Removed IP address, printers didn't work

[Jerry Gramling]

This was a temporary problem, but I can't figure out what caused it. I
removed a secondary IP address from our server. Everything seemed fine, but
when I rebooted a workstation to check, none of the printers worked. All of
our printers are queue-based. We don't even have iPrint installed. They are
using a mix of HP JetDirect cards and really old external Intel print
servers, also some Xerox copiers. All show as having IPX connections to the
server. After 5-10 minutes they gradually became available, but a couple of
them had to be restarted. This happened with each workstation I rebooted,
even if it had the same printers. Upon a second reboot of the same
workstation, there was no problem. What were the workstations doing that
took so long to find the printers and why did removing a secondary address
that was used for nothing in the last two weeks cause this?
Prior to being unused, the secondary IP was the DNS server, but I moved that
service to the primary IP two weeks ago.

[Anders Gustafsson]

Jerry Gramling,

Since Queue-based does not use IP for communication between printer and server
I assume that the real problem is that you have old JetDirects that does not
understand that the Network Address property is a multi-valeud property. Hence
they ask for an address and pick the first. In which case the unit will die
horribly if the address is an IP one. Try updating the Firmware in the boxes.

- Anders Gustafsson, Engineer, CNE6, ASE
NSC Volunteer Sysop
Pedago, The Aaland Islands (N60 E20)

Novell does not monitor these forums officially.
Enhancement requests for all Novell products may be made at
http://support.novell.com/enhancement

Using VA 5.51 build 315 on Windows 2000 build 2195

[Anders Gustafsson]

Jerry Gramling,
> The issue is behind us
> now, but I was curious as to what was happening behind the scenes between
> the workstation and server.
>
Ah.. A comms issue between workstation and server then. It probably tried to
contact the server over the old address and timed out.

[Jerry Gramling]

"Anders Gustafsson" <dal...@nomail.to.me> wrote in message
news:VA.0000245...@nomail.to.me...

This would speak to why the printer wasn't seen by the network, but not to
why it wasn't initially available to a workstation, then with no
intervention on my part, became available after 5-10 minutes. Then I boot up
the workstation next to this one and the printer that is now available on
the first workstation is not available on the second workstation until 5-10
minutes later. Again, this was only on the first boot of each workstation
after I removed the secondary IP from the server. The issue is behind us

now, but I was curious as to what was happening behind the scenes between
the workstation and server.

>

[Peter Kuo]

Jerry Gramling wrote:

> What were the workstations doing that
> took so long to find the printers

I believe there's something you missed telling us about: in queue-based
printing, workstations don't talk to the printers directly--the server
does. So, I don't quite understand by "workstations not seeing the
printers". In queue based printing, workstations print to queues (which is
located on the server), and then the server "despools" the jobs to the
respective printers. No IP is involved at all.

--

Peter
eDirectory Rules!
(Site P is here!! http://www.DreamLAN.com/site_p.htm)