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4 Tools to Make Virtual Print Server Management a Reality

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With IT innovations dramatically impacting everything from servers to mobility to the traditional PC environment, it sometimes seems like the printer has been left behind.

Do you realize that none among the current generation of non-Windows tablets come with built-in print drivers? What happened to this essential, daily business function? Did the printer get lost in the virtualization shuffle, or was it simply not considered a significant concern?

As users access printers from multiple networks and endpoints, it can be difficult for printer administrators to keep control of the printing environment. However, there are several tools that make printing more manageable in a virtual environment. First, let’s take a look why virtualization can be so tough on printers.

Virtual Printing: Why Replacing Your Physical Print Server Isn’t Enough

From an end user point of view, printing is simple: You click “print,” walk to the printer and pick up your document. From a technical standpoint, however, the process is much more complex.

• The computer transmits the print job to a print queue on a server.

• The server queue then submits it to the printer.

• The printer then produces the hard copy.

The main issue with printing in virtualized environments is that a printer is not a piece of software or an app that connects to the cloud. It’s a big piece of hardware that sits on a desk. A printer itself cannot be virtualized; what can be virtualized is the print server.

As you can see from the image above, simply replacing a physical print server with a virtual one doesn’t change the print queue setup and management process. But because print queues and drivers are installed on print servers, setting up virtual print servers requires IT administrators to set up brand new queues and drivers, essentially recreating something that already works well.

Following are four tools that can reduce or eliminate the need for these additional administrative tasks.

Virtual Print Management Tools

Universal Print Drivers (UPD) – The main benefit of UPD technology is the simplification of driver management. It allows network administrators to set up multiple server-based print queues on a single driver.

Though in the past its functionality was lackluster, UPD has reached a level of maturity that makes it a viable option for many businesses. Today, many universal drivers support multiple manufacturers and full-color printing. For example, the HP 5.2 postscript driver supports both HP and postscript-enabled Canon imageRunner Advance, including Canon proprietary finishers.

An added bonus: Most UPDs are provided for free download from major printer manufacturers to organizations that have the printer hardware.

Citrix Universal Print Driver – Citrix provides its own built-in UPD that simplifies the setup of server-based print queues in Citrix environments. It provides all the benefits of UPD, and also removes the need to install print drivers from multiple manufacturers in Citrix-based workplaces.

HP ePrint Enterprise – This virtual and driverless software solution extends the functionality of iOS, Android, WebOS and BlackBerry devices, allowing users to send documents from their mobile devices to printers and multi-function printers (MFPs) within an organization’s firewall, or to designated offsite ePrint enabled business such as FedEx Office and major hotel chains. This technology fully supports nearly all printer command language (PCL), postscript (PS) compatible printers and MFPs, including non-HP devices.

From a management perspective, the ePrint software stores all printing history by device, providing print administrators with the data they need to keep control of the organization’s printing habits.

ePrint includes a tie-in with HP’s universal print driver, extending its functionality to the cloud and enabling users to print documents on supported printers at copy shops, airports and other off-site locations.

QR Code Release – QR code release works almost exactly the same way as secure job release, only you don’t need to install employee ID badge readers on each printer. Instead, a QR code is applied to the front panel of each printer or MFP, and employees’ camera-enabled smartphones do the rest of the work. No new print queue or drivers setup is required, and users send jobs to print queues, rather than specific printers.

After users click “print” on their PC and walk over to the printer, they take a picture of the printer’s QR code with their smartphone, and then simply select their job from the application on their phone. The software tells the network which job to release and where to send it.

Your Thoughts?

If printing has been lost in your virtualized environment, these technologies can help you regain control. Which do you think would work best for your organization? Please share your comments.

Jeffrey Goldstein is Senior Consultant at MCPc and is responsible for the delivery of hardcopy and value-added services within the Lifecycle Management Group. Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn.

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