European Organization for Nuclear Research Geneva — Switzerland

European Organization for Nuclear Research Geneva - Switzerland Large Scale Parallel Print Service Ivan Deloose - CERN IT Division PC UNIX TCPIP Mac Appletalk Novell

Agenda Ø Some Figures Ø The Previous Situation Ø Problems Ø Project Requirements and Implementations Ø Server Backend Ø DNS & Clustering mechanism Ø CERN Windows Printing Package Ø Unix Clients Ø Conclusions Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

Some Figures Ø 1200 Printers Ø HP, Apple, QMS, Tektronix, Xerox… Ø Netports, remote, . . . Ø Protocols Ø Appletalk, IPX, TCP… Ø 5000 PCs running Windows 95 and NT Ø 2500 Unix boxes Ø 1700 X-terminals Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

Situation before 6/98 Novell Appletalk TCP/IP IPX Appletalk TCP/IP Springer IPX TCP/IP Mac Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova PC

Major problems Ø Reliability poor for PC users Ø connections to the print server lost (mostly IPX) Ø Multiple servers accessing the same printer creates conflicts Ø Multiple queues for the same printer (UNIX, PC) makes for unpredictable time estimation Ø Complex job paths make problem determination difficult Ø Single Points of Failure Ø Performance issues Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

Requirements Implementations Ø Support both Windows and Unix clients with single protocol Ø Unique RFC 1179 (LPR) protocol chosen Ø Unify server back-end for Windows and Unix Ø Single server type : Standard commodity PCs running Linux Ø No single points of failure Ø Array of identical back-end servers Ø Scalable Ø DNS for dynamic naming resolution Ø Automated driver + printer installation on Windows clients Ø CERN Windows Printing Package Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

Initial proposal with intermediate NT servers Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

Final implementation: Single server architecture Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

Server back-end Ø Array of PC servers Ø Each server running the Linux OS Ø LPRng spooler Ø CAP V 198 + DDP Linux module for Appletalk + CERN patches Ø Powerful set of filters for UNIX clients: papif, CTI-ifhp, qfilter… modified for integration and device support Ø Accounting, banner programs Ø Automated kickstart + SUE server installation Ø Configuration management Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

Server Clustering and DNS Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

Clustering: Recovery Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

CERN Windows Printing Package Windows Client Components Printer Management Tools Applications Printer Wizard LPR Client Service Job Information Printer Database & Driver Repository UNIX queue server cluster Network Printers Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

Package Components Ø Central Database Ø Defines all centrally maintained network printers Ø List of available printer drivers, linked to printer driver repository Ø Single entry point for all W 9 x, WNT 4 & 2000 printer drivers (no OS installation CDs needed). Ø Printer Manager Ø Printer object creation and configuration Ø Add third party drivers Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

Package Components Ø Printer Wizard : The main application for client printer installation and configuration. Ø Simple drag & drop to install any centrally supported network printer Ø Unique version (9 x, NT 4 -5) Ø Uses local DB copy + automated version update Ø Dynamic driver & port update from database at startup Ø Loads printer drivers from repository on the server Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

Package Components Ø Job Info : Printer job information tool. Ø Returns status about all network and local queues & jobs Ø Scans ports redirected to Novell, NT & UNIX (LPQ) printer servers Ø Printer job handling : job(s) deletion Ø Includes printer setup capabilities : document default settings Ø Multi-threaded job scanning : UI never blocked Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

Package Components Ø LPRSERV (LPR client Service) Ø Gateway between applications and UNIX print servers Ø Apps jobs to local file Ø filename = queuename Ø Job detected & renamed Ø queuename -> hostname using DNS Ø Job sent to UNIX server using LPR protocol Ø Job History Ø Appears as single icon during job transmission Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

Installation and Updates Ø Installation from Ø Distribution folder (network share) Ø FTP Server via Web page Ø Updates and maintenance Ø Program package Ø Automated version check and updated if needed at every logon Ø Manual update possible via About dialog Ø Local database Ø Automated version check and updated if needed at every startup of the Printer Wizard. Ø Non-availability of database server Ø Package runs using current program and database version Ø Taskbar icon indication Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

Unix print Clients Ø From LPRng Ø Modified to support DNS resolution for print server addressing Ø -P printername => -P printername@printername. print. cern. ch Ø Lightweight Ø no spooling configuration Ø Backwards compatibility implemented Ø CERN’s XPRINT adapted Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

Conclusions Ø Server back-end based on cheap commodity hardware and ‘Open Source’ software (LPRng) Ø User benefits Ø No specific CERN configuration required, any visitor can run it Ø Runs on any Windows PC having TCP/IP installed Ø No Netware or NT client required Ø Ø Stability : runs from the local hard disc Reliability : database server not required to run the package Ø Supports other preinstalled printer objects (Novell, NT) Ø Maintenance benefits Ø Same binary on W 9 x, NT 4 and Windows 2000 (MSI package) Ø Centralized management for all Windows platforms Ø Complete package can easily deployed at other laboratories Ø http: //cern. ch/printpackage Ø General user satisfaction at CERN. Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova

Contacts Ø ivan. deloose@cern. ch Ø Windows Printing Package Ø Download and information: http: //cern. ch/printpackage Ø ignacio. reguero@cern. ch Ø Print Server backend and UNIX clients Ivan Deloose – CERN – CHEP 2000 - Padova