one version of Windows to another, such as Windows NT 4 to Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003. Cluster Support Print Migrator 3.1 fully supports backing-up and restoring print servers running Microsoft Cluster Services. Print Migrator 3.1 enables the migration to or from a standalone print server and a clustered server. LPR-to-SPM Port Conversion Microsoft introduced the standard TCP/IP port monitor (SPM) in Windows 2000. This port type has many advantages over the older LPR port monitor. The Print Server Connectivity Technical Overview paper provides more information how to choose the right connectivity option.

Using Print Migrator 3.1 is the fastest way to backup and restore printers on a server; however, it is also the least flexible. Print Migrator 3.1 works by saving the original print server environment and then replicating it on the destination server. This is an excellent tool for the migration of a server to a newer operating system as well as to perform straightforward server consolidations. This tool may not be the best to use in cases where the administrator would like to change aspects of the original print server configuration such as reconfigure print queues or remove unused or obsolete print drivers. Microsoft does not recommend using the Print Migrator when migrating from an environment with Windows NT 4.0 workstation clients to an environment with no Windows NT 4.0 workstations clients. Rather, Microsoft recommends using either a scripted copy and restore or the manual printer creation method. Scripted Copy and Restore The scripted copy and restore process uses an automated method for collecting information about a print server configuration, saves that information, and then recreates the configuration on another computer using that information. This method is not as automatic as the Print Migrator, however, unlike the Print Migrator tool, the configuration information collected may be edited prior to creating the new environment. To start the print server migration and consolidation, the original printer and print server configuration must first be captured. On systems running Windows NT 4.0 Server or Windows 2000 Server, configuration data must be collected by scripts that use prnadmin.dll. The Windows Management Interface (WMI) provider in those versions of Windows does not provide sufficient functionality to collect the information required. On systems running Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, however, the system administrator can choose to use scripts for either prnadmin.dll or the enhanced WMI provider to collect information about the print server environment.

Migrating and Consolidating Print Servers

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 White Paper

The captured configuration information from the original print server configurations may be edited as necessary to reflect the new, consolidated or migrated print server configuration. The edited configuration is then be loaded onto the new servers using prnadmin.dll or the WMI Print Provider, if migrating to Windows Server 2003. Using prnadmin.dll for the collection and installation of the print server configurations in environments running different versions of Windows eliminates the need to learn and use two different tools. Several papers describing this process are available on microsoft.com and are listed at the end of this document. Manual Printer Creation The most labor intensive option available is to simply create each printer entry manually. This option offers the most flexibility in that each entry can be configured differently. This method is best used in the exceptional cases that cannot be handled by the other tools.

Client Impact Mitigation

Client computers may lose their connection to remote printers during a server migration or consolidation depending on how they were connected to the remote printers or print servers prior to the migration or consolidation. This section outlines several ways to minimize the client impact during a migration or consolidation Point and Print The Point and Print feature of Windows network printing allows a user to create a connection to a remote printer or print server without the need to manually install the print driver on the client. Windows Point and Print technology automatically configures the client with the correct software to use the remote printer. This greatly simplifies the end-users ability to re-connect to the new printers; however, if the name or IP address of the print server changes, this connection will be broken as a result and will need to be recreated before the end-user can use that print server.

Migrating and Consolidating Print Servers

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 White Paper

DNS Name Aliases DNS aliases can be created to hide the change in server configuration. By changing the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the DNS entries for the old servers to those of the new servers, the client will not lose the connection to the printer. To the client, the same printer will appear to be available from the same server name after the consolidation as before the consolidation. This process is shown in the following illustration.

Fig. 1 Print Server Consolidation Using DNS Aliases Care must be taken during a print server consolidation to avoid printer name conflicts. Printer paths that may have been unique when the printers were hosted by separate servers may conflict if hosted by a common server. Using Microsoft Cluster Services and NetNames Microsoft Cluster Services provides for a resource component known as a NetName that allows the cluster to be referenced by multiple names. Defining NetNames on a cluster that match the names of the servers used before the print server consolidation enables the cluster to support the printer paths that existed prior to the consolidation.

Migrating and Consolidating Print Servers

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 White Paper

The following illustration shows how, by creating a NetName for CorpSvr01 and CorpSvr02 on the new cluster server, those two servers may now be retired without impact to clients connected to them. The clients will see the same printer paths after the consolidation as they did prior to the consolidation.

Fig. 2 Print Server Consolidation Using Cluster NetNames Login Script Login Scripts are run on a client when the client computer logs on to the network. A login script will perform the scripted actions automatically and not require any user interaction. Login scripts can be written in VisualBasic Scripting (VBS), or other system-recognized languages. Printui.dll contains functions that perform printer configuration operations. Printui.dll functions are documented in the PrintUI.DLL Users Guide and Reference paper referenced at the end of this paper. A sample command line is shown below as an example of how to add a new printer connection: rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n\\machine\printer The \\machine\printer string, however, must be substituted with the desired server and printer names. After the print server migration, a login script could be written to find printers installed on the client computer that have changed and replace the old printer connection with the new printer connection. With the correct logic, a login script could detect the users default printer, remove the old printer entry, replace it with the corresponding new printer entry, and finally set the new printer definition to be the default printer for the user. The How to Add Printers with No User Interaction in Windows XP and How to Add Printers with No User Interaction in Windows papers, referenced at the end of this paper, describe this process in greater detail.

Migrating and Consolidating Print Servers

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 White Paper

Client Email After a migration or consolidation has been completed, end-users are often notified by an e-mail message informing them of what has changed. In the message body, the administrator can provide links to the new printers making it very easy for the end-user to update their computer. This is a very inexpensive way to update the configurations of the end-users client computers. While this method requires the end-user to make the changes to their system, it may eliminate the need for a support technician to travel to the computer in order to make the changes, In addition to requiring user interaction, another disadvantage of this method is that it does not remove the old, invalid printer connections from the client workstation. It also requires additional effort, such the use of a customized login script or additional user action, to set the new printer connection as the default. In other words, the default printer will continue to be the old, invalid printer connection until it is changed by the user or by a login script. A sample e-mail message is shown in the following example: The printers listed in the left column below have been replaced by the corresponding printers in the right column. Click on the new printer link in the right hand column to install the new printer. Old Printer Connections \\CorpSrvr01\Printer_860DX New Printer Connection \\Corp-PRN01\Prn860DX

If a printer in the left column was your default printer, you will need to open the Printers and Faxes window and set the corresponding new printer to be your default printer. Failure to do this may result in your print jobs being lost. The example above displays only the new printer path name as a link to reduce the possibility the user might accidentally click on the incorrect printer connection.

Migrating and Consolidating Print Servers

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 White Paper

Summary
Server migration and consolidation are not restricted to only print servers; however, migrating and consolidating print servers require additional considerations. Client-computer OS migration, client connections, print drivers and connectivity methods in use are just a few of the additional factors to consider when planning the migration. Additionally, planning and executing the print server migration requires the evaluation of the following: The initial print server configuration The desired configuration after the migration and consolidation The available tools to facilitate moving the printer definitions The operating system running on the client systems How to configure the client systems after a printer or print server move.

A wide range of options is available to the system administrator to move the printer definitions on the server. The system administrator will most likely use a combination of the available tools, depending on the environment. Different methods to configure and update the client systems are also available to the systems administrator.

Migrating and Consolidating Print Servers

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 White Paper

Related Links
See the following resources for further information on this topic.

Overview and Technical Reference

Windows Server 2003 Print Services at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=41172. Print Server Upgrade, Migration, and Interoperability at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/? LinkId=41173 Print Server Connectivity Technical Overview at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=41175 Windows Point and Print Technical Overview at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=41176 Choosing the Right Printer Drivers at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=41177

Automated Tools
How to Programmatically Create a Printer and Printer Port by Using Printer Admin (prnadmin.dll) with a Visual Basic Script in Microsoft Windows 2000 at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/? LinkId=41178 How to Add Printers with No User Interaction in Windows XP at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/? LinkId=41179 How to add printers with no user interaction in Windows at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/? LinkId=41180 Print Migrator 3.1 at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=41181

PrintUI.DLL Users Guide and Reference at http://download.microsoft.com/download/8/2/C/82CFFCFA-56F6-4FC3-BFA580CD84793871/PrintUIUsersGuide.doc

For the latest information about Windows Server 2003, see the Windows Server 2003 Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003.

Migrating and Consolidating Print Servers