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Installing IP/Windows based printers Version 4.2.3

linux
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Level 1

Hi All

I am having problem installing IP/windows based printer on WAE device, please see my previous post and thanks for Jan for helping.

https://supportforums.cisco.com/message/3148122#3148122

Now that I have done the upgrade to version 4.2.3, I saw warning message about legacy print services not supported and I have acknowledged all!! (CIFS legacy mode has been deprecated and no longer supported as of 4.2.x. Please migrate to CIFS Accelerator mode) On All devices including the CM the legacy print services had been disabled and the NEW CIFS Accelerator (Windows Print Accelerator is also enabled) had been enabled BUT and I mean BUT I cannot SEE at all where can I add printer to the WEAE devices or the CM either by command line or Web based.

I think I am missing something and while I am posting this, I am also doing some reading!! I am sorry if it sounds such stupid question but I have looked but I cannot see where I can add printer from. In the old version it was from cmd or GUI of WAE

So my questions are

·         How do add any IP based printer to either CM or WAE

·         How to install/upload drivers to WAE or CM

·         How to present the printer to end users

Thanks for your time and effort and if you require further information please let me know

1 Accepted Solution

Accepted Solutions

Ricky,

The alternative to running Windows on WAAS just to get a centralized print server would be to install Windows on any piece of hardware separate from WAAS and utilize the print server features of that version of Windows.

However, as you mentioned this is a single point of failure (unless of course you have multiple Windows servers acting as print servers in some redundant fashion at the DC; I would defer to the Microsoft documentation on how exactly to accomplish this).

Thus, the idea of installing WoW at your remote locations for local print services seems to be the most robust, and wouldn't require any additional hardware.

Cheers,

Mike

View solution in original post

6 Replies 6

Hi,

When you switch to using the CIFS AO with Windows Print Accelerator feature you no longer need to add print drivers/ define printers in the CM/ on the WAAS Edge devices.  This new (as of 4.1) model is for accelerating centralized printing, rather than the legacy mode of hosting the queues on the WAAS Edge devices themselves.  All you need to do is make sure the CIFS AO and windows print accelerator are enabled on the two WAEs that are going to optimize your centralized windows print traffic.

As per the 4.1.1 release notes when the Windows print accelerator feature was introduced here is the description:

Windows Print—Accelerates print traffic between clients and a Windows print server located in the data center.

Hope this clears things up for you.
Cheers,
Mike Korenbaum

Cisco WAAS PDI Help Desk

http://www.cisco.com/go/pdihelpdesk

Hi Mike


I really appreciate your effort and time, I have read the link you sent me and I am still reading others. I just need to clarify this and correct me if i am wrong, so the way it works now is as follows,

  • Install Windows ON WAAS i.e. windows 2008 core on WAAS hence purchase of license for this is required. WAAS in this case is CM located in Data Center.
  • Enable and setup print server on CM WAAS (Windows 2008 core), located at Data Center
  • Add remote printers and share them as per normal i.e. Windows print server setup
  • Ensure that CIFS AO and Windows print accelerator are enabled on All devices i.e. via CM
  • Add the hosted printers (printers on WAAS-CM windows core) to client machines and let them print and CIFS AO will do the optimization.

Note: All printers added are local and remote to users i.e. remote offices as well as HQ office


If I have forgot anything then please let me know, or if there is anything that is not correct can you kindly correct it please


Again thanks for your time and effort

Ricky

Hi Ricky,

1st you can not run virtual blade (VB) on a WAAS Central Manager (CM).  The virtual blade can only be enabled on certain devices (274, 474, 574, and 674 device models) that are running in device mode application accelerator.

2nd it is not necessary that you run Windows on WAAS Virtual Blade (WoW) in order to receive acceleration for printing, but that is an option you may choose. 

The way you described a scenarion above you can certainly enable VB on your DC device (if possible), install an instance of Windows, run print services on this Windows machine and add all print information too it just like any other Windows server running print services.  Then when your remote locations with a WAE connect to this central print server, the print accelerator sub-feature of the CIFSAO will help accelerate this print traffic.

Another option would be to install WoW at each of your remote locations (if the WAAS devices at those sites can support it) and run the print services locally for the printers at the specific remote location.

Hope this helps clear things up.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Mike,

Once again thanks for your help and time

1st you can not run virtual blade (VB) on a WAAS Central Manager (CM).  The virtual blade can only be enabled on certain devices (274, 474, 574, and 674 device models) that are running in device mode application accelerator.

>>>Sorry my bad, i meant WAE such as 274 and 474 which we have

2nd it is not necessary that you run Windows on WAAS Virtual Blade (WoW) in order to receive acceleration for printing, but that is an option you may choose. 

>>>This is good point you mentioned, the ONLY reason I said this is because i thought this was the ONLY way it is going to work? i.e. WoW. Now since you mentioned it is not necessary, can you kindly let me know how else can i get it to work. Please provide as much details as possible so that i can explore this option.

The way you described a scenarion above you can certainly enable VB on your DC device (if possible), install an instance of Windows, run print services on this Windows machine and add all print information too it just like any other Windows server running print services.  Then when your remote locations with a WAE connect to this central print server, the print accelerator sub-feature of the CIFSAO will help accelerate this print traffic.

>>>Actually we are moving away from this setup scenario because of single point of failure and also no guarantee it will really work i.e. users will not experience real slowness as per my FIRST posting

Another option would be to install WoW at each of your remote locations (if the WAAS devices at those sites can support it) and run the print services locally for the printers at the specific remote location.

>>>Yes this is where we will be heading due to performance and redundancy, as we may have the VB acts as READ ONLY Domain Controller with print server functionality. However before we go that way i need you to provide me the alternative to WoW as per my comments above, PLEASE

Again thanks for your time and effort

Cheers,

Ricky

Ricky,

The alternative to running Windows on WAAS just to get a centralized print server would be to install Windows on any piece of hardware separate from WAAS and utilize the print server features of that version of Windows.

However, as you mentioned this is a single point of failure (unless of course you have multiple Windows servers acting as print servers in some redundant fashion at the DC; I would defer to the Microsoft documentation on how exactly to accomplish this).

Thus, the idea of installing WoW at your remote locations for local print services seems to be the most robust, and wouldn't require any additional hardware.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Mike

I really thank you for your tuime and effort and patience, i have accepted your response as answers and i hope that means all points are awarded to you, if i got it wrong then please let me know.

Yes we will be going as per this

**Thus, the idea of installing WoW at your remote locations for local print services seems to be the most robust, and wouldn't require any additional hardware**

Cheers

Ricky

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