V-Layer
The V-Layer (Virtualization Layer) enables Driver Free Printing, even if native drivers (original drivers) are required on the client side, such as for Thin Clients or ThinPrint gateway appliances.
Central printer driver management: The V-Layer is used on a central print server. Native drivers are only required on this print server rather than on the machines on which the Windows applications run – terminal servers, virtual desktops or workstations. This allows you to centralize your printer drivers and keep your application servers free of drivers, even if there are no Windows clients at your external branches.
How it works: The Output Gateway (Driver Free) is used to print from application server or workstation to print server; on the print server the Output Gateway queue then pushes the print job into a native queue, where the print job is prepared (rendered) with the original printer driver. The native print job can then be forwarded to clients if they are not able to carry out rendering.
A software component to configure the V-Layer is provided with the ThinPrint Engine; it turns your printers into V-Layer printers at the push of a button, and automatically creates the two printer queues.
Fig.: V-Layer component in the ThinPrint Engine configuration console