Citrix 4.5 New Print server CTX only or shared?

Posted by citrix on December 11, 2008
Eric Smith Howdy,

I have had my 4.5 presentation server farm up and running for the last 6 months and most recently with few issues. I currently have 6 CTX servers, a Data collector and a web interface server ALL running in VMware.

Currently I am using a Windows 2000 print server running in VMware. and currently having very little problems with it other than it is time to upgrade as we are overloading it.

Currently I am averaging 130 - 160 sessions on the farm and in the long run that may at max double in size as of the current plan. (immediate plans are about a 25% increase in CTX users yet to convert over.

It is a mix of users inside the building and outside connected over the WAN with a few VPN users. Over all after everyone is up and running approximately 60% of users will be outside the building coming across the WAN with good speed circuits.

About 70% of the printers outside this building are locally attached printers, the other 30% Network printers.

As everyone has experienced Printing has been the biggest challenge of them and I finally have it stable and working correctly (for this week) :-)

Many of the network printers outside this building are installed on the CTX boxes directly but I’m ready to move away from that if at all possible with out taking down 1/2 of the company!

We have a hodge podge mix of printers mostly HP several DOT Matrix some bubble jets you name it we have it and I’m working on getting control of that.

The big question is:

If I am currently sharing a print server with the entire company and things are stable under a Windows 2000 print server would this be a good time to break off a separate print server for CTX or live by the theory “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” and keep one shared print server??

I like some of the things I have read about importing the print server into Citrix and the “ease” of maintaining it that way.

As well any comments on using the HP UPD 芒聙聯VS- the regular HP Drivers would be good. ALL Clients are XP Pro and we have no intentions of adding Vista into our mix.

Native print driver auto-install Enabled
(Install drivers as needed.)

Universal driver Enable
(use if requested is not available)

Auto creation - Enabled
(Auto create ALL client printers.)

Legacy client print drivers - Enabled
(Create old-style printers)

Any opinions would be great thanks!

  • Eric
Eric Smith Thanks much, Makes sense to me, I have disabled the native driver install. I realized after posting and reading it again that I had reenabled that in a panic moment :-)

Any input on teh HP UPD VS regular print drivers?

I apprecaite your time - Eric
Category: citrix4.5