Selecting Logical Configuration Models

The Desktop Configuration Model

A desktop configuration model has a one-to-one relationship between logical printers and physical printers. This model represents the way you typically manage and use a workstation printer. The types of jobs that your users can print with this configuration model are directly controlled by the capabilities of the physical printer.

Figure 3-1 Desktop Configuration Model

The advantages and disadvantages of the desktop configuration model are:

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

The desktop configuration model is easy to understand because of the one-to-one relationship between a logical and physical printer. However, if workload balancing and ease of management are important considerations within a larger print environment, you might want to implement one of the other configuration models.

The Printer Pool Configuration Model

A printer pool configuration model has a one-to-many relationship between a logical printer and its associated physical printers. The primary consideration for a printer pool configuration is whether you have printer devices that make sense to group together. For example, the printer pool configuration is appropriate for printer devices that are located near one another, such as in a print room. Printing occurs at the same location, providing a central point where users pick up their jobs or from where you can distribute jobs. You can also group printer devices together based on other considerations:

Figure 3-2 Printer Pool Configuration Model

The advantages and disadvantages of the printer pool configuration model are:

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

The greatest benefit of the printer pool configuration model is in balancing your printing workload. The greatest drawback is that your users do not know which of the printers in the pool will print their job. You can solve this problem by only pooling printers with locations in common, by telling users how to request a specific physical printer, or by using a common job delivery method. For example, you can have printer operators deliver jobs to a central location.

The Funnel Configuration Model

A funnel configuration model has a many-to-one relationship between logical printers and a physical printer. This is a flexible configuration model that provides you with the ability to more closely control types of jobs and access to logical printers. Also, the funnel configuration solves the problem of users not knowing where their jobs will print.

Figure 3-3 Funnel Configuration Model

The advantages and disadvantages of the funnel configuration model are:

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

The funnel configuration model shares with the desktop model the advantage of letting your users know exactly where their jobs will print. The added advantage is the flexibility of multiple logical printers with different sets of default values for jobs. For example, one logical printer might default attributes for double-sided printing jobs and another logical printer might default attributes for single-sided jobs.

The Hourglass Configuration Model

The hourglass configuration model has a many-to-many relationship between logical printers and physical printers. This model combines the printer workload balancing benefits of the printer pool model with the flexible job and document defaulting benefits provided by the funnel model. Figure 3-4 “Hourglass Configuration Model ” shows the hourglass configuration model.

Figure 3-4 Hourglass Configuration Model

The advantages and disadvantages of the hourglass configuration model are:

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

The hourglass configuration model is the most flexible HPDPS configuration. The control you have of the print environment balances the complexity of the configuration.

Once you understand the four configuration models, you can use them as building blocks to plan your logical configuration. A complex configuration is unlikely to be exactly like one of the configurations above. Rather, it will most likely combine some or all of these building blocks to meet your varied print environment needs.