What is cupsd doing at this stages?

[Michael Sweet]

angelb at bugarin.us wrote:
>>Anonymous wrote:
>>
>>>...
>>>Is there a future plan of implementing a database to be used with CUPS?
>>
>>For what?  Configuration data?  Log files?  ???
>>
> 
> 
> I'm sure this has already been considered early on and perhaps you've
> probably heard it too many hundreth times...my apologies for the
> repetition... :)
> 
> Our Basis administration folks manages the 2k+ printers and growing to
> nearly 3k now. Everyday, they receive 3-5 request of printer changes -
> mostly IP, descriptions, locations, owners, etc. Not only they have to
> manage the changes, they do a lot of troubleshooting as well; i.e, a user calls to ask did my job printed? Where did it go?...and so on.
> 
> They had hoped that CUPS would simplify their work by having to make
> changes only to one server. Running multiple servers would mean that
> they have to update each one individualy and check every CUPS servers
> as to where and when a printjob was printed or not, among other things.
> 
> On the otherhand, if a database is used, I could imagine how simple
> printer administration would be even if I have 2 or even 100s CUPS
> server. I could simply go to anyone server and make the changes
> there;i.e, I created a new printer que on Server 1. On Server 5, I can
> change the description there. Anyone of the servers can see the new
> printer instantly. And the clients, they simply get updates from the
> DB server and their primary communication to the CUPS server is when
> requesting for print service only. Troubleshooting? Simply login to any
> one CUPS server and check the log history, printer status, etc.
> 
> I see two-tiered CUPS infrastructure: dedicated print servers(CUPS)
> servicing clients print job requests and updates the database and a
> database server(updates received from CUPS servers and relays changes
> to clients).
> 
> I apologize if I made this sound too simple. I know it takes a lot more
> than just coding in a simple function here and there. It's more like a
> complete redesign.

OK, I have heard people asking for this before, and it *is* something
we have been thinking about.

Short answer: not in 1.2.

Long answer: we are looking at supporting multiple, "virtual"
storage solutions for configuration, status, and log information.
The idea is that you could (for example) use an LDAP server for
your configuration information and a MySQL database for your logs,
if desired.  This will also support things like using CVS, RCS,
Subversion, or whatever for versioning your configuration files,
which would also allow you to make changes on one system and have
them mirrored to the others.

Anyways, this isn't coming in 1.2, but we hope to include it in
1.3 or later...

-- 
______________________________________________________________________
Michael Sweet, Easy Software Products           mike at easysw dot com
Internet Printing and Document Software          http://www.easysw.com