Universal Print Server Explained: A Comprehensive Guide

Printing, often taken for granted, involves a complex process behind the scenes. While users expect seamless printing with a simple click, the reality is more intricate. A key component in managing this process, especially in networked environments, is the print server. This article delves into the world of universal print servers, exploring their functionality, benefits, and the evolving landscape of print management solutions.

What is a Print Server?

A print server acts as an intermediary between computers and printers on a network. It can be a software application, a dedicated hardware device, or a computer specifically designated to manage and process print requests. In essence, a print server facilitates the efficient handling of print jobs, particularly in environments with high print volumes or geographically dispersed printers. Its primary function is to manage the print queue, ensuring that print jobs are processed in an orderly manner.

The Need for Print Servers

Printers, unlike computers and mobile devices, possess limited processing power and memory due to their complex mechanical components. This limitation necessitates a print server to handle the processing and management of print jobs, relieving the burden on individual printers and client devices.

In medium to large businesses, a print server is highly recommended to host a print management solution. A dedicated server can be allocated exclusively for the print system, operating in the background to efficiently route jobs from clients to printers.

Benefits of Using a Print Server

Employing a print server offers numerous advantages, including:

Centralized Management: Print servers enable IT staff to control and manage printing from a centralized administration console, eliminating the need to manually check each device in the fleet. This singular management approach simplifies tasks such as adding new users, setting permissions and policies, and configuring settings.
Enhanced Efficiency: Print servers, equipped with powerful processors, are dedicated to managing the print infrastructure, handling workplace intricacies with ease.
Improved Security: Print servers offer print security features. For example, a user can send a document to a printer and hold it in a queue until they decide to release it using a PIN or a QR code. Otherwise, the queued document expires after a few days.
High Availability: Print servers can ensure compliance and high availability requirements are met, particularly in complex printing environments.

Drawbacks of Traditional Print Servers

Despite their benefits, traditional print servers also have some drawbacks:

Maintenance Overhead: Dedicated print servers require regular maintenance, updates, and servicing by IT teams.
Single Point of Failure: A malfunction in the print server can create a bottleneck, potentially halting all printing activities.
Cost: Maintaining an on-premises print server and addressing issues related to reliability, security, and access control can be costly and time-consuming.

The Rise of Serverless Print Management

Recognizing the limitations of traditional print servers, the modern workplace has seen the emergence of "serverless" print management solutions. These solutions eliminate the need for on-premises print servers, offering alternative approaches to managing print fleets.

One such alternative is direct printing, where users print directly to the printer. This approach is best suited for offices with a distributed workforce, where end-users are local and not transient. However, even in this configuration, it's often recommended to have a central headquarters host a print server.

Another alternative is cloud print management, where the print server is hosted elsewhere and accessed over the internet. This approach offers increased flexibility and scalability, while reducing the burden on internal IT resources.

Microsoft Universal Print: A Cloud-Based Solution

Microsoft has embraced the trend of cloud-based printing with its Universal Print service. This Azure-based solution allows Windows machines to send print jobs via a cloud print service to printers with the Universal Print service installed. The Printer Working Group protocol is used for printing. The print job is stored temporarily in the cloud, then the client is informed via notification, and the print job is downloaded and processed. The printers can be provided with extensive location information so that they can be found.

Universal Print offers several advantages:

Simplified Management: It eliminates the need to maintain traditional on-premises print servers, Active Directory, or install printer drivers.
Enhanced User Experience: It provides a straightforward end-user experience, allowing employees to print seamlessly from any device.
Cost Reduction: It lowers the cost of printing by eliminating the need for on-premises infrastructure.
Improved Security: The service infrastructure is managed by Microsoft's dedicated security & operations team, which follows strict security & reliability procedures, the print environment is more secure than a self-managed infrastructure behind a firewall.
Seamless Integration: It integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products, such as Windows, OneDrive, Excel, and macOS.

Universal Print Requirements and Considerations

To use Universal Print, organizations need to consider the following:

Printer Compatibility: Not all printer models support Universal Print natively. Users can check the list of Microsoft Universal Print supported printers online. Printers without native support may require a connector software.
Licensing: Access to Universal Print requires specific Microsoft 365 licenses, with varying print job allocations per user per month. Additional volume add-on packages are available for purchase.
Azure AD Integration: Windows devices must be connected to Microsoft Entra ID to use Universal Print. Hybrid joined devices are also supported, provided they are joined to Microsoft Entra ID.
Internet Connectivity: Users must be connected to the internet to print using Universal Print.

Universal Print Connectors

For printers that do not natively support Universal Print, Microsoft offers a connector software. This connector is a small Windows application that can connect many printers to the Microsoft 365 cloud and can run on any Windows PC on the network. Third-party connectors with wider printer support are also available. The connector needs to be connected to the same network as printers, available 24x7 and connected to internet.

Universal Print Security

Universal Print prioritizes security, with all data in transit encrypted using SSL (https) with TLS 1.2. Print queues are stored in Office data storage.

Universal Print Limitations

Universal Print currently has some limitations:

Label and Plotter Printer Support: Universal Print currently supports page printers only and provides limited support for label printers. Support for plotter printers is planned for future releases.
Customization: Changing the name of a registered print queue requires the PaperCut Universal Print Connector for Microsoft.

Universal Print vs. Hybrid Cloud Print

Universal Print is a replacement for Hybrid Cloud Print (HCP). Users may encounter issues adding Universal Print printers from a Windows device configured for HCP. To resolve this, HCP settings need to be cleaned up.

Advantages of Cloud Print Solutions like Universal Print

Cloud print solutions like Universal Print offer several advantages:

Streamlined Cloud Migration: They replace intricate server setups and scripts with centralized print management.
Distributed High-Availability Infrastructure: They provide a reliable and scalable print infrastructure.
Simplified User Experiences: They offer a seamless print experience for both IT administrators and users.
Reduced IT Burden: They eliminate the need to maintain, upgrade, and troubleshoot print servers.
Enhanced Security: They offer a more secure print environment compared to self-managed infrastructure.
Centralized Reporting: They provide centralized reporting for printers, allowing administrators to view the infrastructure at-a-glance.
Driverless Printing: They eliminate the need to deploy, maintain, and troubleshoot drivers.
Automatic Updates: They benefit from a continuous stream of updates that improve security, quality, reliability, and features over time.

Third-Party Integrations

Several third-party solutions integrate with Universal Print to enhance its functionality. The PaperCut Connector, for example, enables PaperCut MF or NG to manage all Universal Print jobs.

The Future of Print Management

The landscape of print management is evolving rapidly, with cloud-based solutions like Microsoft Universal Print leading the way. These solutions offer a more flexible, scalable, and secure approach to managing print infrastructure, reducing the burden on IT resources and improving the user experience. As businesses continue to embrace cloud technologies, the adoption of cloud print solutions is expected to accelerate, further transforming the way we print.

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