PSERVER in IntraNetWare NDS
Advantages of using PSERVER in NDS:
•Does not require that PSERVER.NLM be installed on the NetWare server
•Increases performance. Although overall print job throughput is affected by many factors, file transfer time on the network may be faster using PSERVER because:
In NPRINTER/RPRINTER, NetWare uses SPX to transfer packets. Packet size for data transmitted in SPX is 512 bytes.
In PSERVER, NetWare uses IPX to transfer packets. Packet size for data transmitted in IPX is up to 1 Kilobyte for Ethernet and up to 4 Kilobytes for
Because of this difference in packet size, PSERVER may be faster than NPRINTER/ RPRINTER. Actual IPX packet size is negotiated by the client application. This actual IPX packet size is often less than the maximum because of packet size limitations of gateways and routers.
If printing is a significant part of your network traffic, and if network traffic is a proven concern for your network, you may find it better to use the print servers in PSERVER.
Disadvantage of using PSERVER in NDS:
Requires a NetWare server user license for each PSERVER device
Also, in IntraNetWare you can “pool” printers by assigning a single print queue to multiple printers, or “share” printers by assigning multiple print queues to a single printer. Be careful when configuring “pooled” printer environments because the printers need to have the same capabilities in terms of printer data stream and resources such as fonts, forms, internal memory, resolution, and so on. Though Novell recommends assigning one print queue per printer for ease of management, it may be useful to “share” a printer between multiple queues when a printer supports multiple emulations such as PostScript and PCL.
RPRINTER vs. PSERVER in NetWare 3.x
Print servers are fully supported in NetWare 3.x, using either RPRINTER or PSERVER.
RPRINTER in NetWare 3.x
Advantage of using RPRINTER in NetWare 3.x:
Does not require a NetWare server user license
Disadvantages of using RPRINTER in NetWare 3.x:
Little information is available about the print job. After a job leaves a print server queue, it is removed from the queue, regardless of whether it actually prints. This could cause a print job to be lost, if the printer is turned off in the middle of the print job. This is inherent in the NetWare design.
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