System Requirements and Capabilities

PaperCut is a cross-platform print monitoring application that runs on all major operating systems. The system has been designed to support all platforms for both the client and the server components and to scale from small businesses with 5 users all the way to the largest education sites with 500,000 users or more.

PaperCut Capabilities
Scalability
  • Suitable for networks from 5 to 500,000+ users.
  • Browser based admin interface - simple for small sites yet powerful for large sites.
Architecture
  • Suitable for single server environments to multi-server, multi-site and clustered environments.
  • Capable of monitoring locally attached or workgroup printers.
  • Powerful yet optional user client software (not required for print monitoring).
  • International: Available in 20+ langauges and currency formats world wide.
Licensing
  • True enterprise-wide licensing: unlimited printers, servers and workstations.
  • Licenses are based on monitored user numbers.
Open Systems
  • Open and documented API, scripting interface, and database schema.
  • XML Web Services API with helpful source code examples.
  • Report data in CSV/Excel, PDF and HTML.
Printers
  • Almost all major laser, inkjet, label and wide-format printers/MFDs/plotters.
  • Supported print languages: PCL, PCL6, HPGL, Postscript, PCL-GUI, Ricoh RPCS, Epson ESC, QPDL, various GDI printers and many language that don't even have names!
User Directory Services
  • Active Directory (native integration including nested groups and OUs)
  • Apple OpenDirectory
  • eDirectory
  • LDAP
  • NIS, PAM, Samba, and others
Server Operating Systems
(More details below)
  • Microsoft Windows (32 and 64-bit)
  • Apple Mac OS X
  • Linux (any modern 32 or 64 bit distribution)
  • Novell Open Enterprise Server Linux (OES 2 and OES 11)
Workstation Operating Systems
(More details below)
  • Microsoft Windows (32 and 64-bit)
  • Apple Mac OS X
  • Linux (any modern 32 or 64 bit distribution)
  • Unix workstations (Java required to run PaperCut Client Software)
Database Servers
(Optional)
  • Self managing internal database: suitable for up to 5,000 users.
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2000/2005/2008/2008R2 (either 32 or 64 bit)
  • Microsoft SQL Express 2005/2008 (free from Microsoft)
  • PostgreSQL 7.1 or higher
  • MySQL 5.0 or higher
  • Oracle 9.2 or higher
Clustering Environments
(Optional)
  • Microsoft Failover Cluster Manager
  • Microsoft Cluster Server
  • Veritas Cluster Server
  • Linux HA
  • Novell Cluster Services
Security & Encryption
  • SSL encryption used for sensitive client-server communications.
  • Option to install a signed SSL certificate.
Web Browsers
  • Internet Explorer 7, 8, 9
  • Mozilla Firefox 3, 4 and above
  • Apple Safari
  • Google Chrome
Primary Server Requirements
Operating System
  • Windows 2008 / 2008 R2 / 2003 / 2000 / Windows 7* / Vista* / XP*
    (core, server, advanced server, enterprise edition, 64-bit edition, workstation*, professional* versions all supported)
    Microsoft Clustering Services supported at all application layers
  • Apple Mac OS X (10.7, 10.6, 10.5 or 10.4)
  • Novell Open Enterprise Server 2 Linux (OES 2 SP1, SP2 (with hotfix applied) or SP3) and Novell OES 11.
  • Most modern Linux distributions including Red Hat, Novell SUSE, Debian, and others†
Memory
  • 768MB minimum supported (1GB or higher recommended)
    Most modern print servers should have a base of 2GB to 4GB of memory.
Hard Disk
  • 300 MB, plus additional storage for logs and print history
    Most modern print servers should have a base of 60GB to 500GB of storage available.
Internet Proxy
(for Internet quota/control module)
 (Only required for Internet Quotas)
Client Workstation Requirements
Operating System
  • Microsoft Windows 7 / Vista / 2003 / XP / 2000 / NT 4.0 / ME / 98 / 95 incl. 64-bit versions
  • Apple Mac OS X 10.3 or higher (PowerPC and Intel both supported)
  • Most modern Linux distributions (requires Java 5.0)
  • Other systems supporting Java 5.0
Memory
  • Most modern client workstations are configured with 2GB to 4GB of memory, PaperCut requires a minimal 256MB.
Hard Disk
  • 0MB - zero-install deployment (recommended)
  • 100MB - full local installation
    Most modern client workstations have 60GB to 250GB of storage available.
Optional Print Release Station Requirements
Operating System
  • Windows 2008 / 2003 / Windows 7 / Vista / XP / 2000 / NT 4.0 incl. 64-bit versions
  • Apple Mac OS X (10.7, 10.6, 10.5 or 10.4)
  • Most modern Linux distributions
Memory
  • 128MB or greater
Hard Disk
  • 0MB - zero-install deployment (recommended)
  • 70MB - full local installation
* The "desktop" class systems such as Windows Vista, XP, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows NT Workstation only allow 10 simultaneous connections (see Microsoft article). This means that these systems should only be used as a "server" to host print queues on networks with 10 workstations or less.
† SELinux should be disabled prior to installing.

I've gotta say PaperCut is great and I've been singing its praises to other departments. The reports quickly show me printer usage at a glance, which I use frequently to more accurately place orders for toner and paper. I used to throw thousands of pages into the recycling bin every day because of unclaimed printouts, but overnight it's been whittled down to a couple reams! Aside from the money saved on toner/paper, I stand to save thousands reducing the number of lab attendants since these TopUp cards can be sold by our department receptionist or in one of our vending areas. I no longer need technical staff to supervise printing full time!

David, Case Western Reserve University - USA
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