Print Services Migration: Migrating the Print and Document Services Role

Article
07/02/2012

Updated: March 17, 2010

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

Back up the source server

The fourth step in the migration process is to back up your source server data to a printer settings file using either the Printer Migration Wizard or the Printbrm.exe command-line tool in preparation for exporting printer queues, print drivers, and printer settings.

To back up the source server using the Printer Migration Wizard

Open the Print Management snap-in. Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Print Management.
Do one of the following:
- In the Print Management window, right-click Print Management, and then click Migrate Printers to open the Printer Migration Wizard. Make sure that Export printer queues and printer drivers to a file is selected, and then click Next. In the Select a print server window, select the print server to be migrated, and then click Next.
- In the Print Management tree, under Print Servers, right-click the print server that contains the printer queues to migrate, and then click Export printers to a file to open the Printer Migration Wizard.
Review the list of items to be exported, and then click Next.
In the Export printer data to box, enter the path to the printer settings file to use, or browse to the location where you want to store the file. Click Next to export the printer-specific information for the server to this file.
Verify that the printer settings file is stored on a resource that will be available to the destination server. Optimally, store it on a network share. Click Finish.

The backup file that you create by using either the Printer Migration Wizard or the Printbrm.exe tool inherits the permissions allowed by your user credentials. Only you can access the file if you saved the file directly to a share during the backup file creation process. You must either change the file permissions on the Security tab of the file’s Properties dialog box, or you must perform any restorations or migrations by using that file yourself. If you create the backup file on the computer from which you are running the migration and later copy the file to a share, then file access permissions are inherited from the destination folder.

To back up the source server using the Printbrm.exe command-line tool

Open a Command Prompt window. Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
Perform a remote print backup. To do this, type the following command in the %WINDIR%\System32\Spool\Tools folder at the command prompt, in which Source Computer1 is the Universal Naming Convention (UNC) name of the source computer, and Printer1 Settings is the name of the printer settings file to back up.
```
Printbrm -s \\<Source Computer1> -b -f <Printer1 Settings>.printerExport
```

Note

The Printer Migration Wizard and the Printbrm.exe command-line tool only support a printer settings file that is created by the migration tool you are using. For example, .cab file backups that were created by using the Printer Migration Wizard are not supported. To view the complete syntax for the Printbrm.exe command, type Printbrm.exe /? in a Command Prompt session.
Only TCP/IP, WSD, and LPR ports will be migrated. The Printer Migration Wizard will not migrate printers attached through USB, LPT, or other local ports. For more information about these scenarios and migrating Plug and Play printers, see Print Services Migration: Appendix B - Additional Destination Server Scenarios.

Cross-architecture migrations

For cross-architecture migrations, verify that each print queue has a driver installed on the source server that is compatible with the operating system on the destination server before creating the printer settings file on the source server. For example, if you are migrating an x86-based source print server to an x64-based destination print server, verify that each print queue has an x64-based driver installed before you create the printer settings file. Any print queue that does not have a cross-architecture driver installed will not be migrated to the destination server.

Restoration

The fifth step in the migration process is to restore the printers to the destination server, using the printer settings file you created.

Before beginning the migration process, verify that you installed the Print and Document Services role on the destination server as part of your preparation.

To restore printers to the destination server using the Printer Migration Wizard

On the source server, stop the Print Spooler service for all printers so you can preserve all print jobs prior to the migration.
1. Open Computer Management. Click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then click Computer Management.
2. In the console tree, expand Services and Applications.
3. In the console tree, under Services and Applications, click Services.
4. In the details pane, do one of the following to stop the service:
  1. Right-click Print Spooler and select Stop.
  2. Double-click Print Spooler. On the General tab, under Service Status, click Stop.
From the computer that is running the Printer Migration Wizard, on the Administrative Tools menu, click Print Management.
Do one of the following:
- Right-click Print Management, and then click Migrate Printers to open the Printer Migration Wizard. Select Import printer queues and printer drivers from a file, and then click Next.
- In the Print Management tree, under Print Servers, right-click the destination print server, and then click Import printers from a file to open the Printer Migration Wizard.
Specify the printer settings file created in the Back up the source server section, and then click Next.
Review the list of items to be imported, and then click Next.
In the Import Mode list, indicate whether you want to keep or overwrite existing printers.

If the printer settings file contains a printer already on the destination server, the printer is not restored, and the existing printer on the destination server is not changed.
In the List in the directory list, indicate which printers to list on the destination server.
Optionally, indicate whether you want to convert LPR ports to standard port monitors when you migrate.
Click Next to import the printers.
Click Finish.

Note

It is recommended that you review the Application events that have a PrintBRM source to determine whether any additional actions are needed. The restored printers are shared in the same manner in which they were shared previously.

To view details of the migration, click Open Event Viewer. For more information, see “Verify the Migration” in Print Services Migration: Verifying the Migration. If you identify Error 30 in the Event Viewer, see “Troubleshooting” and “Migrating cross-platform driver language monitors” in Print Services Migration: Post-Migration Tasks for instructions on resolving the error.

To restore printers to the destination server using the Printbrm.exe command-line tool

Open a Command Prompt window. Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
Type the following command in the %WINDIR%\System32\Spool\Tools folder at the command prompt, in which Source Computer1 is the UNC name of the source computer, and Printer1 Settings is the name of the printer settings file to restore.
```
Printbrm -s \\<Source Computer1> -r -f <Printer1 Settings>.printerExport
```

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