How to configure printing to use a DNS alias?

I.T. Services is in process of converting all workstations using networked printers on campus to use DNS aliases instead of canonical names or IP addresses. This conversion is necessary to facilitate the migration to the new improved campus network which uses a different IP addressing scheme.

If an alias has already been generated for a specific networked printer, follow these steps to update workstations configured to print to that printer:

Windows 7:

Creating a new port with DNS alias

1. Click on Start menu and select Devices and Printers
2. Right click on the printer that you want to update, and select Printer Properties from the pop-up menu
3. Select Ports tab.  (If buttons are inactive, go back to General tab and click Change Properties button)
4. Click Add Port button
5. Select Standard TCP/IP Port and click New Port... button
6. Use the Wizard to enter the following information:
   • Full DNS alias in the Printer Name or IP Address field (example: prnt0904.print.uwindsor.ca)
   • Hostname part of the alias in the Port Name field (example: prnt0904)
7. In the printer properties dialog, select the newly added port and click Apply button to associate the new port with the printer
8. Test printing
9. If testing is successful, delete the port that was previously associated with the printer

Mac OS:

Reconfiguring printer connection to use DNS alias

1. Enable CUPS daemon configuration web interface by executing the following command in Terminal:
   sudo cupsctl WebInterface=yes
2. Use web browser to access https://localhost:631/printers
3. You will be asked to provide administrative credentials for the machine, you may also see a message about security certificate, dismiss it
4. Perform the following steps for each printer in the list that is to be converted to print using DNS alias connection:
   1. Click on the queue name hyperlink to bring up the details page
   2. If the connection property contains a network address that's not a DNS alias but is a hard coded IP address or a CNAME, then proceed with the rest of the steps
   3. Select Modify Printer from the second pull-down menu (where it says Administration)
   4. Examine Current Connection property and select the same type of connection from the options listed under Other Network Printers
   5. Edit the Connection text field by replacing the only the IP address or canonical name substring with the DNS alias, click Continue
   6. Optionally edit the Description and Location properties, click Continue
   7. Leave the Current Driver option selected as Model, click Modify Printer
   8. You should see a confirmation message
5. Disable CUPS daemon configuration web interface by executing the following command in Terminal:
   sudo cupsctl WebInterface=no

Note about nomenclature with respect to DNS records

CNAME records and associated terminology can lead to confusion.  The following is a brief clarification.

DNS can contain several record types, but we're concerned with A (address) records and CNAME (canonical name) records here.  DNS records are named with the target of the lookup in mind, that is a CNAME record is used to resolve the given string (alias) to a canonical name (CNAME).  An A record is used to resolve the given string (canonical name) to an IP address.  There can be multiple CNAME records that point to the same single canonical name.  This is explained in more detail in RFC 2181, section 10.1.1.