Printing Fundamentals Vinny Sosa Kevin Cox Americas

Printing Fundamentals Vinny Sosa & Kevin Cox Americas Systems Engineering Team October 2000

Agenda n Core Printing – Understanding the Auto-creation Process – Printer Mapping in Meta. Frame for UNIX and NT – Thin Client Printing & Non Windows Printing n Advanced – Best Practices

Understanding Core Printi The Auto-Creation Process

The Auto-Creation Process n What happens when a user connects – NT 4. 0, Terminal Server Edition – Windows 2000 w/ Terminal Services – UNIX

The Auto-Creation Process n When a user logs into an MF 1. 8 machine Winspool. drv maps printers by: 1. Checking # in wtsuprn. inf 2. Checking in wtsuprn. inf 3. Checking # in wtsprnt. inf 4. Checking in wtsprnt. inf 5. Checking # in wtsuprn. inf 6. Checking in wtsuprn. inf 7. Checking # in wtsprnt. inf 8. Checking in wtsprnt. inf 9. in HKEYLocal. MachineSystemCurrent. Control. SetControlPrintEnviron mentsWindows NT x 86DriversVersion-2 10. in ntprint. inf

The Auto-Creation Process n When a user logs into an MF 1. 1 for UNIX machine: – 1. User logs on to MF UNIX – 2. Print driver name is sent to server – 3. Driver names are mapped to ports (lpt 1, lpt 2) – 4. From a command line: n ctxlpr [Filename] for print to default printer n ctxlpr [Printername | Printer port] [Filename] for others – 5. From an application n Application renders job to printer port – Depends on configured printer and port n Job is sent to mapped printer port n Client side driver translates job and prints to user printer

Understanding Core Printi Setting up Printer Mapping

Printer Mapping Setup n Printer setup on each platform – NT – Win 2 K – UNIX

Printer Mapping Setup n Printer Setup on NT 4. 0/Win 2 K – Considerations n Any drivers that you wish to support must be installed prior to client logon n Settings in the Users Config override Citrix Defaults unless specified in Citrix Connection Configuration n Print queue is deleted when user logs off n If print queue contains print jobs it is not deleted n SP 5 offers some wonderful new situations to the mix

Printer Mapping Setup n Printer Setup on NT 4. 0/Win 2 K – Network Printing n 1. Install remote printer to server using Print Manager n 2. Give users access to installed printer n 3. Make this printer the default printer n 4. If users have this printer installed locally as well, and you would like to map it, you must make sure that the driver names match

Printer Mapping Setup n Printer Setup on NT 4. 0/Win 2 K – Network Printing (With SP 5) n 1. From the Network Printer Server, share the …System 32SpoolDriversW 32 x 86 directory n 2. On the Meta. Frame Server, locate the following reg key: – HKLMSystemCurrent. Control. SetControlPrint ProvidersLan. Man Print ServicesServers n 3. Within this key locate the Trusted. Driver. Path value and add the following to the end of the value: – …W 32%PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE; \Print. Server. NameShare. Name

Printer Mapping Setup n Printer Setup on NT/Win 2 K – Local Printing for Windows clients n 1. Install the NT driver for the printer that you wish to support n 2. Delete the icon for the printer from Print Manager n 3. Assure that the users have access to …system 32spool and …system 32printer. inf n 4. Assure that User Manager is configured to allow the user to map LPT ports and Printers n 5. Ensure that Citrix Connection Configuration is configured to allow LPT port and printer mapping n 6. Install the driver on the Windows Client n 7. Note the driver name on the client and make sure that it matches the name of the driver on the server n 8. If the driver names do not match, use the WTSUPRN file to map the names to each other

Printer Mapping Setup n Printer Setup on UNIX – Considerations n Most UNIX printing output is done in Postscript or ASCII. n Line feeds and carriage returns are treated differently by UNIX. This could affect the output. n LPT mapping is supported (LPT 1 and LPT 2). n ctxprinters lists printers available and their queue names. n Some applications (Netscape, etc. ) prompt the user to use LP or LPR to print the document. However, some applications have this option hard coded and you may need to link or rename the application’s printing command.

Printer Mapping Setup n Printer Setup on UNIX – Considerations n There are no printer drivers on the server. The application is rendering the print job; not the operating system or Meta. Frame. n Third party filters. You can use third party filters to produce the desired print format. For example: dvi to PCL –ordvi to PS Solaris filters can be added to the file /etc/printers. conf.

Printer Mapping Setup n Printer Setup on UNIX – Network Printing n 1. Log in as root or user with proper rights n 2. From a command prompt, type the following: – lpadmin -p printer_name -s ip_address: queue_name n 3. To make this printer the default printer: – lpadmin -d printer_name

Printer Mapping Setup n Printer Setup on UNIX – Local Printing n Command Line – ctxlpr –P [Printername | Printerport] filename n Applications – If the application uses the lpr or lp command replace this – – command with ctxlpr prints to the default printer Use ctxprinters to view list of printers from command line Use the ctxlpr –b command to print in the background Use ctxlpr –P [Printername | Printerport] for printer other than the default

Understanding Core Printi Thin Client and Non Windows Printing

Thin Client Printing n What methods are available – IP Printing – Network Printing – LPT Port Mapping n Printer ports are mapped for thin clients n Users can install printers to this port n Administrators can script the driver install if printers are known

Macintosh Printing n To setup Macintosh printing: – 1. Install the latest NT driver for the postscript or direct – – – printer 2. Install the driver to an LPT port on the Citrix server and delete it’s icon in Print Manager 3. Edit WTSUPRN. inf to point Mac driver to Win. NT driver on the server 4. On the client, open ICA Client Editor 5. Press Apple+T and select printer settings in the default settings drop down list 6. In the Local Printer Type option, Select Direct Printer or Postscript Printer 7. Select your printer from the list or click add and enter the printer name. It should match the driver name on the server.

Understanding ICA Client Printer Configuration n ICA Client Printer Configuration – Functionality in MF 1. 8 – Available for NT only n Your end users can use ICA Client Printer Configuration to: – Create and connect to ICA Client Printers – Create Print Queues for ICADOS 32 client n Suggestion – You may want to put this icon on the desktop or Start Menu root for easier access

Understanding ICA Client Printer Configuration n How does it work – 1. Open ICA Client Printer Configuration from StartProgramsMeta. Frame Tools – 2. Select New from the printer menu and follow directions on installing a printer – 3. The list of printers available is populated by: n SP 5 and above – Administrator specified in Trusted Path n SP 4 and below – …System 32SpoolDriversW 32 x 862 – Drivers previously installed on the Citrix Server

Advanced Printing Optimization Techniques

Best Practices n Optimizing Printing – Spool File Management – IP/Network Printing – Client Optimization n Centralized Driver Management – Replicating Print Drivers – Use Trusted Shares n Managing Print Drivers – Standardize on Printers – Less Drivers – WTSUPRN

Best Practices Optimizing Printing n Manage the Spool file – Move spool file to non-system drive n HKLMSystemCurrent Control SetControlPrinters – Default. Spool. Directory (REG_SZ) = [path] n On Print Servers, this will recover jobs if the server goes down – Manage Client Printer Pipes n Default is 10 (Value must be between 10 and 63) n Command is CLTPRINT [/q] [/pipes: nn] [/? ] n Controls Number of jobs that can be spooled simultaneously

Best Practices Optimizing Printing (cont’d) n To change the location of spool files – 1. Create a new spool file directory on a different disk (For – – – Terminal Servers, this should be created on your application partition) 2. Click Start, and then point to Settings. 3. Click Printers. 4. Click Server Properties on the File menu. 5. Click the Advanced tab. 6. In the Spool Folder box, type the path for the new spool file directory. 7. Click OK.

Best Practices Optimizing Printing (cont’d) n IP/Network Printing – Faster – Less Compatibility Issues – Centrally Managed/ Server side drivers only – Offload print queue from Terminal Server to Print Server Spooler

Best Practices Optimizing Printing (cont’d) n Client optimizations – Disable printer pop-up message n Printer Dialogue can hang server while awaiting user input n Modify HKLMSystemCurrent Control SetControl printproviders – Net. Popup (REG_DWORD) = 1 – Event. Log (REG_DWORD) = 0 – Disable Printer Beeps n The beep can decrease printing performance while being transmitted to the client n Modify HKLMSystemCurrent Control SetControl print – Beep. Enabled (REG_DWORD) = 0

Best Practices Optimizing Printing (cont’d) n Client side printer optimizations – Some users have seen more than 5 times performance – In module. ini do the following: [ICA 3. 0] Bufferlength=8192 [Client Printer] Windowsize=2048 Max. Windowsize=8192

Best Practices Driver Management n Replicating Print Drivers – Copy HKEY_Local_MachineSYSTEM Current. Control. SetControlPrinters – Export registry settings to. key file and run on each server – Copy WTSRVSystem 32SpoolerDrivers2 to each server – Can be automated with Kixtart or Perl script

Best Practices Driver Management (cont’d) n Using Trusted Shares – Allow you to manage one set of print drivers for the entire server farm – Allows for easier driver replication

Best Practices Driver Management (cont’d) n Configuring Trusted Shares n 1. Locate HKEY_Local_MachineSYSTEM Current. Control. SetControlPrintProvidersLan. Man Print ServicesServers n 2. Add Value (Name: Load. Trusted. Drivers, Type: DWORD, Value: 1) n 3. Add Value (Name: Trusted. Driver. Path, Type: REG_SZ, Value: \Server. NameShare. Name; \Server. Name 2Share. Name n 4. Exit Regedt 32 and restart the machine n 5. Relocate the key and save it to a file named trust. key n 6. Execute this file on each server on which you’d like to use trusted paths n 7. Install the print drivers that you’d like to support on one of the Terminal Servers and copy the. . system 32SpoolDriversW 32 x 862 directory to a network share

Best Practices Managing Printer Drivers n Standardize on printers – Not always possible but it is recommended – Hardware life cycle changes are a great candidate – Less Drivers for the spooler to manage n Manage less drivers – Use WTSUPRN to map drivers to a single or minimal set of drivers – Standardize on printers so you need to manage as few drivers as possible – Less drivers are easier on the spooler

Best Practices Managing Printer Drivers (cont’d) n WTSUPRN. inf – File was created to map client driver names to server driver names – You can use the format of [Client. Name]#[Printer. Name] = [Printer Driver Name] – Also use the format of [Client. Name]#[Printer. Driver. Name] = [Printer Driver Name] – We’ve got a new one with 500+ drivers n 500+ new mappings – HP, Lexmark, Canon, Epson

Best Practices n WTSUPRN. inf – Thanks to… – Craig Ames(JP Morgan) – Thomas Pfister (Indiana University) – John Nelson (Citrix Systems, Inc. ) – Jeffrey Mc. Intyre (National Institute of Standards and – – Technology) Heiko Neuhaus (Debis Systemhaus ITS) David Hartmann (Walt Disney) Jan Broucinek (Arthur Rutenberg Homes, Inc. ) Futurelink, Inc. … For their contributions to a file that will be downloaded a thousand times over today alone.

Printing Fundamentals Vinny Sosa & Kevin Cox Americas Systems Engineering Team October 2000