Introduction
The Printer Supply Monitor - PSM - was created upon the need to have a reliable Software for an automated Supply Order System.
An additional need, which has been covered by PSM Release 1.6, is to get the Page Counters more detailed.
Although there are already different Tools from different Vendors out in the Market, and some of them are even free, none of this Tools has been proven to be reliable enough to do the Job correctly, and especially to cover more than one Brand. Since Customers don't want to host their own Stock of Supplies any longer, it has become essential, that the the Spare Material is beside the Printer right on time, and depending on the different Types of Printers (eg. Color or Black&White) it is a requirement, that different levels of Threshold can be set, when the Consumable Part has to be ordered.
In larger Environments this can become a hard Job - but PSM does this Job for you.
What PSM can do for you:
Automatic Supply Ordering
You can setup Profiles for the different Types of Printers, and specify the Part-Number, Part Name, Threshold Levels, Maximum Pages possible, and a Printer MIBs for the different Types of Consumables. We can also supply Profiles for you, at low cost, which you can Import.
After you have defined the different Models of Printer in your Organization, you can add the Printers to the Tool by specifying either the Host Name or the IP Address of the Printers. PSM will compare the Model of the Printer and - if found - assign the right Profile for it.
Page Counter Statistic
Optionally PSM can deliver also detailed Information's about the Number of Printed Pages. To be able to do that, PSM will need Profiles, which will be assigned to the Printers in the Printer Administration. The Definition of Counter Profiles is quite similar to the Consumable Profiles, but in most there are only a view Profiles per Manufacturers needed. In Case of Hewlett-Packard, it is just one single Profile.
The Profile only holds the SNMP OID's required to gather the Counters from the Printers.
If a Counter Profile has been assigned to a Printer, you can see detailed Counter Statistic Information's, if you click on "view Details" in the Printer Administration. Additionally - if selected in the Scheduler - PSM will deliver the Counter Information's together with the monthly Supply usage Report as a csv File by Email.
Scheduler Section
In the Scheduler Section you will be able to setup, when PSM should Query the remaining Pages for each Consumable Part, the Counters, and when it should send an Email, if the remaining Pages are below the Threshold Value.
Administration Section
In the Administration Section you can select one or more recipients which will get the Order / Information of a Part below the Threshold Value, and the monthly Statistic, if enabled. Additionally you can define another Password, or change the Language (currently English or German). The Emails will always be sent out in English.
Printer Administration
The Status Screen always shows you the Status from the latest Query of each Device. If there is any Consumable Part below the Threshold Value, it will mark the Printer red. If you want to see, which Parts are affected, you can click on the "change/view" Button of that Printer. This will not only show you which Part is affected, but also if - and when - the Email-Message has been sent and the Page Counters, if a Profile has been assigned. This Status will not change, unless the next Query finds, that the "Part on Warning" has now a value above the Threshold Value - which means that somebody must have replaced the Consumable Part.
Printer Requirements and Limitations - things to know..
PSM is using SNMP Queries. It queries specific Printer MIBs to get the remaining Pages for each Consumable Part specified. To be able to do this, there are some requirements belonging to your Printers!
The Printer must be SNMP enabled, and the SNMP get Request to the Public Community must be allowed. This is the case by default on most HP Network enabled LaserJet's.
If PSM cannot get the current values of one or more defined Printers during a query - for example because they have been powered off - it will retain the last known Status.
PSM has included a Utility Program to make your own Profile based on a Query of a Printer. This Utility is experimental, as it relies on the Part Descriptions reported back by the Printer. Part Numbers are extracted as the last 6 Digits of this Descriptions. However this is not safe, since for example on Maintenance Kits, HP reports 2 Part Numbers: one for 110Volt and one for 220Volt. In this case you would have the wrong Part Number if you need to have the American Part Number. So please double Check here!
In Order to send Email from PSM you need to specify a valid Email Server on the Admin Screen. This Email Server can be anywhere, but must be reachable from the Machine, where PSM is running. Keep in mind that some Email Servers require Authentication to send Email outside the Company.
If you want to make your own Profiles you need to know:
the Printer MIB's, where PSM can ask for the remaining Pages
The Part Number and Description of each Part which is query able by Printer MIBs
Your Network Routers/Firewalls must allow SNMP Communication between the Machine where PSOT is running and the Printer itself
Printers connected to external Network Boxes (Parallel / USB) are not supported, since it is not possible to get information about the remaining Pages trough these Devices.
Only original Manufacturer Consumables are supported. HP - for example - has a Chip inside their Toner Modules, which will allow the Printer to get the remaining Capacity. Third-Party Toners often cannot deliver this Information to the Printer, and therefore the Queries will get back wrong Results or no Results at all.
Specific Help
Specific Help is available on each Screen, by clicking on the Question Mark.
Support
Support is available though Email at support@sysprint.ch
Copyright Notice and Trademarks
Program Designer and co Programmer:
Stefan Arzethauser and Stephan Schiegg, Sysprint AG
This Program is not Freeware. It is copyrighted by Sysprint AG, Switzerland
You are not allowed to use this Program without a License.
PSM's License System is copyrighted by www.biegelscripts.com
BlueServer is Trademark of www.mpitech.com
WebJetAdmin is Trademark of www.hp.com
Markvision is Trademark of www.lexmark.com
Open SUSe is Copyrighted by www.novell.com
Webmin is Copyrighted by www.opencountry.com