What Is Print Server (PSERVER)?

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A Print Server is a computer that helps manage printing jobs on a network of computers. A network is a group of connected computers, and a print server allows all of these computers to print to a shared printer. Without a print server, each computer would have to be connected directly to the printer, which can be difficult and time-consuming. A print server acts as a middleman between the computers and the printers. It receives print jobs from the computers on the network and sends them to the appropriate printer. It means that a user can send a print job from their computer to the print server, and the print server will ensure that it is printed on the correct printer. The user doesn't need to know anything about the printers themselves; they need to know how to send a print job to the print server. There are two main types of print servers: those attached to a printer and those that are specialized computers that manage print jobs. A print server attached to a printer is a computer physically connected to the printer. This computer then communicates with other computers on the network to manage print jobs. A specialized print server is a computer dedicated to managing print jobs and doesn't have a printer physically connected to it. This type of print server is used when there are multiple printers on the network or when many print jobs need to be managed. Print servers use different protocols to communicate with computers on the network. These protocols are like languages that computers use to talk to each other. Some of the most common print server protocols include the Microsoft Network Printing Protocol (also known as the Common Internet Printing Protocol), the Internet Printing Protocol, and the Line Printer Daemon Protocol. These protocols allow the print server to understand the print job being sent and send it to the correct printer. One of the main benefits of using a print server is that it makes printing much more efficient. Instead of physically connecting each computer to the printer, the print server is a central hub that manages all print jobs. It means that users can send print jobs from anywhere on the network, and the print server will ensure that the job is printed on the correct printer. This makes it much easier to manage printing jobs and can save a lot of time and effort.

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