The Ten Rules for Printing in Citrix

DPrinting has always been an issue with Citrix or Remote Desktop Services (RDS), and it still is today. That’s why I’ve created ten rules for printing with Citrix XenApp, XenDesktop, and Microsoft RDS. These settings apply to Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop, as well as Windows Server 2008 R2. However, some settings also apply to earlier versions.

This is a revised and expanded version, a 2017 Edition, if you like. 

NOTE: These are the original 10 Citrix printing rules that I published in 2011. You may also find these rules on other websites, where the author has simply copied my content, unable to contribute anything of their own. Please do not support these sites or authors.

Printing Basics

To better understand this, you should first familiarize yourself with the basics of printing. When I first published the rules, I received a lot of questions because people often didn’t know or fully understand the basics. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the basics.

Client printers and print paths

There are two types of client printers: a) locally connected and b) network printers connected locally. In both cases, the printers are treated as client printers, but during the connection process, the VDA recognizes that the second client printer (b) is a network printer. If the VDA can then reach the print server itself and has permissions for the print object, the printer is assigned as the default according to the Citrix policy. DIRECT connected. That is, the VDA server is connected directly to the print server.

Take a look at the interactive chart below.

{loadmodule mod_jaimagehotspot,printing scheme}

Direct printing uses Microsoft „Print and Print“ (P2P), and the main function of P2P is to automatic (including non-administrators) and silent installation the required printer driver from the print server. The third-party printer driver (HP, Lexmark, etc.) is then used to send the print data to the print server. These third-party printer drivers, including universal drivers, can cause various problems and, in some cases, server crashes or blue screens (BSOD).

The default Citrix policy for DIRECT printing can be configured on INDIRECTLY must be set for network printers, which prevents the print server from installing third-party printer drivers. The print data is then sent through the HDX connection using the Citrix Universal Printer Driver (which must be enabled).

Placement of print server and network printer for Direct printing

It is important to understand which protocols are used with the Microsoft print server and in different locations. The Microsoft RPC protocol is used between the client and the print server and is not suitable for WAN connections. The RAW protocol is used between the print server and the network printer and is better suited for WAN connections, but it is not the best option.

{loadmodule mod_jaimagehotspot,print placement}

1. VDA server, print server, and network printers on the LAN
   Minutes: RPC and RAW on the LAN
2. VDA server, print server on the LAN, and network printer via WAN
   Minutes: RPC over LAN works fine | RAW over WAN works reasonably well.
3. VDA server on the LAN, print server over the WAN, network printer on the local LAN
   Minutes: RPC over WAN is not working | RAW works fine on the LAN
4. VDA server on the LAN, print server + UPS over the WAN, network printer on the local LAN
   Minutes: HTTP over WAN and optimized: BEST option for the setup | RAW on the local LAN is working fine

In third place is printing very slowly and applications can be quite Settings in the print dialogs act. This should be avoided, and one solution would be the INDIRECT PRINTING Optimized for HDX and WAN using the Citrix Universal Printer Driver or, alternatively, the Citrix Universal Print Server.

Please note that the placement does not account for indirect printing. You must plan the printing process; otherwise, the print data may cross the WAN link three times before reaching the network printer. For this reason, I always recommend first Printing Concept to set up, and only then integrate printers into the environment.

Rules 1 through 6 apply to Citrix client printer connections using the Citrix Universal Printer Driver and are the preferred and recommended option from Citrix. Rules 7 through 10 apply to the use of network printers with Microsoft Print Server and/or the Citrix Universal Print Server component. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that printing isn’t worth your time (I haven’t seen a paperless office yet!). Printing is still at the top of the list of issues reported to Citrix technical support!

Questions & Answers

If third-party printer drivers are used, what could happen?
If you're unlucky, you might experience a printer service crash, a slow login, a frozen login, or even a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) – a server crash.

Why use only the Citrix EMF Universal Printer Driver?
With Windows clients, EMF actually uses the local client printer driver with all its features and also optimizes the print data stream.

What about non-Windows clients (Mac, Linux, etc.)? 
Non-Windows clients cannot use EMF and will automatically fall back to the Universal Printer Driver (UPD) based on a color laser printer; however, this does not provide all the features of the local client printer driver. The print data is not optimized.

Why not use the universal HP printer driver?
The HP UPD should primarily be used for network printers connected to VDA servers. The HP UPD should be running at least version 5.x and configured with printer isolation, as there have been issues with the HP UPD in the past.

• HP Printers Supported in XenApp Environments
  http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX110571
  

What is printer insulation used for?
As the name suggests, it isolates the printer driver, thereby protecting the printer service from crashing. So if a printer driver malfunctions, it only affects the isolation and not the printer service.

Why disable Print-on-Demand (P2P)?
P2P automatically installs printer drivers without you really noticing. This can be very dangerous, as a „bad“ driver can quickly end up on all the servers in the farm.

Why should a print server be located "close" to the VDA server rather than at a branch office connected via WAN?
Especially with Microsoft Office, printers are detected „in real time,“ and this can take a long time over WAN connections. The reason for this is that the VDA server has to send an „RPC call“ over the WAN connection, and RPC isn't really designed for WAN use.

Why should you avoid PCL6 printer drivers?
Technically, there is no reason not to use PCL6 drivers, but practical experience has shown that PCL6 drivers have often been the cause of various printer problems.

What is the Citrix Universal Print Server (UPS)?
It is a Citrix component that must be installed separately. Its capabilities are limited, so it is not a solution for every Citrix customer. Before deploying the UPS, it should be thoroughly tested to determine whether it meets all requirements.