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The top-ten hidden features!

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Much of PaperCut NG/MF flexibility and usefulness comes not from the features you can see, but from the advanced hidden features. PaperCut NG/MF is packed full of handy tools, utilities and options and you will read about these throughout this guide. To provide a quick overview now, the most popular hidden features are:

1: Zero-install User Client deployment

PaperCut NG/MF is implemented using 100% server-side logic and no client software is required. A simple lightweight User Client is, however, provided so end users have access to advanced features such as shared accounts and the option of viewing their account balance in a popup window.

Deploying client software can be a time consuming and fiddly process. To streamline the process PaperCut NG/MF allows its client to be run directly off a network share - you do not need to install locally, or mess around with deployment tools! Just set the executable as a startup program and it runs and auto-updates itself thereafter.

See User Client for more information.

2: Remote administration

PaperCut NG/MF is a 100% web based application. Full system administration can be performed from anywhere on the network via a standard web browser - no special admin software is required! To access the administration section, point a browser at the server on port 9191:


http://[server_name]:9191/admin

Encrypted SSL/HTTPS access is also available on port 9192:

https://[server_name]:9192/admin

Encrypted SSL/HTTPS access for supported PaperCut NG/MF devices is also available on port 9195:

https://[server_name]:9195/admin

Access is granted to the built-in admin, or to any user with administrator level access.

3: Mobile Printing & BYOD

Mobile Printing & BYOD enables printing from user-owned devices without the overhead of installing printer drivers and managing workstation authentication to the server.

For example, in Web Print Microsoft Office or Adobe PDF files are uploaded using the same User Web Tools available on network computers. Mobile Printing & BYOD is fully integrated into PaperCut’s standard print charging/accounting/quota process. It does not matter if you’re a staff user allocating to a faculty or department account, or a student charging to your free print quota, the user account allocation experience the same as that seen when printing from a networked desktop system.

PaperCut’s Mobile Printing & BYOD has been widely deployed across education campuses and is an ideal solution for offering print services via student owned laptops, netbooks or hand held devices.

For more information, see Mobile & BYOD printing .

4: Shared accounts

Many organizations want to track their printing on more than a per-user level. With shared accounts, users can allocate jobs to cost areas such as Faculties, Departments, Projects, Clients, Cost Centers, or Pools. Shared accounts are selected via a customizable popup window. Two popup window types are available:

  • Standard - A simple account selection window design ideal for most users.

  • Advanced - An advanced account selection window designed for the power user including features such as search, preference list, recent selections, comment entry and invoicing options. This is ideal for businesses including Engineering, Law, Accounting and Architecture Firms.

Access to accounts is controlled via integrated network group membership or optionally PIN’s.

See Shared accounts for more information.

5: Secondary servers and Site Servers

PaperCut NG/MF is an enterprise level application designed to be managed and controlled from a central location. Multi-server environments are common in large organizations and PaperCut NG/MF handles them with ease. All servers are configured to report back to the central Application Server. This ensures that all management, logging and control is centralized. Secondary servers and workstations with local printers run a light weight monitoring component that communicates to the central server via XML Web Services calls.

You can compliment secondary servers with a Site Server, which ensures continuity of print services even if the Application Server is unavailable due to a network outage. For more information, see Resiliency with Site Servers .

Servers and workstations can run the Site Server and secondary server software on any supported operating system no matter what operating system is used on the Application Server because PaperCut NG/MF supports mixed or heterogeneous networks as well!

See Multi-server and multi-site deployments for more information.

6: Scripting

Scripting can be applied on a per printer basis to provide programatic control during the print process. Possible applications include:

  • Route the job to the cheapest compatible printer and notify the user of the change (least-cost routing)

  • Prompt users to print large color jobs on a compatible low cost grayscale printer

  • Charge printing during class time to the department

  • Inform user when printer is in error and suggest a compatible alternative

See Print scripting for more information.

7: Customizable web interface

The end user interface can be quickly customized to make it look like an official part of your organization’s infrastructure. With some simple HTML, you can make the PaperCut NG/MF end user interface look just like your existing web site or intranet site.

See Customize the User web interface for more information.

8: XML Web Services and command-line control

Many things these days are Web Services enabled. Not to be outdone, PaperCut NG/MF exposes dozens of API’s via secured XML Web Services. This provides advanced administrators and developers with the ability to programmatically remotely control, integrate and manage the application. The possibilities are endless… some of our users now have their library fines hooked into the PaperCut NG/MF system!

In addition to the Web Services API’s, SysAdmins can hook into the inner workings of PaperCut NG/MF using server commands and scripting.

With server commands you can use batch files or scripts to automate system functions such as:

  • Schedule “online” backups to coordinate with your existing backup processes. You do not need to take the system down to take a data snapshot.

  • Create users in PaperCut NG/MF automatically and as part of your existing user creation scripts.

  • Automatically import/sync list of accounts from a file, 3rd party system or existing directory structure. (Great for Engineering and Architecture firms)

See The XML Web Services API and Server commands (server-command) for more information.

9: 3rd party database support

PaperCut NG/MF ships with its own preconfigured and self-maintaining database. The system, however, is database independent and can be run on top of a number of leading database systems. Maybe you have an existing Microsoft SQL Cluster and want to take advantages of this infrastructure. No problem! PaperCut NG/MF can be quickly configured to hook into your preferred database.

See Deployment on an external database (RDBMS) for more information.

10: The development team

Software is only as good as the development process. PaperCut NG/MF is developed in an open and transparent fashion by a small development team. Suggestions and feedback are encouraged and source code access is provided to our customers. The team works closely with key system users to architect new features. A member of the development team is online for 8 hours a day and is always happy to chat. Come visit us on our Live Web Chat page!

See the PaperCut Software website https://www.papercut.com for more information.

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