Collecting Data on Print Servers - Server Side Monitoring
If it does not make sense to install agents on client computers or it is impossible for some reason, you can install the agent on the print server and activate the Server Side Monitoring mode. This mode has been designed for those cases when the program is installed on print servers where shared printers used by all network users are installed, but from which no printing is done. That is, the user neither sits at this computer nor generates print jobs from it.
Unfortunately, it is not enough just to activate this mode. The agent does not monitor any printers installed on the print server. It monitors only virtual printers created by it.
A virtual printer is a regular Windows printer whose main purpose is to intercept a print job sent by the user and redirect this job to the physical printer. This printer differs from a regular one in no other way. You can use it for printing, you can share it on the network, you can publish it in the Active Directory, you can assign access rights to it and so on.
Thus, to be able to control a printer installed on the server, you have to create a virtual duplicate printer for it and make users use it for printing instead of the original physical printer. After receiving a print job, the virtual printer automatically generates a job and directs it to the physical printer. Of course, it saves the image of the document and all job properties before that.
You should follow these rules while creating virtual printers:
- create a virtual printer from the management console using a special wizard
- edit the parameters of virtual printers and delete them also using this wizard
- before you remove an agent from the print server, delete all virtual printers created with it and restore the status of physical printers. You should use the same virtual printer wizard for that
- one virtual printer can direct print jobs to one printer only
- several virtual printers can direct jobs to one and the same printer
- a virtual printer can direct jobs to another virtual printer created earlier
- a virtual printer completely copies the properties of its printer and supports all its features
- if the agent switches to the Stopped status or the Server Side Monitoring mode is disabled in its settings, virtual printers will continue to exist and to operate. But data and document images will not be collected in this case. Physical printers continue printing in the regular way and the office continues its work.
