Overview

  • Monitors every print routed from a workstation to a networked printer via Dispatcher Paragon in real time, after printing is complete.
  • The Dispatcher Paragon license must include the online accounting option. If the license does not include online accounting, it is not possible to select the online accounting method for a device, and all devices configured for online accounting will be switched to no accounting as soon as the expiration of the license is detected.
  • Available for any LPR capable system. 

  • Available for any printer listed on the Partner Portal in the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). 

  • Online accounting disables the MFD's multitasking capabilities (with this accounting method, only one user at a time can operate the MFD).
  • With online accounting, there is a few seconds delay between each printed document because of the accounting mechanism.

  • The average network response speed from a printer to the server on an SNMP query must be less than 200 ms.

    Known Issues

  • When printing duplex jobs with blank pages, (for example, one BW page + one blank page + one BW page), blank pages may not be considered and the job could be accounted as BW duplex despite the fact that there are really two simplex BW pages. This depends on the current MFD counter's behavior, and how it handles blank pages, so it varies by MFD model and vendor.

  • When a user has multiple documents waiting to be printed, and the user selects "Print all" before login at a terminal, all jobs are printed, but they are still displayed in the waiting folder.
  • A counter difference is not detected during login at a terminal, so "anonymous prints" are not created.
  • Device monitoring for periodical checking of a device's counters is not supported yet.
  • Batch accounting of secure prints is not supported yet.
  • Online accounting of direct prints is not supported yet.
  • Online accounting of faxes is not supported.
  • Offline accounting of copies using a Smart Cable is not supported.
  • Online print accounting with coverage accounting correction is not supported yet.
  • Online accounting with an embedded terminal is not supported.
  • Online accounting with a mobile terminal is not supported yet. Online accounting is available only for YSoft SafeQ Terminal Pro 4.
  • A3 (large) print jobs are not accounted correctly on some Xerox machines (e.g., Xerox ColorQube 9303).
  • YSoft SafeQ Terminal Pro 4 becomes blocked for five minutes when a user tries to print a job from an unavailable status (offline or not running).

  • Displaying active device sessions from a Spooler Controller group does not give a correct result and has a destructive side effect. It is strongly recommended not to use this function in the Dispatcher Paragon management interface.

Tracks the number of pages that have really been printed by a network printer. Using this method, the tracking accuracy is typically 95-98 percent. Even with this method, Dispatcher Paragon is unable to identify the origin of various printed pages, such as service pages, printer status pages, pages originating from a printer web or USB drive, pages printed directly to the printer IP address, incoming fax pages, and pages copied without authentication. In order to achieve greater accuracy, it is important to follow the change management procedures when adding, moving, or changing individual tracked devices and limit outputs without an identifiable source. Tracked information varies per printer, but can include the total number of impressions, the total number of BW/color impressions (three tiers, where supported), the total number of small (A5/A4/letter) and large (A3/11 × 17/tabloid) pages, duplex usage.

Only reports print jobs routed via a Dispatcher Paragon server. Documents routed directly to the printer may be reported as "anonymous prints".