Windows 2008 R2 Print Server Slow

[cbdudek]

We have about 5-6 Windows 2008 R2 servers running in our VM Environment. All these servers are very low usage servers, and they all work very well. We have a couple domain controllers, a SQL box, and a couple web application boxes running IIS. One of these domain controllers is a print server. The print server works well, but it is very slow. If you right click on any printer that is added on any of the clients and go to properties, where the server is the print management server, the client has to wait 30 seconds or so for the dialog box to come up with the properties. You can click between the tabs, but the tabs are also slow to respond.

This means if you have to make changes to the print job or margins for instance, it can take a full minute to wait between the screens.

Now, we had a physical Windows 2000 print server that worked fine before we got the VM Environment, so I know the problem lies in one of a few different areas.

1. It could be the VM Environment.

2. It could be Windows 2008 R2 server config or the server software itself.

3. Could be x64 bit causing an issue with 32 bit clients using the box.

I ruled out #3 by loading a 32 bit 2008 server on the VM environment, loading print management, and then loading a single printer and sharing it. The problem is still around on this current server. My next step is to try Windows 2003 server in the VM Environment but before I do, I wanted to throw this very curious issue to the VMWare community. Anything I should do before I go to more drastic steps? There has got to be something I can do to fix the issue.

[dfollis]

Is that a potential issue?  I've been confused which one to use.  I tend to use the Intel1000 emulation.  Is that not a good idea?

[AlbertWT]

For the performance best practice I’ve seen people using Enhanced VMXNet3 with the Vmware tools installed.

[bartverhelst2]

We have also this problem on our environment. Here's the setup:

VMWare 5.0 host (HP Proliant DL380 G7)

virtual machine printserver Windows 2008 R2 X64 datacenter edition
clients: x86 -> win7 and win xp

The whole environment is patched to the latest service packs and updates.

We use for the HP printers , Universal Print Driver version: 5.3.1.10527 (PCL 6 and PS)

When we open office apps or other apps also on the clients and we click on printer properties or preferences after selecting a printer we have a delay of +- 30 seconds to 1 minute.

It is only the first time when the computer boots, when you click on printer properties a second time it is fast (+- 5 seconds)

When you click printer properties after a long while (in my test 1 hour) the problem returns.

It is driving me nuts, please help and share your solution.

[VMJake]

This definitely sounds like a Windows 2008 R2 networking issue and probably does not have much to do with Vmware.  I have run into these "slowness" issues before myself and here are a couple of fixes that have worked for me in the past:

1.  On your virtual network adapter, disable "Large Send Offload (IPv4)"  (if this is on, it can also cause lags to WIndows 7 clients) (WARNING: This will cause the server to drop off the network for about 3-5 seconds but it will come back online)

2.  Are these printers connected via TCP/IP ports?  If so, try unchecking "SNMP Enabled" under the port configuration.  (test this on 1 printer first)

Usually the first solution fixes slow,laggy network performance on Server 2008 and Windows 7 platforms.

Just my thoughts, let me know if you have an success!

[bartverhelst2]

Dear Jake,

Thanks a lot for your answer, i have tested the both options you just writed down but this gives no solution.

By the way: if i install a non universal driver like the HP Laserjet 4014 PCL6 driver then on the client side the properties screen opens very fast

(normal) so it must have something to do with the Universal Print Driver of HP , we use version: 5.3.1

[Lowflyer]

I have seen some of the mentioned for users.

What we have done,

For Lexmark printers we distributed the different files in Documents and setting\all Users\ *.gdl descrebing the actual Lexmark printers used

in the driver setting we removed the mark  Update Configuration from Printer in the Configuration tab, as this only makes the driver ask the printer each time used, How are you configured?  Unless your printers are changed, this status is prettey static.

This made the hell of a difference to the time users experienced before the change was made.

[Green72]

According to Derek_A  from Spiceworks:

     First, in each printer on the 2008 server open the properties.

     Under the SHARING tab, uncheck Render Print Jobs on Client Computers.

     Next under the ADVANCED tab, uncheck the Enable Advanced printing Features.

     Once I did this to each printer everyone noticed a dramatic improvement, although it is still not quite as fast as it was when it ran on 2003 server, but it      is usable.

Link:  http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/115448-2008-print-server-performance-slow