HP Jetdirect 200m HP Jetdirect 200m Print Server (English) User Guide - Page 34

NETWORK PRINTING Client/server topology The second standard layout for network printing is the client/server topology. In this topology, a computer sends its print jobs to a network server, and the server sends the print jobs to the printer. In client/server printing, the network server manages the print jobs from several computers (the clients). As soon as a client computer has sent a print job to the server, it is finished with that print job. The server keeps track of all print jobs from there on -figuring out the print order for the various jobs that have been submitted to it, checking the printer's availability, and sending the next job to the printer when it is free. Client/server printing works well on networks with heavy printing traffic. It is typically used in large offices that have extensive networking facilities. Choosing a topology -- If you don't know whether to use a peerto-peer or a client/server topology, you may want to start with peer-to-peer printing. It generally takes a substantial amount of printing traffic, or large print jobs, to slow down printing significantly. If your print jobs start to take noticeably longer to complete, you may want to try using multiple printers, dividing your network into subnetworks, or switching your office to client/server printing (in that order).