I am migrating to IP vlans.  When I move the novell servers away from the printers printing stops.  It appears that ipx is what is being used to send the print jobs to the printer.  I am not able to route IPX traffic.

My question is how can I change a printer over to IP only?  The printers themselves are capable of changing an IP address.  I can print from the NT servers fine.  The Novell 5.1 sp7 server doesn't like it.

Any ideas?

You're probably using queue based printing (print server, printer, print queue) on the Novell server.. This setup requires IPX.

The way around it is to use NDPS. It's part of the server but you might need to install it from the cd. Also will need to configure a broker, manager, and the printer agents.

Marvin Huffaker, MCNE
http://www.redjuju.com

Thanks Marv,

I was kinda suspecting this was the case.  I perused through some older posts and have seen some key points on NDPS.

Thank you a lot for the info.

NDPS is by far the best printing system ever. Once you use it to its full capacity, you'll never understand how you lived without it.  Nothing Microsoft makes comes close to providing the functionality of NDPS.

Marvin Huffaker, MCNE
http://www.redjuju.com

IPX is a routable protocol, but your switches need to have the ability. Older switches/routers usually can do it but most newer kit has left that function out.

I'd suggest setting up NDPS to service the print queues and print via LPR.  As I recall, I had no problem with this when we dumped IPX a few years ago, and it makes the change transparent to the users.

I would suggest that too in the interim.  Would mean that you can migrate all of your printers to NDPS and have NDPS servicing the Print Queues without having to change all of the workstations from Queue to NDPS Printing all at the same time.

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"It's true, its damn true!"
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You are correct in noting that IPX is routable, but as you mentioned the switches must also support ipx vlans.  This isn't the case in the environment. I even called cisco to see if I could add it to a 3560 layer 3 switch, they aren't supporting it, and have no plans to bring it in.

NDPS it looks like is going to be the way to go.  I like the fact that I can bring it in seamlessly too.  Run both and as I transfer them to their respective vlans change their printers too.   I hope to install NDPS in the near future.  Any gotcha's to installing it on 5.1, Sp7?  It's pretty much s a simple setup (my exisiting environment).

NDPS is a dream. Easy from start to finish. Undeniably the most solid print subsystem I've ever had the pleasure to work with. You're gonna love it.

I installed NDPS Broker, manager and had an issue creating the printer agent.  I selected the novell snmp gateway, I was able to pick the printer and driver without incident.  When I got ready to install it on the client I got an error.

The specified printer could not be installed.  The printer may be shut down or in an error state.  View the printer dialog for more details.

Message number:160  then an error code:
0x00020001.  

I looked on the server at the NDPS manager, I can see the printer agent, it says its active.  

When I double click the NDPS printer, I am not convinced I am actually getting a working printer shown.  I guess the reason is, in the main properties it says ready, but has a yellow in the box.

I tried this with both the novell snmp gateway and the lexmark gateway.  

Any ideas why it's not working?  What am I missing?

Actually what is says now is power save, when you click status it says some status is not available, then a box pops up with a caution not available.

The Printer agent ist (on the server shows IDLE).  I printed to something via a tcpip conenction (NT method) and the printer status changed to ready (after double clicking the printer in nwadmin).

When a Printer is in Powersave mode, it does come up like that which tbh is a bit of a pain in the backside because you'll think there is something wrong with it when actially there isn't.

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"It's true, its damn true!"
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I still cannot add this to the client.  I get the same erros when adding the client.

The specified printer could not be installed.  The printer may be shut down or in an error state.  View the printer dialog for more details.

Message number:160  then an error code:
0x00020001.

I loaded an HP4000 printer the same way.  I get an error when installing the ndps printer, "Printer details cannot be viewed.  Unable to get printer status.  Message: 305, 0x000B0005
in a few mins a lot pf the properties comes up for these printers, not everything.  Then when I try to install the client viw the nwpmw32.exe utility, I get to the part of installing the drivers and it comes up with the error message (as above).

Is it possible that DS is corrupt and causing this some how?

I figured out what the problem was.  NWclient was confused.  I reinstalled it and works fine now.