Logical Printers in 2003

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jordantellier

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ok some of you might have seen my prior post about, the big printer scenario i am working on


well i found a solution to prioritizing print jobs...my only problem is im having trouble initiating it

what i need to do is set up logical printers for every printer i install...these logical printers are then prioritized...one higher than the one...the high priority employees are assingned the specific printers...this way when the queue comes up..it prints by priority...


now my questions is this...anyone set up logical printers before???? because i haven't
 
I think what you are talking about is using a server to connect to a printer. Then sharing the printer over the network. I have never had to prioritize print jobs before. The only way that I can think of off the top of my head is to use permissions and groups to print to a specific set of printers based upon utilization, speed, and number of users. Basically it boils down to some leg work on your part to decide on who prints to what device. I hope this helps...
 
LOOK HERE!!!!


i found this link and it talks about using logical printers....and then assinging these logical printers to groups thorugh windows 2003


im just not sure how to set up these logical printers
 
Ok I guess I have never heard them called logical printers before. I see what you are saying. I was also on the right track.

Defiition of a logical Printer: A printer that has been shared multiple times in order to have a different set of drivers, settings, and / or permissions.

Personally I have never used the priority and therefore I cannot comment on how well it works.

I would use the printers' physical location as a method of priority also use the printers permissions effectively so that only certain users may use any particular printer. This will also cut down on the number of users that will be able to use the printer. I think you are at the point you need to look at what you have and what is best suited for the needs of the users and re-align your printers to make better use of them. I hope this helps....
 
i understand what you are saying alex...and to help the process of not needing priority..i have each deparment divide amongest its employees to specific printers...this way...priority is already handeled...but i needed to add in a solution on top of that...to show, that im just not relying on the position of a printer.

thank you though for your help
 
You can use groups and permissions in order to prioritize your print jobs as well. According to the microsoft documents that you linked to. Priorities are set by the number that they are assigned. Here is what happens... You create multiple shares to the same printer. Let me use this as an example.

Lets say you have a physical printer that is called. P001

You create a share P001 and P002 and P003.

Keep in mind that all 3 of these printers are the same physical printer.

P001 has a priority of 50 <-- This could be used for regular users.
P002 has a priority of 25 <-- Us this for users that may need to print to the printer.
P003 has a priority of 1 <-- This one would be the department that needs priority of the printer. If a print job is sent to P001 and P003 at the same time then the print job sent to P003 will take priority; but keep in mind that it does no good if every user in the company can connect to and use P003, this is where the permissions come in handy.

Hope this helps... BTW I also read about this in my Server Bible. I too hope to test this as it seems interesting, and it may in fact have a place in the corporation. Good luck to you.
 
A "logical" printer is the same thing as a regular printer. Basically, in a nut shell, you install the same printer twice on the machine. You give one printer a higher priority than the other. Then you restrict who can print to it using the security tab of the printer properties. The best practices is to assign permisions to a group, then put users in the group.

Example:
So, physical PrinterA has two "instances" in Windows, "Low Priority PrinterA" with a priority of say 100, and "High Priority PrinterA" with a priority of say 50. You then create a group in Active Directory called "High Priority Print Users". Everyone will have permision to print to the low priority que, only the "High Priority Prin Users" will have permisions to the high priority que. The name could be change around and you will have to manual configure the security permisions and priorities. Each instance/que/virtual printer would be installed on a client as if it where a normal printer. Clear as mud right? Once you do it for the first time, you will understand. It's not really that hard.
 
One of my Network Engineering instructors used to talk about this...

He used to say that a "Printer" is something logical, that exists within software.

A "Print Device" is the actual hardware that puts the ink/toner on the paper.

All you're talking about doing is setting up multiple "printers" to the same "print device", with each "printer" having different settings.
 
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