Microsoft KB Archive/318749

= HOW TO: Create a Printing Pool in Windows 2000 =

PSS ID Number: 318749

Article Last Modified on 9/22/2003

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

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This article was previously published under Q318749



IN THIS TASK

 * SUMMARY
 * ** Before You Set Up a Printing Pool
 * How to Create a Printing Pool
 * REFERENCES



SUMMARY
This step-by-step article describes how to create a printing pool on a Windows 2000-based print server.

You can create a printing pool in Windows 2000 in which two or more of the same printers are connected to one print server and behave as a single printer. Note that the physical device that performs the actual printing is referred to as a printer; a logical printer is the physical printer's software interface on the print server.

By connecting one logical printer to multiple printers through multiple ports on the print server, the printing pool appears to users as a single printer. When a user prints a document to the printing pool, the document is printed on the first available printer in the pool. Users are not required to know which printer is available. The logical printer checks for an available port and then sends documents to ports in the order in which they were added.

This configuration is useful in high-volume environments because it maximizes printer use and minimizes the time that users may have to wait for their print jobs to be printed. Additionally, it is easier to administer printers because you can manage multiple printers from the same logical printer on the server.

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Before You Set Up a Printing Pool
Before you set up a printing pool, consider the following items:
 * Two or more printers are required. Windows 2000 does not limit the number of printers in a pool.
 * The printers in the pool must be of the same type and use the same printer driver.
 * Printer ports can be of the same type or mixed (such as parallel, serial, and network).
 * Add the fastest printer to the pool first so that documents are sent to the fastest printer before they are routed to the slower printers in the pool.
 * Because users do not know which printer receives and prints their documents, it is a good idea to place all of the pooled printers in the same physical location. If the printers are not in the same physical location, users may not be able to find their printed documents.

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How to Create a Printing Pool
NOTE: This procedure assumes that the printers that you want to pool are installed on the print server and are listed in the Printers folder. To add a new printer, click Add Printer in the Printers folder.
 * 1) Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.
 * 2) Right-click a printer that you want to include in the printing pool, and then click Properties.
 * 3) Click the Ports tab.
 * 4) Select the Enable printer pooling check box.
 * 5) In the list of ports, select the check boxes for the ports to which the printers that you want to pool are connected.
 * 6) Repeat steps 2 through step 5 for each logical printer that you want to include in the printing pool.
 * 7) Click OK.

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