How to link a print queue to a Queue Deployment

A print queue that is linked to a Queue Deployment is managed centrally. When you change the deployment, for example by giving it a new driver or new default printing preferences, every linked queue is updated to match. You no longer have to change each PC by hand.

How a queue becomes linked

An installed print queue is linked to a Queue Deployment in any of these ways:

• The deployment installed it, either automatically (Auto deploy) or because a user installed it from the Install print queue option in the PDAgent Client (Self install).
• A new deployment was created from it. When you right-click a queue under Installed Queues and choose Copy and link to new Deployment, the queue you copied is linked to the new deployment. See How to copy an existing Windows print queue to a new Queue Deployment.
• It already has the same name. When a deployment reaches a PC that already has a queue with the same name (the deployment’s Installed queue name) and the same share name, Print Director does not install a second queue. Instead, as long as the existing queue is not already linked to another deployment:
  • for a deployment that uses Standard TCP/IP ports (Manual configuration), the existing queue is linked and then updated to match the deployment;
  • for a deployment that sends jobs over IPP, the deployment takes over the existing queue and sets it up as its own.

What linking does

• Updates: if Auto update queues is ticked on the deployment, linked queues are updated whenever the deployment changes: driver, printing preferences, ports, and Windows queue settings such as share name, location and comment.
• Removal: if Auto remove queues if not in zones or the Deployment is deleted is ticked, queues the deployment installed automatically are removed when the PC no longer matches the deployment, or when the deployment is deleted. Queues users installed themselves, and queues that were linked because they were copied or had the same name, are left in place.

See which deployment a queue is linked to

1. Open Resource Manager.
2. In the tree on the left, expand Print Management > Print Queue Management and click Installed Queues.
3. Double-click the queue and open the Deployment tab. It shows:
   • Deployment linking: whether the queue may be linked (see below).
   • Linked deployment: the deployment the queue is linked to. Click Linked deployment to open the deployment. If the deployment has been deleted, its name is followed by [deleted], with no link to open and no Update deployment button. The Installed Queues list shows [deleted] in the same way.
   • Last update: when the deployment last updated the queue.
   • Deployed by: how the queue was installed, for example auto installed.

Stop a queue from linking or updating

Sometimes one PC needs a queue that differs from the deployment, for example a different tray setting. To keep that queue out of central management:

1. Under Installed Queues, double-click the queue and open the Deployment tab.
2. Set Deployment linking to Do not link to deployment.
3. Click OK.

The deployment then leaves that queue alone: it is not updated, and a queue with the same name is not linked. To bring it back under central management, set Deployment linking to Allow linking to deployment.

You can change several queues at once: select them in Installed Queues, right-click and choose Edit, then tick Deployment linking and choose the setting.

Update the deployment from a linked queue

The link also works the other way. If you have set up one linked queue exactly as you want it, click Update deployment on its Deployment tab to copy its driver settings, printer properties and printing preferences into the deployment. You can also choose to copy its ports, comment, location and share name. With Auto update queues ticked, every other linked queue then picks up the change. See Update a Queue Deployment from an existing queue.

Related articles

• How to copy an existing Windows print queue to a new Queue Deployment
• How to manually create a Queue Deployment
• Update a Queue Deployment from an existing queue
• For every setting on the Queue deployment window, see Queue Deployment Configuration.

How to link a print queue to a Queue Deployment