Print and Document Services Overview
Applies To: Windows Server 2012
This is an overview of Print and Document Services, including Print Server, Distributed Scan Server and Fax Server in Windows Server 2012.
Note
In addition to this topic, the following Print and Document Services documentation is available. What's New in Print and Document Services in Windows Server Install Print and Document Services Install Distributed Scan Server Fax Server Step-by-Step Guide Configure Print and Document Services Branch Office Direct Printing Overview Branch Office Direct Print (BODP) Logging in Windows Server 2012 R2 Migrate Print and Document Services to Windows Server 2012 Print Server Scalability and Capacity Planning High Availability Printing Overview Client Name Instrumentation in Windows Server 2012 R2
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Role description
Print and Document Services enables you to centralize print server and network printer tasks. With this role, you can also receive scanned documents from network scanners and route the documents to a shared network resource, Windows SharePoint Services site, or email addresses.
Fax Server sends and receives faxes and allows you to manage fax resources such as jobs, settings, reports, and fax devices on your fax server.
Practical applications
Print Server helps you monitor print queues and receive notifications when print queues stop processing print jobs. It also enables you to migrate print servers and deploy printer connections using Group Policy.
Distributed Scan Server provides the service which receives scanned documents from network scanners and routes them to the correct destinations. It also includes the Scan Management snap-in, which you can use to manage network scanners and configure scan processes.
The Fax Server server role can save the fax administrator a significant amount of time. Instead of installing fax machines on client computers and managing and monitoring fax machines, you can complete those tasks in 2 or 3 steps on multiple computers simultaneously and remotely.
By using Fax Service Manager, you can automatically make fax connections available to users and computers in your organization.
New and changed functionality
The following are new or changed features in Windows Server 2012 Print and Document Services.
Feature/functionality |
Windows Server 2008 R2 |
Windows Server 2012 |
|---|---|---|
Type 4 drivers |
X |
|
Branch Office Direct Printing |
X |
|
Print Management Windows PowerShell module |
X |
|
WSD Secure printing |
X |
|
High Availability Printing |
X |
X |
OpenXPS format support |
X |
Server Manager information
The following role services can be installed with this role.
Role service |
Description |
|---|---|
Print Server |
Includes the Print Management snap-in, which is used for managing multiple printers or print servers and migrating printers to and from other Windows print servers. |
Distributed Scan Server |
Provides the service which receives scanned documents from network scanners and routes them to the correct destinations. It also includes the Scan Management snap-in, which you can use to manage network scanners and configure scan processes. |
Internet Printing |
Creates a Web site where users can manage print jobs on the server. It also enables users who have Internet Printing Client installed to use a Web browser to connect and print to shared printers on the server by using the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP). |
LPD Service |
Line Printer Daemon (LPD) Service enables UNIX-based computers or other computers using the Line Printer Remote (LPR) service to print to shared printers on this server. |
Important
The LPD and LPR Services are deprecated starting with Windows Server 2012. Eventually, they will be completely removed from the product, but they are still available in this release. You should begin planning now to employ alternate methods for any applications, code, or usage that depend on these features. For more information about features or functionalities that have either been removed from the product in the current release or are planned for potential removal in subsequent releases, see Features Removed or Deprecated in Windows Server 2012.
See also
Refer to the following content for more information about Print and Document Services in Windows Server 2012.
Content type |
References |
|---|---|
Deployment |
Install Print and Document Services | Configure Print and Document Services | High Availability Printing Overview | Install Distributed Scan Server | Fax Server Step-by-Step Guide |
Architecture |
|
Migration |
|
Troubleshooting |
|
Test labs |
Test Lab Guide: Demonstrate Windows Server 2012 Printing | Test Lab Guide: Demonstrate Windows Server 2012 High Availability Printing |
Related technologies |
Branch Office Direct Printing Overview | Changing the Default Format for Microsoft XPS Document Writer |
Tools and Settings |