Unix Vendor Support

• BSD (lpr) and SystemV (lp) from UNIX vendors have differences
•         Even slight differences with same print model!
• lpd is much more commonly support protocal (ex: NT)
• No easy way to scale as shipped
•         Our Site: 1,000+ printers, ~100 print servers, 1,200+ UNIX boxes, ?!? NT
• Limited support for plotters (we ARE Rocket Scientists! ;-)
• Requires lpd process on each clients
•         lpd blows up with lots of printers, printtool dies, etc.
•         lpd dies from time to time
•         requires spool directory on each client
•         printcap files are very difficult to share
• Weak diagnostic messages confuses users and Sysadmins
• Weak remote queue management leads to confusion
• Can take a few HOURS to update a large number of hosts!
• Supported by vendors ... or is it?
•         When is the last time you got M$ to fix something?!?