User Client

The PaperCut NG/MF activity tracking and charging is implemented using 100% server-side technology. The User ClientThe User Client tool is an add-on that resides on a user's desktop. It allows users to view their current account balance via a popup window, provides users with the opportunity to confirm what they are about to print, allows users to select shared accounts via a popup, if administrators have granted access to this feature, and displays system messages, such as the "low credit" warning message or print policy popups. software is not required as part of the activity monitoring process.

NOTE

The use of client software for activity monitoring could open up security problems as client software is readily accessible to end users. By design PaperCut Software developers endeavor to implement all monitoring at the server level eliminating client-side loopholes. The client software supplied with PaperCut NG/MF is a presentation layer around server-side implementation.

The User Client facilitates four tasks:

Allows users to view their current account balance via a popup window.
Provides users with a "last chance" before printing, confirming what they are about to print.
Displays system messages such as the "low credit" warning message or print policyPrint policies allow you to remind users via popup to print duplex, route large jobs to dedicated high-volume printers, discourage users from printing emails, discourage printing web pages in color, and print policies can be implemented in PaperCut using advanced scripting. popups.
Allows users configured with Account Selection options (or you have print scripts) that require user interaction that can ONLY be done via the User Client (and cannot be done at the printing device). In this case, if the User Client is not running, the user is unable to carry out the configured user interaction for Account Selection, and the job remains paused and does not appear on the printing device.

TIP

If users are configured with Account Selection options that require user interaction and this can be done BOTH via the User Client AND at the printing device (the ability to assign accounts at the printing device is available), then running the User Client is not mandatory. It may be required if it is also being used for other purposes, besides Account Selection (such as, viewing current account balance, cached user comments, "low credit" warning messages, notifications about print policies, etc). For more information, see Changing attributes of print jobs at the device

The User Client is available for most major platforms. For more information about installing the User Client, see:

The User Client software is installed automatically on the server under the [app-path]\client directory. On a Windows based server this directory is automatically shared in read-only form providing network users with access to the client executables.

The following sections contain further information about the User Client:

Configure the User Client using the command-line—command line and configuration options, such as where on the screen the User Client pops up or which option is selected by default.
Customize the User Client—customization of the User Client.

User Client unavailability alert on Dashboard

You can configure PaperCut NG/MF to display an alert log in the Dashboard’s Real-time Activity gadget, when the User Client is detected as being unavailable (either because users are not running it or it has not been deployed and installed). This is useful in environments where users are configured with Account Selection options that require user interaction that can ONLY be done via the User Client and not at the printing device (the ability to assign accounts at the printing device is available). This is because, in such environments, the unavailability of the User Client prevents users from being able to carry out the user interaction required for Account Selection via the User Client. As a result, their print jobs remain paused in the print queueA print queue displays information about documents that are waiting to be printed, such as the printing status, document owner, and number of pages to print. You can use the print queue to view, pause, resume, restart, and cancel print jobs. and do not appear on the printing device. These jobs are eventually canceled after the User Client timeout or the Unreleased Held Jobs timeout.

To enable the Dashboard’s Real-time Activity gadget to display an alert log when the User Client is unavailable:

Click the Options tab. The General page is displayed.
In the Client Software area, select the Show a Dashboard log when the client is unavailable, preventing account selection option.
Click Apply.

User Client timeout

If users are configured with Account Selection options that require user interaction that can be done ONLY via the User Client (and not at the printing device), and users do not respond to the Account Selection's user interaction on the User Client, then after a defined time, their print jobs are automatically deleted. This is to prevent a buildup of old jobs in the print queue. The default timeout is 10 minutes.

Change the timeout as follows:

Click the Options tab. The General page is displayed.
In the Client Software area, in Delete jobs awaiting popup response after, enter the number of minutes to wait for a user to respond to the Account Selection user interaction on the User Client, after which the job is deleted.
Click Apply.

NOTE

In environments where user interaction for Account Selection is required, and can be done BOTH via User Client AND at the printing device (the ability to assign accounts at the printing device is available), after the User Client timeout, any held print jobs without accounts:

are not canceled
are no longer available on the User Client
are ONLY available at the printing device
are canceled after the Unreleased Held Jobs timeout (instead of the User Client timeout).

For more information see Configure a Release Station and Changing attributes of print jobs at the device.