Start managing EcoPrint

EcoPrint management begins with:

• The configuration of printer monitoring;

• The enabling and configuration of monitoring rules;

• The use of a compatible driver (PCL6) in the print queues of printers covered by the saving rules;

• The configuration of the SNMP protocol for network printers (if the default settings do not meet requirements);

• The configuration of remote administration of queues and drivers (if queues are members of the saving rules);

• The creation of saving rules.

Instructions

Follow the steps below to start EcoPrint management:

Step 1: configure printer monitoring

EcoPrint requires printer monitoring to be configured in advance in all cases.

For network printers, access Start monitoring network printers. For USB printers, access Start monitoring USB printers.

Warning

The agent must be installed on the device where the print spool is generated. If you use a print server, install the agent on that server. Otherwise, install the agent on each computer where the printers are connected and EcoPrint will be applied.

Step 2: enable and configure monitoring rules

Who can use this feature

Users with the Admin or Managing service rules and Enable or disable general service rule permissions

When you install the agent, no EcoPrint services will be enabled. The next step is to enable the service in the NDD Orbix portal according to your needs, so that the agent takes over the service and monitors the devices.

1. Go to Installations > Enable services

2. Locate the EcoPrint option

3. Click on the Edit button

4. Enable the service
   If you enable it, all the registered rules will be activated.
   If you disable it, all the registered rules and the EcoPrint services (NDD - Supply Watch and NDD - Queues Monitor) will be deactivated.

5. Click the Save button

6. Click on the Configure Rules button

By default, the NDD Orbix portal will have a rule registered for all customers, but disabled. It is therefore necessary to create specific rules to configure EcoPrint management for the desired customers.

7. Click the ✚ button in the top right corner

8. In the side tab, select the customers you want the EcoPrint service to be enabled for (the agents installed on the selected customers will be monitored)

9. Click the Add button to create the rule and remain on the add screen, or the Add and Close button to create the rule and return to the grid

If a rule is deleted and no new rules are registered for the same customer, device monitoring will stop.

Step 3: use a compatible driver

Verify that all print queues for printers associated with saving rules (standard or customized) use a driver with PCL6 language.

If the error log indicates that the language used is not PCL6, even with the correct driver, see PCL6 driver language error, even with the correct driver installed for correction instructions.

Note

The NDD - Supply Watch service will monitor the Enable advanced printing features option in the driver properties and automatically disable it, even if it is re-enabled after the agent has been installed. Disabling this setting is a prerequisite for ensuring that savings are applied.

Step 4: configure the SNMP protocol for network printers in the EcoPrint feature

Configuring SNMP protocol for network printers and TCP/IP print queues is necessary for the NDD - Supply Watch service to identify the devices managed by the NDD Orbix portal and apply supply saving.

In rules where the members are network printers, in addition to configuring the SNMP protocol in the service of each managed printer (as instructed in Configure network printer service communication), it is necessary to configure the SNMP protocol of the printers covered by the EcoPrint rules (as instructed in this documentation).

Note

The registered SNMP protocol settings will be applied to printers in the remote administration of queues and drivers, and EcoPrint.

In the SNMP connection, when using v1/v2 or v3, you can configure a time interval (in milliseconds) between each SNMP call made to the printer.

By default, the NDD Orbix portal will have an SNMP protocol registered for all customers, with the following settings:

• Customer: All

• SNMP entry name: Default

• Response time (ms): 3,000

• Number of attempts: 3

• Reading community: public

• Protocol: v1/v2

Review the default configuration to identify whether it will meet your needs. It cannot be deleted.

If necessary, create specific configurations for customers who have different SNMP parameters than the default, considering that the specific configurations will take precedence over the default configuration.

Always keep SNMP connections up to date.

Information

The interval at which the agent searches for printers will depend on the answer time and the number of attempts configured in the protocol. Thus, each search can be a minimum of 5 minutes and a maximum of 30 minutes, depending on the configuration. However, if there is an error during the printer search, this time can be extended.

Who can use this feature

Users with the Admin or Administration of SNMP settings permission

1. Go to Settings > SNMP protocol

2. Click on the button ✚ in the top right corner

3. Select the customer that will be linked to this protocol configuration

4. Enter the other protocol settings

5. Click the Save button

More than one SNMP protocol can be created per customer, as long as the settings contain different SNMP entry names.

Step 5: configure remote queue and driver administration

If print queues are used as members of saving rules, you must configure remote queue and driver administration as instructed in Start remote administration of queues and drivers.

Step 6: create saving rules

Saving rules allow you to define and customize print saving levels according to each customer's needs. To create rules, access Create EcoPrint saving rule.