Track network printer usage
Windows NT Server lets you perform many administrative tasks, but tracking printer usage is not one of them. To handle this task, Software Metrics provides Printer Accounting Server (PAS) 1.1. PAS is a network printer usage tracking system for NT that lets you access reports on user or group usage and control printing on a per-user cost basis.
PAS supports both direct-connect parallel port printers and a variety of network-based printers. Each printer must have a custom Software Metrics-provided NT print monitor, which limits printer support. Luckily, Software Metrics has print monitors for most popular network printers and any printer you can connect to the NT parallel port.
PAS works with NT Server or NT Workstation. You can use the dedicated print server as a management workstation and as a remote NT or Windows 95 workstation. Client workstations can access PAS services to query and adjust printer accounting information.
Because not all networks are the same, Software Metrics designed the Single Server Edition for small to midsized workgroups and the Enterprise Edition for larger network configurations. Installation and operation of both PAS editions is the same with the exception of remote printer management installations for the Enterprise Edition.
The Single Server Edition supports as many as five locally managed printers. PAS does not require that you connect the printers directly to the server, but the server must manage the printers. You must install network print monitors on the PAS server. For this configuration, you can use an NT workstation, which is a lower-cost solution than an NT server.
The Enterprise Edition supports an unlimited number of printers. The printer management tools can reside on servers other than the one on which you installed PAS, to provide a fully distributed environment that supports centralized management and reporting.
The software consists of three components: network server support; the management application, which you can install on the server or a workstation; and the client application, which lets users access and change billing information (this last component is not required for proper operation). Users can also access client application information if they have a Web browser and you enable the Web server support on the PAS server.
To set up PAS, I installed the network server support component and the management application on the same NT server. I contacted Software Metrics' Registration Desk to get a registration number that the company determines according to the software serial number and NT server name.
Next, I installed NT printer drivers with associated print monitors to provide additional network management features, such as configuring paper drawer usage. Under NT, each printer has an associated print monitor. The PAS print monitors are similar to the monitors that come with NT (printer manufacturers can also supply print monitors). You can use the vendor print monitors for network-based printers that you have connected to the server over the network.
The PAS print monitor does not include printer driver support. Printer drivers are separate programs you load on the clients that perform the printing. The drivers link to the printer through the server, which lets the print monitor track the number of pages being printed. You need to change the print monitor on existing networked printers if you want to use them with PAS. This process is as simple as changing a video driver. Under Settings, Printers, Properties, select the Ports tab to see which print monitor is in use. Click the Change button, change the print monitor, and click Have Disk to access the print monitors on the PAS CD-ROM.
You can add new printers using NT's Add Printer wizard, which steps you through the print monitor selection. Next, you can set PAS printer port options from the Configure Port dialog box, as Screen 1, page 112, shows.
Print monitor selection is only the first step to include a printer under PAS. You must also configure the printer and add printer users.
Previous
Register
