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I have group policies that map printers to users using a \printserver\printername alias. Just the printserver name is aliased. Not the printer name itself. This works great.
I am retiring the current host of the PRINTSERVER alias and have built a new server along with all the new (same named) printers.
My hope was that when I was ready to go live I would simply update the DNS CNAME of the PRINTSERVER record pointing it to the new printserver host.
This did not work.
User printers now show "Printer not found on server, unable to connect"
Old print server is 2K12 R2. New print server is 2016.
What am I missing here?
I needed to restart the workstation after the DNS updated. My guess is a restart of the workstation Print Spooler service would have done the trick.
All is good now..
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Hi Joshhua，
Thanks for the update and details to be shared.
Because after you accepted your personal response as Answer, it will be much easier for users with similar issues to find the reference.
Best regards,
jenny
Hi,
To use CNAME records to consolidate printers, you must create DNS alias records for the print servers that you remove during the consolidation.
When you create the alias records, you must specify as the target host the print server that you want to consolidate the print queues to.
Please also check other requirements for such settings:
Consolidate print servers by using DNS alias (CNAME) records
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/printing/consolidate-print-servers-with-cname-records
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Hope this helps and please help to accept as Answer if the response is useful.
Thanks,
Jenny
We have a single Printserver that users connect to using a CNAME (instead of the actual host name). Works great.
I have built a new printserver along with all the printers on this new server. I thought I could just update the DNS CNAME record of my PrintServer pointing it to the new printserver but the printers no longer function. Performing print test page from the new servers works just fine for the printers, so I know the printers on the new server are just fine.
Is there something specific about mapping printers via group policy and Printservers that use CNAMEs that would require something different than just updating the CNAME record?
Old print server name: SERVER1 (it will be retired and shutdown)
New print server name: SERVER2
Alias: PRINTSERVER
I currently have a cname of PRINTSERVER pointing at SERVER2.
Can you explain your statement below. I am not sure what that means.
"you must create DNS alias records for the print servers that you remove during the consolidation"