The efficiency of your organization’s print environment depends on three factors:

• Printers
• People
• Processes

For details on how to set new rules see Configuring and Using Rule-Based Engine.

Printers

The efficiency of each printer depends on its being used to optimally provide particular functions within the context of the entire print environment. For example, rule-based printing not only provides the ability to automatically convert specific print jobs to B/W or duplex, which saves direct printing costs but also enables large color jobs to be automatically redirected to more efficient MFDs – for even greater efficiency and added value.

People

From the user‘s perspective, print jobs can be automatically redirected to, for example, a smaller printer closer to the user's desk. Rules also make it possible for users to receive notifications about their print jobs and for scripts to be automatically run. That makes print-related activities easier and less time-consuming.

Processes 

Rules enable administrators to automatically control access to printer functions and to align print environment operations with an organization’s processes and financial strategy. For example, large jobs can be automatically prevented from being printed or can be redirected to the most cost-efficient printer.

How Rules Work

The Dispatcher Paragon Rule-Based Engine module enables system administrators to easily create rules that automatically cause an action to be performed or a notification to be sent. Each rule comprises three main components: Trigger, Condition, and Action. A rule may also include a fourth component: Notification.

Trigger

A trigger defines an action that may cause a rule to be executed and the time when Dispatcher Paragon evaluates conditions to determine if the rule should be executed.

Condition

Once the rule is triggered, conditions are evaluated to determine whether the action should be performed or not. When multiple conditions are defined for a specific rule, all of them must be met for the action to be performed. When conditions are combined as OR and not as AND, more rules can be set and these are evaluated according to their order.

Action

The action is the part of a rule that defines what Dispatcher Paragon does after the rule is triggered and the condition is met, typically, but not only, with a print job.

Notifications

The notification component is the last and optional part of a rule’s setup. Every rule can cause a notification to be sent to the print job’s owner and/or others. A variety of notification types are available.

How Triggers Work

The trigger is the first part of a rule that the administrator defines and it determines what may cause the rule to be executed. Each of the rule’s conditions, actions, notifications, or their combinations can require different triggers, enabling the creation of fine-grained rules to meet an organization’s specific, complex needs. The Dispatcher Paragon Rule-Based Engine module helps administrators by guiding them through rule setup and disallowing unsupported combinations of parameters.

First, the administrator chooses the point in the print process that triggers the rule. The rule can be triggered when the Dispatcher Paragon server receives a print job from a user’s device, such as a workstation, or from a print server. The administrator then defines the way Dispatcher Paragon will process the job, for example, to redirect the job to a different queue, such as a direct queue on a different, more cost-efficient printer. The administrator can now also specify that the rule causes a notification to be sent to the Desktop Interface, so a pop-up window appears on the user’s workstation notifying about the action applied to their print job. A trigger can also cause a notification to be sent after a user's logout or when a job status changes.

Next, the administrator sets what will occur before the job is released to the printer. For example, the trigger can cause the job to be rejected or for changes to be applied to the job, such as forcing it to be printed in B/W instead of color. The trigger can also, for example, cause users to be denied authentication at a printer.

Conditions for Actions or Notifications

Dispatcher Paragon provides a comprehensive list of conditions that can cause specific actions to occur or notifications to be sent, enabling the administrator to configure rules that meet an organization’s procedural needs.

User management conditions

Rules can be set for specific users, groups, departments, or roles. For example, a rule can be triggered if the print job was sent by a specified user or cost center.

Printers

Dispatcher Paragon can trigger a rule if a job is sent to a specific printer or type of printer. Furthermore, rules can be set for specific servers in the Dispatcher Paragon environment.

Print job specifics

Typically, the administrator sets a rule for specific job titles in which regular expressions are used to make the title match types of jobs as exactly as possible. This condition can apply to jobs printed from a specific application or to specific file formats by definition of the suffix (such as TIFF image files). Rules can also be applied to jobs based on the queue name or queue type. Furthermore, tags, size of the job, status, number of pages, size of pages or total number of pages printed within a specified timeframe can be used as conditions of the job which cause the rule to be applied.

Time of printing

Dispatcher Paragon can trigger actions based on time or day. For example, a rule that restricts printing on weekends or after normal working hours.

Actions - Force Duplex Printing and More

The action that makes the biggest impact on print cost savings is forced double-sided printing. Based on a rule’s conditions, an organization can specify which documents must be printed double-sided by default. Another action that results in cost savings is automatically converting color prints to grayscale. With these two simple actions, an organization can enforce rules that create significant cost savings. Rules can be set that, for example, apply to the entire organization, a subgroup, or only for specific time periods.

The Rule-Based Engine can also indirectly reduce costs by increasing efficiency and productivity. For example, rules can automatically add a watermark to confidential documents or print a predefined set of copies for specific types of jobs, saving employees’ time. Rules can also cause a print job to be automatically deleted if a prohibited action is detected – for example, if a print job is for a file in a specified format.

Notifications

Notifications proactively inform the user about the status of their print jobs and how the application of a rule may have affected their jobs. Users can receive notifications in a standard email message or, if FlexiSpooler with Desktop Interface is used for printing, in a pop-up window on their PC.

A rule’s notifications settings can also specify that an external script is executed. External scripts can be used to inform users and also notify the print system so administrators can track the number and type of notifications users are receiving. This enables administrators to review and make any changes required to the process or to communications to users.