How to configure multiple iPrint servers to use the same Driver Store

iPrint has the ability to point multiple Print Manager services to a single, centralized remote Driver Store service.  One advantage of this configuration is that administrators need only manage one Driver Store.  Also, the Print Manager permanently caches printer drivers to the server it is running on (in the /var/opt/novell/iprint/mod_ipp directory).  That cache is populated with printer drivers as end users install printers which have that driver associated.  That cache will auto update when a printer driver is overwritten with a newer version on the Centralized Driver Store.

1. Turn off "Auto driver/Profile update" feature
• Go to iManager -> iPrint -> Manage Print Manager -> Printer Agents
• Uncheck all printer agents for the "Auto driver/Profile update" feature.
• One quick way to accomplish this if some are enabled is the check the top box, then uncheck it.
• Click Apply.
• Do this for all Print Managers which will be using the consolidate Driver Store
• Failing to turn this feature off will result in iPrint printers being auto removed workstations, then auto re-installed. After the consolidation has happened, turn this feature on only for printers which you see a need to update the driver or profile. Whether the driver or profile has been modified, any printer you enable for this feature will go through the auto remove and re-install process.
2. Copy printer drivers to the decided Centralized Driver Store
• If the Centralized Driver Store already has all the printer drivers from the other driver store services running on the other servers, you can skip this step.
• Use whatever copy method you are comfortable with. One option is to use SCP:
• Run the following command from the Centralized Driver Store Server:
• Syntax:
• scp -Cr <RemoteServerAddress>:/var/opt/novell/iprint/resdir/* /var/opt/novell/iprint/resdir/
• Example:
• scp -Cr iprintsrv3.company.com:/var/opt/novell/iprint/resdir/* /var/opt/novell/iprint/resdir/
• Set the user and group permissions to iprint and iprint.
• On the Centralized Driver Store, run this command:
• chown -R iprint.iprint /var/opt/novell/iprint/resdir
• Restart the Driver Store service on the Centralized Driver Store server:
• rcnovell-idsd restart
3. Configure the remote Print Manager to point to the Centralized Driver Store:
• Go to iManager -> iPrint -> Manage Print Manager -> Choose the remote Print Manager -> Configuration
• Browse to the Centralized Driver store for the "Driver Store name:" field.
• Click OK.
• Re-Associate printer drivers to the each printer agent.
• This can be done manually using iManager by visiting each printer agent, selecting None as the printer driver, click Apply, then select the desired printer driver.  Or, you can automate this process by running the following command at the REMOTE server's terminal session
• Syntax:
• cp /var/opt/novell/iprint/<myPrintManagerName.department.citylocation.companyname>.psm/padbtxt.xml /tmp/padbtxt.xml;sed -i 's/driverupdateenabled>1/driverupdateenabled>0/' /tmp/padbtxt.xml;rcnovell-ipsmd stop;/opt/novell/iprint/bin/ipsmd -x /tmp/padbtxt.xml -u cn=admin,o=<companyname>;rcnovell-ipsmd start
• Example:
• cp /var/opt/novell/iprint/prntmgr3.itstaff.chicago.abcCompany.psm/padbtxt.xml /tmp/padbtxt.xml;sed -i 's/driverupdateenabled>1/driverupdateenabled>0/' /tmp/padbtxt.xml;rcnovell-ipsmd stop;/opt/novell/iprint/bin/ipsmd -x /tmp/padbtxt.xml -u cn=admin,o=abcCompany;rcnovell-ipsmd start
• Be sure the highlighted parts of the command are appropriate for your environment.
• Provide the admin password when prompted and hit ENTER.