Windows Server 2003 R2 includes a new feature to manage printers and print servers on your network. The Print Management MMC snap-in allows an administrator to install, view, and manage every printer and Windows 2000/XP/2003 print server in your organization a single Windows Server 2003 R2.
The Print Management MMC also can provide information on the current status of the printers and print servers on the network. It can be used to install printers via a GPO, locate printers with errors, and if the printer has a web interface, the MMC can obtain data on toner and paper levels as well as other features the manufacturer wishes to include. One other very admin friendly feature is the ability to send e-mail notifications or run scripts when a printer or print server needs attention.
Installing the Print Management MMC is pretty straightforward. You need to have R2 installed on the Windows Server 2003 SP1 server after which you can start the install from Add/Remove Windows Components. The Print Management MMC is located under the Management and Monitoring Tools category. Select the Print Management Component and complete the wizard. You will need the R2 CD.
Once installed the Print Management MMC can be started from the shortcut located in Administrative Tools. Right-click on Print Management in the left Window and select Add/Remove Servers to add your print servers.
Once you have added the print servers, the shared printers will appear in the list under its respective print server.
You can now view and edit all the printer related settings on each individual printer or print server. You can edit the Port settings...
...install and/or update drivers...
...and even install new printers.
By clicking on Set Notifications, you can configure email alerts, or run a script when an error occurs on the printer.
By simply right-clicking the print server and selecting Properties, you can view and edit the forms, ports, drivers and other advanced settings on the print server.
One of the coolest features is the ability to deploy printers from the Print Management MMC. Simply right-click on the printer and select Deploy with Group Policy.
Select the GPO to deploy the printer with, specify whether it should to the User Config, the Computer Config, or both and click Add.
This will create a PushPrinterConnections.exe file which you enter as the Startup Script. Edit the GPO to which you have deployed the printers to and, depending on whether you selected User Config or Computer Config, go to Computer/User Config | Windows Settings | Scripts | Logon/Logoff (Startup/Shutdown for Computer Config) and add the executable to the Logon or Startup Script.
The -log parameter will enable logging. The log files are written to %windir%\temp\ppcMachine.log for computers and %windir%\temp\ppcUser.log for users.
Once set, computers will need to be rebooted in order for the printers to be installed. Users will have to log off and when they log on, the printer connections will be made. All deployed printers will be listed under the Deployed Printers category in the Print Management MMC.