Printer Accounting

There are many products on the market that provide printer-resource accounting, but we're going to focus on two products that take different paths to achieve the same goal. The first product is Lexmark's MarkTrack. MarkTrack is a product that is primarily printer-based, meaning that the printer itself tracks the necessary data. The second product, Software Metric's PAS, is based on a Windows NT server and tracks and manages print jobs as they get submitted to the NT server itself, not the printer.

Lexmark's approach is printer centric.

Caption: With printer-based accounting, printer usage data moves from printers to a centralized database server. Administrators can then query that database server directly, using a Web browser.

When a print job is completed by a Lexmark printer, the information about the print job, such as the printer name, user name, date and number of pages printed is sent to a central database (which is an Oracle database running on a Windows NT system). While the Lexmark server supports other printers, such as HP LaserJet printers, to get the full functionality, you must use Lexmark network printers. If your environment is primarily Lexmark, then this is a good solution. Often, a single-vendor solution can help you lower product maintenance costs and simplify management tasks. Unfortunately, most environments are not made up of one type of printer. It should be noted that Lexmark's intent was not to provide a robust, multivendor solution. Rather it was developed in response to Lexmark user requests. The current MSRP for MarkTrack is $5,000.

Other printer vendors also have similar solutions, but these offer less robust implementations. For example, with Tektronix network printers, the administrator can download a log file from each printer that tracks print job information. Unfortunately, this is a manual process that must be done for each printer -- a task most administrators would fine tiresome after the first several weeks.

A more viable solution is to use a NOS-based solution such as Software Metric's PAS (printer accounting software). Rather than have the printer manage print job accounting duties, PAS utilizes print monitors within Windows NT's print subsystem.

Caption: NOS-based printer accounting solutions remove the printer from the equation, leaving accounting duties with NOS-based print servers.

PAS can capture usage information for a wide variety of network- and server-attached printers using a variety of job submission protocols. In addition, PAS can enforce print quotas based on a variety of metrics. PAS works with a number of third-party network printers including HP JetDirect and Intel NetPort. To acquire the necessary information, PAS utilizes several mechanisms for determining a total page count. This includes PSQ (PostScript queue), PJL (Print Job language) and a data stream interpreter that allows PAS to work with LPR and server-attached printers (via parallel or serial connections). While the Windows NT print subsystem provides a rudimentary auditing facility, it is a very poor implementation and can not be reliably used to track actual printer usage. For example, it does not retain information about the number of copies printed, only number of pages. It's best to get this type of information from the printer itself using one of the above mentioned mechanisms.

For NetWare and Windows NT servers, be sure to see what job submission protocols are supported by the application. For example, some applications on Windows NT only support printing through Windows NT clients over TCP/IP not via LPR/LPD or via NetWare protocols.