Posted by Nick Ball

Recently PrinterLogic has added the use of custom profiles for setting Mac driver preferences. For those unfamiliar with Mac printer preferences, this has a huge advantage over the built-in options given by the OS. Without PrinterLogic, editing most advanced printer preferences must be done in the terminal. Also, when attempting to apply settings that would not work together, such as duplex and transparency, there would be no notification or error. It would just “seem” to work, but would not really apply.

Now, with PrinterLogic, you have full access to apply any preferences available for the printer, and you will be prompted should settings not work together. We have provided a new graphical user interface (GUI) for selecting settings and printer preferences on a Mac. We have also provided a way to consistently and centrally apply the settings should the end user change them.

If you have any questions, please ask in the comments below and we’d be happy to answer!

Posted by Jarrett Taylor

It’s time to migrate from Windows Server 2003. I know—just reading those words probably gives you a headache. Believe me, I feel your pain.

As you likely know, Microsoft has announced that it will end its support of Windows Server 2003/R2 on July 14, 2015. With that end-of-life (EOL) date upon us, it’s time to prepare and migrate to either Windows Server 2008/R2 or Windows Server 2012/R2. If you don’t, then as of July 14th there will be no more updates, no savings, no compliance, and no safe haven. If you’re like me, that doesn’t make you comfortable—so you have to review your options.

Historically speaking, when it comes to server migrations, you’ve only had two options. The first is the rip-and-replace, where you swap your old servers for the newer version. The second option is data center consolidation.

So let’s take a deeper look at your options and break down the steps involved in each, with specific emphasis on available print server migration paths.

Replacing Old Servers with New Hardware

I’ve always found it funny that people refer to this option as the “rip-and-replace” option. That sounds pretty easy, doesn’t it? Just rip out your old servers, plug in new ones, and you’re good to go—right? Wrong.

The problem with replacing your old Windows Server 2003 hardware with Windows Server 2012 is that you need to migrate everything from the 2003 hardware to the 2008/2012s. Your 2003 servers potentially have file, print, DHCP, DNS or other services on them. There are a variety of applications and methods to assist with the transfer of many of these services, but printing remains a particular migration challenge for most organizations.

When it comes to migrating the print service to your new server, here are the steps you’ll need to go through:

1. Get your 32-bit drivers installed on your new 64-bit server
2. Download and add all of your 64-bit drivers
3. Set up all of your printing defaults (for both 32- and 64-bit)
4. Give out proper permissions
5. Start adding printers (or start modifying your GPO and scripts to automatically modify everyone’s computer)
6. All the while, hoping that it goes smoothly and you don’t get any support calls.

Currently, the most common method used when migrating print servers is to export then re-import the printers through the Print Management Console. The GUI will run the PrintBrm.exe, which can be found in C:WindowsSystem32spooltools. This is not a sure fix, as the “0×80070705 and 0×80070057 – driver not found” errors are very common during a Windows server migration process. I could go on for paragraphs about options and issues that you’ll likely face (and, in fact, we have in this white paper), but I think you get the point. This option is simply not an attractive one.

Data Center Consolidation

Given the difficulties involved in replacing old hardware with new, now is a great time to consider a server consolidation initiative. With new technologies it is rather simple to move file services to the data center and allow users to access files over better WAN connections (which weren’t there back when the 2003 file server was put in place). So you may be tempted to consolidate your print servers as well into a single, centralized print server.

But even in this scenario, printing services still pose a major problem. Some of the issues you’ll encounter include:

1. Even though the new larger WAN can support sending the print job from the remote branch to the datacenter, when it is rendered the file size expands significantly (sometimes more than 10X). This causes significant congestion on the WAN, which causes other WAN-sensitive applications like Citrix and VMware to fail.
2. In addition to causing problems with other WAN-dependent applications, your users will likely grow impatient and frustrated by the increased amount of time it takes to print. This usually results in increased help desk calls.
3. If the WAN ever goes down, then users won’t be able to print at all.
4. Regardless of the WAN connection, your print servers now become a single point of failure.

As you can see, each of these options have their own problems. Luckily, there is now a better option—one that eliminates all of the issues above.

As we’ve discussed before, 9 years ago we made it our mission here at PrinterLogic to Eliminate Print Servers. In doing so, we help reduce your help desk calls and save your organization a lot of money. And when it comes to migrating your existing Windows Server 2003 servers to Windows Server 2008 or 2012, this can make your life a whole lot easier.

For each of the scenarios above, lets take a look at how PrinterLogic can simplify the process.

Eliminating Your Print Servers

When replacing your old servers with new servers, you can easily migrate the file, DNS, DHCP and other services to the new server using Microsoft’s standard migration wizard. But instead of dealing with the problems of migrating the print service to the new server, you can instead use PrinterLogic to simply convert all existing users’ printers to Direct IP, and then centrally manage them via PrinterLogic’s web-based administrator. You keep all of the same printer drivers, all of your printer settings are maintained, and your users will never notice a change.

Centralizing Enterprise Printer Management

If you decide to consolidate your servers, then you can simply migrate the file and DNS services to the data center, then migrate DHCP to the router. After that, you can use PrinterLogic to silently convert your end users’ printers to Direct IP printers and centrally manage them with PrinterLogic’s web-based administrator. Once again, you keep all the same drivers, all of your printer settings are maintained, and your users will never notice a change. With this solution you eliminate the need for the print server altogether and complete your server-less office or server consolidation/infrastructure simplification initiatives.

Hopefully this helps reduce your stress about the EOL for the support of Windows Server 2003/R2, and makes it a lot easier for you to plan your migration path. If you have questions, or if you’d like to see a live demo of how we can help you accomplish this quickly and easily, just click here to request a demo, and we’ll get right back to you.

And as always, feel free to leave questions in the comments below, and I’ll answer them all.

Upgrading servers can be a hassle if you are wanting to jump from something old to something new, especially when you are wanting to go from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2012. You can’t just pop the new OS in the drive, click “upgrade,” and have everything transfer over flawlessly. Instead, you will need to do a fresh install of Server 2012 on a separate machine, and then migrate. In this blog post I will go over how to use the Windows interface and command prompt to migrate your Windows 2003 print server to a Windows 2012 print server. As an added bonus I’ll go over a 3rd (and much easier) method using PrinterLogic.

To migrate using the Windows Server 2012 interface:

1. Open Print Management.
2. In the left pane, click “Print Servers,” right-click the print server that contains the printer queues that you want to export, and then click “Export Printers to a File.” This starts the Printer Migration Wizard.
3. On the “Select the File Location” page, specify the location to save the printer settings, and then click “Next” to save the printers.
4. Right-click the destination computer on which you want to import the printers, and then click “Import Printers from a File.” This launches the Printer Migration Wizard.
5. On the “Select the File Location” page, specify the location of the printer settings file, and then click “Next.”
6. On the “Select Import Options” page, specify the following import options:
   • Import mode—Specifies what to do if a specific print queue already exists on the destination computer.
   • List in the directory—Specifies whether to publish the imported print queues in the Active Directory Domain Services.
   • Convert LPR Ports to Standard Port Monitors—Specifies whether to convert Line Printer Remote (LPR) printer ports in the printer settings file to the faster Standard Port Monitor when importing printers.
7. Click “Next” to import the printers.

Or, if you want to migrate print servers by using a command prompt:

1. To open a Command Prompt window, click “Start,” click “All Programs,” click “Accessories,” right-click “Command Prompt,” and then click “Run as Administrator.”
2. Type: CD %WINDIR%System32SpoolTools Printbrm -s \<sourcecomputername> -b -f <filename>.printerExport
3. Type: Printbrm -s \<destinationcomputername> -r -f <filename>.printerExport

The two methods I’ve listed above are in no way fail proof, nor are they guaranteed to work without error. But there is an alternative solution that can be used to make the migration process much easier. With PrinterLogic you can easily migrate your printers from your 2003 Windows Server to your new 2012 Windows Server, or completely eliminate your need for a print server all together. With PrinterLogic, you can easily import the printers from your print server with the import utility. This import utility will copy the following information from your print server into the PrinterLogic database:

• Printer Name
• Location Information
• Comment Information
• Port Name (IP or Hostname used)
• Protocol (RAW or LPR)
• 32- and 64-bit drivers related to that printer

After this import has completed you can either deploy the printers onto your 2012 Windows Server with the built-in deployment assignments, or you can fully utilize PrinterLogic and use it to centrally manage your printers from the Administrator console and deploy them as Direct IP printers to your end users. From that point on, you can fully manage your printers and the drivers from an Administrator console that can be accessed from any computer on your network.

Dealing with print servers is usually the last thing on an IT administrator’s mind. They can be a pain to deal with, and even more of a pain when its time to migrate to a new version of Windows. Unfortunately it is a necessary task when moving towards a newer IT environment. Upgrading from a print server that is currently on Windows Server 2008 is usually easier than if you are migrating from a server currently running Windows Server 2003. This is because of the lack of 64-bit driver support from most 2003 server setups.

Microsoft has tried to make migrating printers from 2003 and 2008 to 2012 as easy as possible using their migration tools. However, if you are migrating from a 2003 server that does not have 64-bit drivers, you will need to add all of the 64-bit editions of the drivers currently on the 2003 print server to your new print server in order to have the migration complete successfully. This is done by manually adding each of the 64-bit drivers before you can start the migration. That is where the pain starts. For example, if you have 200 printers on your 2003 print server, you would need to add the 64-bit driver of all 200 of those printers to your new 2012 server before you can complete the migration successfully.

Once you have the 64-bit drivers added to the print server you would be able to run an export on the server and it will export the queues, the drivers, the print objects and security settings. There is a lot of dependency on the drivers during the import and the export process, and depending on the drivers you are using you could run into a variety problems. Because of this it is usually suggested to use the most up-to-date drivers possible and to use universal drivers when possible as well.

After the export from original server has completed, next comes the import. If all of the steps before the import were correctly completed you could still run into problems with importing. Unfortunately there is no way to know until you start the import if it will have problems with a specific driver or printer object or queue.

The last step usually when migrating the printers from one server to another would be in having the users connect to the new server. The suggested method is to rename the old and the new servers to essentially swap names. This is because on the workstations the printers are normally connected by specifying the name of the server then the name of the printer (\serverprinter). So if you change the name of the new 2012 server to the same as the original 2003 server and make sure that the 2003 is no longer on the domain with the same name. It should connect the printers on the workstations to the new server.

If this all sounds overly complicated, that’s because it is. And if you’re wishing there was a simpler way—a way to automate and make all of these steps much easier—there is. Check out PrinterLogic at www.printerlogic.com and sign up for a free trial, and we’d be happy to show you how we can help you eliminate print servers altogether, or make the migration of your print servers simple and seamless.

Just to clarify, Secure Printing should not be confused with Pull Printing, which enables you to print to a holding queue so that print jobs can be retrieved from any printer company wide. Secure Printing is specifically focused on printing to a specific printer, enabling users to physically go to the printer they selected when they are ready to have the print job released. In this article we’ll be focused specifically on evaluating Secure Printing solutions.

One problem with most of the Secure Printing products on the market is that they require a print server, which means that if your print server goes down, then everything ceases to work. This is one of the key benefits of the PrinterLogic solution, which eliminates all print servers to remove the single point of failure, while enabling a centrally managed Direct IP print environment without losing any functionality of your print server.

PrinterLogic’s solution allows you to do everything that a print server environment does, without any server dependencies. When your current build prints with Secure Printing, it usually sends the print job onto the print server (which must be available), then it goes to a destination printer and releases it with an interface to the printer. PrinterLogic gets rid of that server and goes a step further to allow the release from any electronic device that has a browser, or it can integrate with any badge or card reader system.

Every printer in PrinterLogic has a general tab where you can choose to enable Secure Printing. When you turn it on, you have options of “No”, “Yes (Always)” and “Yes (Prompt)”. The “No” option means that this will not be used as a secure queue. The “Yes (Always)” option means that every print job will be sent to the Secure Printing queue. The “Yes (Prompt)” option will give the end users a dialog box prompt to select whether it is a Secure Printing job or not, giving them the choice to use the Secure Printing functionality.

Once you have selected your preference of setting, Secure Printing functionality can now be used with that printer. When someone prints to that specific printer, they get a dialog box after hitting print that gives them the option of “Yes, Release” which means that the document is not sensitive and the job should be released immediately as a normal Direct IP print job. If they select the “No, Hold” option it will then be placed into the secure print queue until release.

Now that we have a queued print job, we need to release it. As I mentioned earlier, releasing can take place from any web-enabled device, or from an already installed badge or card reader system at the printer. If you have card readers near your printers, PrinterLogic can then associate print jobs to that reader, so when someone walks up and swipes their card, we authenticate that user on the domain, see what print jobs are queued for them at that printer, then immediately release them out.

You may also use any web-enabled device to release a print job. You can dedicate a computer or tablet as a kiosk at the printer, which means that machine can only release jobs for that printer. You may also use any tablet, cell phone, or handheld device on the network. Using any electronic device with a browser, users would simply login to the browser with their domain credentials, at which point they will see all their print jobs waiting to be printed at the device they are standing at. They may select the document, then press the release button at which point we will immediately release the job at the printer.

As a quick recap, the PrinterLogic solution enables a centrally managed Direct IP print environment with all of your Secure Printing needs met—all with zero need for print servers.

Posted by Jarrett Taylor

Secure Printing is increasingly becoming a requirement for many companies. Regardless of whether you’re dealing with HR, Accounting, Medical or other sensitive data, your organization’s print jobs need to stay secure until someone is physically at the printer to collect the document. This helps prevent sensitive information from sitting on the printer tray for everyone to read.

Did you know that every year, hundreds of thousands of documents are printed and then left unclaimed on printers in the enterprise? Think about it—we’ve all done it. We’ve all had moments where we hit print on an important document, only to be distracted by an important meeting or a conversation with a co-worker, leaving that printed material to sit out in the open on the printer tray.

Over 10 percent of all print jobs are forgotten at the printer, accounting for millions of dollars of waste per year in terms of wasted paper and toner. The larger the organization, the larger the financial impact of this waste becomes. And beyond the financial loss, there are also significant environmental ramifications to consider, too. It is estimated that each employee wastes 1,400 sheets of paper per year—that’s a lot of trees.

But there’s another huge consideration for enterprise users when it comes to unclaimed documents—security. When these unclaimed documents contain sensitive or confidential information, that creates a huge security risk. Imagine that one of your employees in HR prints a document with another employee’s personal information on it, and then accidentally leaves it on the printer for anyone to find. And that’s just one of many cringe-worthy scenarios.

And that is exactly why it was so important for us to bring Release Printing to our customers. PrinterLogic’s Release Printing Module secures the print environment by enabling users to send print jobs without releasing them until they are physically at the printer to receive the documents.

The available print job release mechanisms include:

Printer Console Release:

• The PrinterLogic app can be installed directly on a printer, enabling users to log in and release their print jobs directly from the LCD of the device. This method does not require any additional hardware for supported devices. For supported devices, the badge/card readers can authenticate directly to the PrinterLogic application.

Release Station:

• A dedicated terminal (desktop PC, tablet device, etc.) can be set up at a printer for users to release print jobs. Users will only be able to release print jobs to nearby printers, ensuring the physical security of the documents.

Browser-Based Release:

• Any device with a browser—including PC, Mac, Chromebook, and any mobile device—can access PrinterLogic’s web-based app and release print jobs securely.

Badge/Card Reader Release:

• A badge reader is placed at the printer or is native to the printing device. The badge reader integrates with the existing badge system to release the print jobs to the printer associated with the badge.

As a result, PrinterLogic’s Release Printing Module enables both Pull Printing and Secure Printing capabilities for organizations looking to secure their print environment by eliminating the risk of sensitive or confidential documents being printed and left unclaimed for someone else to discover.

Pull Printing

Pull Printing (also known as Follow Printing) enables users to create print jobs via a universal print driver, giving them the ability to release the print job at any printer of their discretion. Pull Printing works in all of the following environments: PC/Mac, Mobile and Chromebook.

Secure Printing

Secure Printing allows users to create a print job via a specific printer driver to a single printer, while enabling the user to release the job at the designated printer when they are physically there to receive the print job. By using the printer’s actual driver, all original printer functionality is maintained. Secure Printing is currently available in PC/Mac environments.

Now, I know what you might be thinking. If you’ve read our previous posts, you know that we’re all about Eliminating Print Servers here at PrinterLogic. But most organizations still believe they need to use a print server in order to roll out Release Printing functionality.

I’m happy to report that this is no longer the case. With PrinterLogic, you can now enable Pull Printing and Secure Printing with or without print servers.

I know this sounds too good to be true, and I don’t blame you for any skepticism. So let us prove it to you. Go ahead and sign up for a quick demo, and we’ll show you how this works in real time. We can also give you real-life examples of the customers who are already using PrinterLogic to eliminate their print servers AND deploy Release Printing.

As always, if you have any questions for us before signing up for a demo, just leave them in the comments below and we’ll get back to you quickly.

Posted by Jordan Lindsey

In just 9 short months—in July of 2015—Microsoft will end support for Windows Server 2003/R2. With this end-of-life (EOL) announcement, its time for many enterprises to consider how they will migrate. So, how are you going to handle the migration to 2008/R2?

Microsoft does offer a Printer Migration Tool. This will take you through a wizard which allows you to export your print queues and drivers, then import them on the new server. Not a bad choice and not too difficult of a solution, provided you don’t have errors or configuration issues. But the bigger question is, do you really want print servers anymore?

Let’s be honest, you kept your 2003/R2 server this long because you didn’t want to touch it. But what is the end user transition going to be like? Do they just get to start printing with a seamless transition, with no problems? And how are you getting your 64-bit drivers and preferences set up? You now have to modify every print queue, on each server you have, with it’s corresponding driver. Are you lucky enough to use a universal driver or do you need a manufacturer driver for specific capabilities? The questions go on and on when it comes to migrating your 2003 print server.

But there is a better solution. Simply do not upgrade your print servers at all!

What are you going to do instead, you might ask? Start using PrinterLogic. PrinterLogic allows you to copy all your print queues, drivers, printing preferences and printer information by simply clicking on a print queue through our web-based application. PrinterLogic can be run a physical or virtual 2008/R2 or newer OS. IT IS NOT A PRINT SERVER! We are going to throw your old print server out the window when this is done.

So how do you simply migrate out of a print server environment without losing what you have?

Simple—as mentioned before, you selected all your print queues, press a green arrow and watch all your print queues copy into PrinterLogic. Once this is finished, you now deploy a small 7mb client out to your workstations via SCCM, GPO, etc. which runs as a system service. When this client installs, it will then silently auto-detect all Windows shared printers and convert them into Direct IP printers. And it will grab control of any already-installed Direct IP printers, too.

You may now turn off and trash that 2003 print server, take a huge sigh of relief that you never have to deal with a print server again in your life, then login to the on-premise, web-based PrinterLogic app to manage all print queues, drivers, printing preferences and automatic printer installs (with Active Directory integration). The client handles everything on each person workstation, keeps everything in sync with the administrative side and users with restricted computer permissions may install their own printers with floor plan maps, all from a web page.

You can please your end users, save costs on running multiple print servers, reduce WAN traffic, simplify upgrades and patching, and eliminate the single point of failure caused by your print servers. You can now sleep at night knowing you will never again get a phone call at 1:00 a.m. that the print server is down and no can print.

Posted by Jordan Lindsey

Pull Printing (also known as Follow Printing) is an extremely valuable feature for enterprises looking to secure their printing environments. Each hundreds of millions of documents are printed and left unclaimed in the enterprise. Not only does this create a huge amount of waste (and wasted cost), but this can also create a significant security risk if those unclaimed documents contain sensitive or confidential information.

Luckily, Pull/Follow Printing enables enterprises to address this situation by enabling users to print and then release a print job directly from the printer, ensuring that the person is at the printer before the document prints.

Let’s take a look at how this works in PrinterLogic’s Pull Printing solution.

Pull/Follow Printing allows your users to print to a holding queue until they go to a Pull Printing-enabled printer of their choice. The print job then follows them to that printer, where the user can directly release it. One problem with many of the Pull Printing products out there is that you need a print server, and if that print server is down, then this functionality (and all other print functionality) won’t work. PrinterLogic’s single integrated platform enables enterprises to eliminate all print servers while maintaining all the functionality of their previous print environment, and adding many additional features.

PrinterLogic allows you to do everything that a print server environment does without any server dependencies. When your current users print with Pull Printing, they usually send the print job onto the print server (which must be available), then they go to a destination printer and release it with an interface to the printer. PrinterLogic gets rid of that server and goes a step further to allow the release from any electronic device that has a browser.

You create a virtual print queue called Pull Printing and have it automatically installed through PrinterLogic, or you can allow your end users to install it on their own with the self-service portal page that has floor plan maps. Now when anyone wants to print something to an unknown destination printer—even if they want to print to a destination that is10 floors up next to a conference room they’re headed to—they can rest assured that the print job will not be laying around for anyone to see while they make their way to that printer.

When the user prints to the Pull Printing queue, that places their print job into a holding queue. They can now walk to their destination printer, see the name of it and release the print job using any of the following:

1) Release Station—A PC or tablet (Android or iOS) is setup next to the printer. The device is set to kiosk mode and allows the end user to see and release their print jobs via the PrinterLogic web-based app.

2) Mobile Device—Any device with a browser can be used to select and release the stored print jobs via PrinterLogic.

3) Badge/Card Reader—A badge reader is placed at the printer or is native to the printing device. The badge reader integrates with the existing badge system to release the print jobs to the printer associated to the badge reader.

As you can see, Pull Printing enables users to simply hit print without sending that job to any particular printer. That print job instead goes into the PrinterLogic Pull Printing queue, and end users can then release the print job at any Pull Printing enabled printer on the network. This eliminates the danger of sensitive materials being sent to a printer and left unclaimed.

Posted by Jarrett Taylor

If you look at the enterprise IT environment, there has been a ton of innovation over the past decade. From cloud computing to virtualization and everything in between, enterprise IT has become far more efficient, cost-effective and reliable than in years past—but with one notable exception: your printing environment. Why is it that so much innovation has taken place in every other aspect of the enterprise, yet our printing environments have remained untouched (and unimproved) for years?

This is the question we asked ourselves when we started building PrinterLogic nine years ago. And as we evaluated what was restricting performance and innovation in the print environment, we repeatedly came across one primary culprit—the print server.

The print server has not evolved much, and remains a single point of failure in most enterprises. And even when the print server is working correctly, there is no simple way to enable users to easily add new printers on their own, resulting in confusion and frustration. This is why printing issues make up 50% of all help desk tickets in today’s organizations.

We realized there had to be a better way. So we thought to ourselves—what if we could just eliminate print servers altogether?

It seemed like a crazy concept at the time, and even today—for those still reliant on their print servers—it seems like an impossible task. But the simple fact is that the cost, effort, and complexity of traditional print servers are no longer necessary. By eliminating your print servers, you can:

• Eliminate print job related WAN traffic
• Centrally manage all printers from a single server
• Leverage integrated modules for auditing, mobile, and Release Printing
• Enable an end user self-service printer installation portal
• Simplify remote session and VDI printing environments
• Remove single points of failure

And that is exactly why we built PrinterLogic. With our on-premise, web-based app you can replace all the functionality that print servers used to provide, while adding many new features that simplify printer management and provisioning, reduce costs, and empower users to install printers for themselves, without calling the help desk.

Over the years, we have helped over 1,500 customers in 120 countries simplify their print environments and eliminate their print servers. Everyone from SMBs to the Fortune 500, and even large government agencies like the Department of Homeland Security. We’ve learned that no matter the size of the organization—from companies with a handful of employees to global enterprises with hundreds of thousands across many offices worldwide—the reaction is the same. Everyone loves the simplicity, flexibility and cost savings of eliminating print servers.

One of my favorite parts of this job is going to trade shows where we get to do live demos of our product with customers. We’ve always kept our message simple—a huge blue backdrop with the words “Eliminate Print Servers.” That alone catches people’s eye, just as the title of this post likely caught yours. And once we’re able to show customers how simple our solution is to deploy, and how easy it is to eliminate the headaches of print servers, they are blown away. The reactions we get from people are unlike anything I’ve seen in my 20 years in enterprise technology.

So even if you’re skeptical about getting rid of your print servers, I’d encourage you to consider the benefits for your organization. Take a look at some of the organizations who have eliminated their print servers here, and let us know if you’d like to see a demo. We’ve been lucky enough to help thousands of customers eliminate the headaches caused by print servers while increasing the functionality of their print environments (and saving them a ton of money). So we’re happy to share some of those success stories and work with you to determine whether or not eliminating print servers is right for your organization.

And if you have any questions you want answered before you schedule a demo, just leave it in the comments below and I’ll be happy to answer.

In the meantime, happy printing!

Posted by Jordan Lindsey

Are you ready for Microsoft’s pending end-of-life (EOL) for support of Windows Server 2003/R2, which ends on July 14, 2015? What does this mean?

Essentially, this means no more updates, no savings, no compliance, and no safe haven. Which is not the usual comfort zone for most IT departments. So the question is, how are you going to upgrade your 2003/R2 print server to 2008/R2 or 2012/R2?

Microsoft released 37 critical updates for Windows Server 2003 in 2013. Hackers, phishers and many others delight at the sight of an EOL announcement for any Microsoft products. This means that any enterprise that doesn’t upgrade their print servers will be exposed to new threats moving forward.

If that 2003 server crashes tomorrow or 9 months from now when support ends, what are you going to do? Find new hardware for that old machine? Reinstall the OS, and place a clone back in place? What risk are you accepting by keeping the old OS and Hardware in your environment?

Depending on the industry, you may not be in compliance with many required standards. How are you going to implement new products, bring in new software, and set up new services when the servers you have are not supported anymore? Do you want to report back to the CTO or Sales Manager to explain why your infrastructure is not up to code, why you can’t implement that new product or why you are getting turned down for a big sales opportunity because you’re not compliant?

If you don’t upgrade, you will also lose compliance with Microsoft, which is critical for their partner programs. Are you a Microsoft Gold Partner? Are you selling and using their products to sell your software to customers? Microsoft will not grant you compliance if you are running unsafe, outdated products that have a direct impact on your infrastructure.

Microsoft gives you a few options to migrate your 2003/R2 server to 2008/R2 and 2012/R2. Some are great, some are easy, and some are just downright unpleasant. It’s best to explore the migration of 2003/R2 server now, so that you have no need to panic about the EOL when July 14, 2015 comes rolling around.

Microsoft does offer a Printer Migration Tool. This will take you through a wizard which allows you to export your print queues and drivers, then import them on the new server. Not a bad choice and not too difficult of a solution, provided you don’t have errors or configuration issues. But the bigger question is, do you really want print servers anymore?

Let’s be honest, you kept your 2003/R2 server this long because you didn’t want to touch it. But what is the end user transition going to be like? Do they just get to start printing with a seamless transition, with no problems? And how are you getting your 64-bit drivers and preferences set up? You now have to modify every print queue, on each server you have, with it’s corresponding driver. Are you lucky enough to use a universal driver or do you need a manufacturer driver for specific capabilities? The questions go on and on when it comes to migrating your 2003 print server.

But there is a better solution. Simply do not upgrade your print servers at all!

What are you going to do instead, you might ask? Start using PrinterLogic. PrinterLogic allows you to copy all your print queues, drivers, printing preferences and printer information by simply clicking on a print queue through our web-based application. PrinterLogic can be run a physical or virtual 2008/R2 or newer OS. IT IS NOT A PRINT SERVER! We are going to throw your old print server out the window when this is done.

So how do you simply migrate out of a print server environment without losing what you have?

Simple—as mentioned before, you selected all your print queues, press a green arrow and watch all your print queues copy into PrinterLogic. Once this is finished, you now deploy a small 7mb client out to your workstations via SCCM, GPO, etc. which runs as a system service. When this client installs, it will then silently auto-detect all Windows shared printers and convert them into Direct IP printers. And it will grab control of any already-installed Direct IP printers, too.

You may now turn off and trash that 2003 print server, take a huge sigh of relief that you never have to deal with a print server again in your life, then login to the on-premise, web-based PrinterLogic app to manage all print queues, drivers, printing preferences and automatic printer installs (with Active Directory integration). The client handles everything on each person workstation, keeps everything in sync with the administrative side and users with restricted computer permissions may install their own printers with floor plan maps, all from a web page.

You can please your end users, save costs on running multiple print servers, reduce WAN traffic, simplify upgrades and patching, and eliminate the single point of failure caused by your print servers. You can now sleep at night knowing you will never again get a phone call at 1:00 a.m. that the print server is down and no can print.