12.17. Management Strategies for Large Installations

One very effective way to organize print spooling is to have a small number of print servers running a lpd daemon, and to have all the other systems send their jobs directly to them. By using the above methods of specifying the printer and server host you eliminate the need for more complex management strategies.

However, you still need to inform users of the names and existence of these printers, and how to contact them. One method is to use a common printcap file which is periodically updated and transfered to all sites. Another method is to distribute the information using the NIS or some other database. LPRng has provided a very flexible method of obtaining and distributing database information: see Using Programs To Get Printcap Information for details.