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Microsoft Knowledge Base article Q318749 contains:
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SUMMARY
This step-by-step article describes how to create a printing pool on a Windows 2000-based print server.
You can create a printing pool in Windows 2000 in which two or more of the same printers are connected to one print server
and behave as a single printer. Note that the physical device that performs the actual printing is referred to as a printer;
a logical printer is the physical printer's software interface on the print server.
By connecting one logical printer to multiple printers through multiple ports on the print server, the printing pool appears to
users as a single printer. When a user prints a document to the printing pool,
the document is printed on the first available printer in the pool. Users are not required to know which printer is available.
The logical printer checks for an available port and then sends documents to ports in the order in which they were added.
This configuration is useful in high-volume environments because it maximizes printer use and minimizes the time that
users may have to wait for their print jobs to be printed. Additionally, it is easier to administer
printers because you can manage multiple printers from the same logical printer on the server.
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Before You Set Up a Printing Pool
Before you set up a printing pool, consider the following items:
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How to Create a Printing Pool
NOTE
: This procedure assumes that the printers that you want to pool are installed on the print server and are listed
in the Printers folder. To add a new printer, click
Add Printer
in the Printers folder.
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REFERENCES
For additional information about how to configure a Windows 2000-based server as a print server, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q300392 HOW TO: Install and Configure a File and Print Server in Windows 2000For additional information about how to set up a print queue in Windows 2000, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q300610 HOW TO: Set Up a Print Queue in Windows 2000back to the top