Q266058: How to Migrate a Printer Server to a Server Cluster
Article: Q266058
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 4.0
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): kbenv kbprint
Last Modified: 13-AUG-2002
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition version 4.0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY
=======
When you plan the installation of Windows Clustering you want to replace
existing servers with a limited impact to the end users. This article discusses
using two resource kit utilities to help you automate the migration of file and
printer shares. For additional information about manually creating a Printer
Spooler as a clustered resource, click the article number below to view the
article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q197046 How to Set up a Print Spooler on Microsoft Cluster Server
MORE INFORMATION
================
The Print Migrator tool is available to help in migrating printers. The initial
versions of this tool in the Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit, Supplement
Four, are not cluster-aware. With the release of the Print Migrator 3.0 tool,
cluster support has been integrated into the tool. For more information about
Print Migrator 3.0, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/technologies/fileandprint/print/download.asp
NOTE: The following steps were tested with version 2.x of the Print Migrator
tool. Use the documentation that is included with version 3.0 if you use that
version.
To help automate the migration of file and printer shares, follow these steps:
1. Configure each node for network printing by installing Microsoft TCP/IP
Printing as a network service. Other port monitors and managers are not
supported for clustered printing.
For additional information about installing TCP/IP printing service, click the
article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q195643 How to Configure Windows NT for LPR Printing
NOTE: You must ensure that after you install any service from the original
Windows NT media, and before restart any such service, you reapply the latest
service pack.
2. Create a backup of the source print server using the Printmig.exe program.
The program can be run remotely or on one of the nodes. The program supports
Windows NT 4.0 to Windows NT 4.0 migrations, and you must have administrator
access to the target server.
For additional information about using the Printmig.exe utility, click the
article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q214795 How to Back Up and Restore a Print Server Configuration
a. Start the PrintMig.exe program.
b. On the Actions menu, click Backup.
c. In the target server field, type the server name:
\\<Servername>
d. Point the Cab storage directory to a location available to both nodes.
e. Click OK to complete.
A final status message that says "Backup Complete" is displayed.
3. Restore the backup to each node.
NOTE: You may need to reapply the current service pack and any hot fixes if
the source server is a different version.
a. Start the PrintMig.exe program.
b. On the Actions menu, click Restore.
c. In the target server field type the server name of one node, for example:
\\NodeA
NOTE: You must have administrator access to the target server.
d. Specify the location of the backup saved in the earlier steps.
e. If you did not double-click the Cab storage directory earlier, click Open.
A final status message is displayed: "Restore complete, Registry restored,
Starting Spooler... , Spooler Running."
f. Repeat this process for each node.
4. Remove shared printers on each node.
Each node has the migrated printers shared out. These printers must be deleted
so they can be added as cluster resources. If not, the ClusTool utility fails
with the error message "Cannot create resource!" in the Migrate.log file.
This happens when you attempt to create a duplicate printer share.
a. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.
b. Delete the printers that were created as a result of the Print Migrator.
As part of a cluster, individual nodes rarely have any printers shared.
5. Make the migrated printers available by means of the cluster.
The ClusTool.exe program works with a Windows 2000 or Windows 4.0 cluster, and
is installed from the Windows 2000 Resource Kit compact disc in the
Apps\ClusTool directory.
If you install the utility on a Windows NT 4.0 computer you may receive the
following error message:
Warning File(s) failed to self-register: %Systemroot%\Msclus.dll
If you run the Regsvr32 Msclus.dll file from the %Systemroot% directory it can
complete the installation process. If this file is not registered, the
ClusTool utility is unable to connect to a Windows NT 4.0 target cluster and
your attempts to browse for a cluster fail.
NOTE: The ClusTool.exe program expects the cluster to have a group with the
Print Spooler resource and associated resources, or at least to contain the
following resources: network name, Internet Protocol (IP) address and
physical disk. Additional information is available from the utility's Help
file.
a. Run ClusTool from its program group, typically Administrator Tools.
b. Click Next.
c. Select "Migrate resources from a stand-alone server to a Cluster" and
click Next.
d. Specify the source server. This is the original server that Print Migrator
backed up (for example, \\Prtserver). Click Next.
e. Specify the target cluster. This is the cluster name displayed in Cluster
Administrator. Click Next.
f. You are given the choice to prefix resource names with the source server
name. Your choice does not impact a successful printer migration. Click
Next.
g. Confirm the resources to migrate, and then click Next.
The Graphical User Interface (GUI) provides the option to clear (that is,
not select) resources from migration and has a drop-down list of groups
that have appropriate resources for the migrated item(s). If the group you
want is not on the list, you must ensure it has the appropriate resources
installed by referencing the ClusTool Help file.
h. On the "Finished gathering information" screen, click Next.
i. On the "Ready to Migrate!" screen, click Next.
j. The screen displays the message "Cluster Tool is performing the following
steps." When the operation is complete, click Next. The message "Migration
Complete" displays on the screen.
k. The View Log option provides a list of actions and their status. Use the
results displayed here if you need to troubleshoot. A common failure
occurs when the resource or share already exists. If you select "prefix
resource names with source server name" as mentioned earlier, you may
resolve the issue of duplicate file shares without impacting the
printers.
If problems occur that need to be backed out, click Undo.
If there are no problems, click Finish to complete the migration process.
Additional query words: mscs
======================================================================
Keywords : kbenv kbprint
Technology : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTSEntSearch kbWinNTSEnt400 kbWinNTS400search
Version : :4.0
Issue type : kbhowto
=============================================================================
THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.
Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1986-2002.