Use the LexmarkTM Print Management (LPM) On-Premises solution to send print jobs from anywhere to one central print queue. You can securely release jobs on any Lexmark printer in the system.
The solution supports the following features:
Authenticate users when using the standard functions of the printer such as copying, faxing, e-mailing, and scanning to FTP or to a network.
Let another user (called a delegate) print your jobs.
Authenticate using your badge, card, PIN, or user name and password.
Set user quotas and track usage.
Send print jobs using the AirPrint software feature.
By using the Lexmark Document Distributor (LDD) platform, you can securely send your files to the server from the following, where they are held until printed:
Computer
Mobile device
AirPrint
Other systems that can submit print jobs to a Windows-based print queue
Depending on your configuration, jobs that are not printed after a specified period are deleted automatically.
The solution can also be used to do the following:
Track jobs from a printer that is connected to the workstation using the USB port. For more information, see the Local Printer Management Agent Print Tracker Component User’s Guide.
Let workstations print jobs that are stored locally, and then release them at any printer using the LPM Hybrid Print Release solution add-on. For more information, see Configuring Hybrid client registration. For more information on serverless print release, see the Lexmark Hybrid Print Management Administrator’s Guide.
For information on how to print using this solution, see the User’s Guide.
For information on how to print from your mobile device, see the Lexmark Mobile Print User’s Guide.
This document provides instructions on how to configure and troubleshoot the solution.
Lexmark Document Distributor—Enables document capture, processing, and routing.
Lexmark Print Management—Lets you send jobs from anywhere to a central print queue, and then securely release them from any Lexmark printer in the system.
Database—Maintains information about clients, solutions, settings, and jobs. The database can be Microsoft SQL Server or Firebird.
User Directory—Stores information on users and groups. The user directory can be any LDAP-compliant directory or the LPM database.
Embedded Solutions Framework (eSF) applications—Provides the Print Release user interface buttons and prompts, authentication management, and activity tracking for copy, fax, e-mail, and scan functions.
The processor is at least dual 2.5GHz Quad Core Intel Xenon or AMD Opteron.
The available random access memory is at least 8GB.
The available hard disk space on the server is at least 40GB.
The operating system is at least Windows Server 2008.
The antivirus provides full control access privileges to the LDD installation path.
The document conversion software is Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice. The document conversion software is required only if installing Mobile Print.
The available space for the environment variable target path is at least 1GB for backup files.
The server hard disk must be high speed with low latency.
For a list of all LDD-related server and network requirements, see the Lexmark Document Distributor Administrator’s Guide.
The following table shows the LPM versions that are compatible with specific LDD versions:
Solution | eSF application version | Description | Compatible eSF framework |
|---|---|---|---|
LDD | advancedprompt version 5.2 | Provides basic prompts for the user at the printer display |
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Print Release | badgeauth version 1.22 | Provides authentication using a badge Note: This application is necessary only when using a badge for authentication. | e-Task 2 |
badgeauth version 2.14.6 | Locks the printer until a user authenticates with a badge, PIN, or a user name and password Notes:
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cardAuth version 5.6.5 | Locks the printer until a user authenticates with a badge, PIN, or a user name and password Note: This application is necessary only when securing the printer home screen. | e-Task 5 | |
deviceusage version 1.6.0 | Provides all usage data on the printer Notes:
| e-Task 2 | |
deviceusage version 1.10.8 | Provides all usage data on the printer Notes:
|
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keyboardreader version 2.4.11 | The driver for RFID card reader Note: This application is necessary only when using a card reader that is configured for keyboard wedge mode, such as RFID. |
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omnikey5427ckdriver version 1.2.11 | The driver for Omnikey card reader Note: This application is necessary only when using an Omnikey card reader that is configured in CCID (default) mode. |
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omnikeydriver version 2.4.4 | The driver for Omnikey card reader Note: This application is necessary only when using Omnikey 5321, 5125, or 5325 card readers that are configured in CCID (default) mode. |
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Before you begin, make sure that LPM version 2.3.11 or later is working correctly.
At least one RF IDeas Ethernet 241 adapter (serial, or serial and USB) with firmware version 1.1 or later
Network-ready printers that support necessary document types
Configure DNS servers for AirPrint advertisement, service discovery for LPM, or to reply to Unicast DNS queries from an AirPrint-capable device.
Microsoft Windows Server (2012 or 2008 with the latest service packs)
An Apple device capable of the AirPrint software feature (running the iOS 6.2 or later or OS X 10.7 or later operating systems)
BIND for Windows, if using BIND
The following shows an environment with one data center:
The following shows an environment with two data centers:
The following shows a shared Microsoft SQL Server environment with a hardware load balancer and workgroup servers:
The following shows the LDD Print Release workflow:
Print Release is an enterprise-grade printing solution for managing print jobs from your computer or mobile device. The application supports badge authentication, quota enforcement, and usage tracking.
When the Lexmark Universal Print Driver (UPD) is configured to print to the LDD port and a job is printed, the following occurs:
Print Release captures the user’s Windows login name.
The PostScript or PCL output file is saved to the server with a date and time stamp.
A database table entry is made with the Windows login name (USERID) with the document name and time stamp.
When the print job is released, the Print Release application is called by the Lexmark printer and prompts users to authenticate using their card or badge. Print Release captures the card data, and then compares the badge or card number with the entries in the user directory. Users can also manually authenticate using their user name and password or a personal identification number (PIN).
If the entry is found, then the user name is captured, and the list of print jobs appears on the printer display.
After a job is selected, the Print Release application releases the selected jobs, and then deletes the files and the database entries for the printed jobs. The jobs that are not released are held for the configured time period, and then deleted.
Notes:
When using a Mac computer, configure printer share. For more information, see Submitting jobs from a Mac computer.
Users may submit and release jobs using their mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets either using e-mail or a mobile application.
Users can send an e-mail to an account monitored by the Lexmark Solutions Email Watcher. When an e-mail arrives, it is sent to the LDD server, and then converted to a printable document based on predefined conversion settings and user-specified settings. It can be printed immediately to a user-specified printer, or it can be integrated with Lexmark Print Release and then printed later.
The Lexmark Mobile Print application and Lexmark Print Service Plug-in may also be used to submit documents to the server. The Lexmark Mobile Print application also enables the releasing of jobs to a printer. The application is useful for Lexmark printers that do not support eSF applications or for third-party printers. Lexmark Mobile Print provides access to both the logged in user’s jobs and any delegated accounts.
For more information, see Configuring mobile devices.
You have full control of your output environment when you incorporate user authentication at the printer. LPM can be configured to require users to authenticate before retrieving prints or making copies and scans. Requiring user authentication at the printer improves document security by assuring that only the intended recipient retrieves the documents. It also enables tracking of each transaction.
User authentication can occur using a badge, user name and password, or PIN. Lexmark Print Release supports various badge readers.
In some environments, multiple users must access a common set of print jobs. For this environment, user delegation can be configured. Users can specify delegates to let them print the job. For example, an executive can specify an assistant as a delegate. When a job is delegated, the user who printed the job can release it. Also, when delegates log in, they are prompted whether they want to print their own jobs or the other user’s jobs.
No matter who releases the job, by default, it is automatically deleted from the server after being printed. However, if the reprint feature is enabled, it allows released print jobs to be held for an additional time before being automatically deleted. The job statistics include the user ID of the person who released the job.
User authentication is designed to fit the requirements of the environment where the solution is installed.
Depending on the volume of transactions, the load balancer, database, and application server components may be installed on a single server or separately on multiple servers. While a single server may be able to handle the load, if it fails, the entire system becomes unavailable. For environments that require high availability, we recommend using multiple servers along with a hardware load balancer or clustering technology.
Load-balancing servers receive jobs from print clients, and then balance jobs across transaction servers using load-balancing workers and load estimates. The load balancing is based on the number of session requests. For failover, one active and one passive load-balancing server must be clustered. Microsoft clustering provides the resource for automatic failover of the load-balancing servers. If the active server fails, then the passive server automatically takes over.
Multiple transaction servers are used to support an increasing number of users and to provide redundancy for continuous uptime when one of the servers fails. Having multiple servers also lets maintenance and upgrades occur without taking down the whole system.
The LDD system has automatic backup of any data necessary to restore the server, primarily the database.
The following shows a sample diagram for achieving automated failover or redundancy using a single data center:
The following shows a sample diagram for achieving automated failover or redundancy using two data centers:
LPM is scalable to support multiple clients, submitting jobs to as many servers as required to handle the load. The load balancer selects a server for each received job to distribute the total load and maintain system performance. Using multiple servers also increases system reliability. If one server fails, then the load balancer directs jobs to other servers until the failed server is back online.
The following can be used to determine the number of servers required to process jobs efficiently:
Peak demand—Usually the deciding factor when the average execution time for a solution is under 30 seconds.
Concurrency—Usually the deciding factor when the average execution time for a solution is over 30 seconds. Also, when the database is installed on the recommended hardware and connected using Gigabit Ethernet, it can process 200000 logged messages per hour. This number converts to approximately 40000 jobs per hour when using a typical solution (five logged messages per job). If this limit is reached, then it may be necessary to use multiple LDD systems.
To determine the number of servers necessary to handle peak load for a particular solution, use the following formulas:
System-wide hourly job rate = (system printer capacity) x (jobs per printer per day) / (length of business day)
Peak demand = 2 x (system-wide hourly job rate)
Minimum number of servers = (peak demand) / (single-server throughput for current solution)
Consider an environment with a system capacity of 300 printers, with each printer averaging 100 jobs per day. If each server processes up to 3000 jobs per hour using the solution, then do the following:
Determine the system-wide hourly job rate.
(300 printers) x (100 daily jobs per printer) / (8 hours per day) = 3750 jobs per hour
Determine the peak demand.
2 x (3750 jobs per hour) = 7500 jobs per hour
Determine the minimum number of servers.
(7500 jobs per hour) / (3000 jobs per hour) = 2.5 servers
To handle the peak load reliably for a solution with an average execution time of 30 seconds or lesser, your system must have three servers.
Solution processing load | Functions used | Average single-server throughput |
|---|---|---|
Typical |
| 6000 to 8000 jobs per hour |
Heavy |
| 2000 to 3000 jobs per hour |
Very heavy (optical character recognition) |
| 100 to 200 jobs per hour |
Each server that meets the recommended requirements can process up to 30 concurrent jobs from clients. Use the following formula to determine the number of servers that are necessary to meet the concurrency requirements:
Minimum number of servers = (number of printers expected to submit jobs at the same time) / 30
For example, if 100 out of 300 printers are active at the same time, then:
100 / 30 = 3.33
To allow 100 active printers for a solution with an average execution time of 30 seconds or lesser, your system must have four servers.
Organizations that operate across many areas may have longer execution times as print data moves across the wide area network (WAN). To resolve this issue, configure separate instances of Print Release in each location. Configure one location as the major collection point for accounting data (the parent), and then configure the other locations to operate separately. The other locations must send report data to the parent only on a scheduled basis.
To determine the database sizing, use the following:
(Transaction data per job) x (number of users) x (typical number of jobs per day) x (length of time to keep the job)
300 bytes per job x 2000 users x 10 jobs per day x 365 days = 2.2GB
To account for variations in print volume over time, we recommend doubling this number.
To determine the job storage sizing, use the following:
(Average page per job) x (size per job) x (number of users) x (typical number of jobs per day) x (length of time to keep the job)
Assume the following job size estimates per page:
Color—2MB
Monochrome—200KB
5 pages x 2MB x 2000 users x 10 jobs per day x 1 day = 200GB
To account for differences from average job sizes, we recommend doubling this number.
Assume the following job size estimates per page:
Color—2MB
Monochrome—200KB
To determine the estimated network bandwidth, use the following:
Y = (number of pages per day x {(%Color x 2MB) + (%Mono x 0.5MB)}) / working hours in a day
(Y / 3600) x 2
This formula gives you a rough indication of the network traffic in MB per second. It includes assumptions that can cause a wide variance from this estimate. For example, when jobs are sent on a steady state basis throughout the day.
The default system database that is bundled with LDD. This database can also be used for LPM. If Firebird is used, then LDD can be configured to back up the system periodically automatically. This configuration lets you easily restore the system in the event of a failure.
Jobs are typically stored on a storage area network (SAN) or other network storage, but they can also be on the same server. However, make sure that the server is backed up when using the same server. We recommend clustering and backing up the network storage, and then determining the UNC path.
Windows print servers claim to support up to 10000 users.
Lexmark Document Accounting tracks transactions and stores the information for reporting. The basic Print Release application supports only tracking for jobs that are printed and deleted. Copy, fax, e-mail, and scan jobs are tracked when the Tracking feature is installed and when user authentication is used to access the device. The collected data includes the following:
User name
Job name
Release method
Job metadata such as color, duplex, and number of pages
A series of reports can be run ad hoc or on a scheduled basis for analysis and reporting. Reports may be created over a specified period using the data stored in the Print Release database and produced as PDF or CSV files. Scheduled reports can be saved or e-mailed to defined users.
LPM lets administrators define quotas for the maximum number of print and copy pages produced within a specified time. Quotas can be set per user or per group. Color quotas are the maximum number of color pages that can be printed or copied as a subset of the total user or group quota. For example, a user may have a maximum of 1000 total pages per month, of which 300 may be color pages.
The remaining number of pages available can be shown at the printer each time a user uses Print Release or the copy function. Quotas can also enforce a stop when the allotted page limit is met. A message informs the user that the quota is reached, but that the user is allowed to continue printing.
The Lexmark Print Management solution includes Print Management Console, a web-based utility that lets you manage and monitor the solution. Print Management Console is installed with a desktop icon on the server during the installation of the LPM solution.
Print Management Console lets you do the following:
View and manage current print jobs in the Print Release queue.
View and manage user and group print delegates (users allowed to release jobs on behalf of another user), if this feature is enabled in your environment.
View, manage, and register badges, if you are using badge authentication.
View and manage user and group quotas, if quotas are enabled in your environment.
View and manage alternate release stations (printers to which print jobs can be released from a given MFP), if this feature is enabled in your environment.
e-Task 5 printers1 | e-Task 4 printers | e-Task 3 printers | e-Task 2+ printers | e-Task 2 printers | e-Task printers2 | X642 printers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Only printers with firmware level 2 or later are supported. 2 These printers do not support eSF applications used in hybrid solutions. 3 These printers may be identified as “C,” “T,” or “W” models in Lexmark Management Console. 4 These SFPs do not support all prompts that MFPs support. | ||||||
7- or 10-inch-screen MFPs
4.3-inch-screen MFPs
| 7- or 10-inch-screen MFPs
4.3-inch-screen MFPs
4.3-inch-screen SFPs
| 7- or 10-inch-screen MFPs
4.3-inch-screen SFPs
| 7- to 10-inch-screen MFPs
7-inch-screen SFP
| 7- to 10-inch-screen MFPs
4-line character display SFPs
| 7- to 10-inch-screen MFPs
4-line character display SFPs
| 5.7-inch-screen MFPsX642 |
e-Task 5 printers1 | e-Task 4 printers | e-Task 3 printers | e-Task 2+ printers | e-Task 2 printers | e-Task printers2 | X642 printers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Only printers with firmware level 2 or later are supported. 2 These printers do not support eSF applications used in hybrid solutions. 3 These printers may be identified as “C,” “T,” or “W” models in Lexmark Management Console. 4 These SFPs do not support all prompts that MFPs support. | ||||||
4.3-inch-screen SFPs
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Notes: