Overview of Printer Profiler (formerly Printer Properties Pro)
Printer Pofiler is the #1-selling, most-recommended printer configuration utility for Novell Networks that allows you to configure every printer driver on your network – without ever leaving your desk!
Designed specifically for Novell Administrators, Printer Profiler uses patent-pending technology to save printer driver configurations as a collection of files so they can be re-used to automatically and remotely configure printer drivers on every workstation. Quick to set up and easy to maintain, Printer Profiler consists of two separate software pieces, PPPAdmin and PPPClient. Administrators use PPPAdmin to define printer configurations for NDPS/iPrint printers, and store them on the network. Then, PPPClient runs on the end-user workstation and applies those saved configurations to the installed printers.
Novell NDPS/iPrint: PPP integrates with Novell’s NDPS and iPrint printing solutions, and cannot be used in conjunction with other network printing solutions.
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Novell NDS/eDirectory: PPP supports all versions.
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Windows 9X/NT/2000/XP : Both PPPAdmin and PPPClient run on these versions of Windows.
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Novell Client: PPP supports all versions of the Novell client, but we recommend always using the latest version.
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Rights: PPPAdmin users need read and write rights to the file system where you install it. PPPClient end-users need read rights to that same location. PPPAdmin users also require Browse Object rights to any containers in eDirectory with printers you want to configure.
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Hardware: PPP was designed to consume as little system resources as possible. If you can install Windows on your computer, you can use PPPAdmin or PPPClient.
Without purchasing a license, PPP can be installed and used to configure up to 3 printers on your network for free.
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Install the program to a central location on the network, accessible to all users.
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The PPP installation does not modify the computer from which the installation is started.
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The network location where PPP is installed does not need to be a NetWare server, but all users will need at least Read privileges to the program directory.
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After purchasing a license, you will receive an email with an attached file (NDPSC_License.txt). Save this file into the directory where PPP was installed, overwriting the existing license file, if necessary.
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PPP is now installed and ready for you to create and deploy printer configurations!
PPP can be used to create a separate configuration for each NDPS/iPrint printer. Because the different Windows operating systems use different printer drivers for the same printer, you can also create a different configuration for each operating system on which that printer might be installed. For example, if a printer is used by Windows 98 clients as well as Windows XP clients, a separate PPP configuration should be created for each one. These configurations are saved by PPP, and later retrieved by PPPClient to configure printers. To create a configuration for an NDPS/iPrint printer, follow these steps:
1.
Select a computer with the desired version of Windows installed.
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Install the NDPS/iPrint printers for which you want to create configurations.
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Start PPPAdmin, select NDPS or iPrint on the right, and browse the tree to find a printer to configure.
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NDPS Controlled Access printers are listed under their container, while Public Access printers are listed under the NDPS Manager in which they were created.
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Select the printer to be configured, and click Enable.
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If this NDPS printer is not installed on your workstation, you will be prompted to install it. Otherwise, the printer properties page for that printer will appear.
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Configure the desired properties, and click OK when finished.
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Click Continue on the PPP window that appears, and then click Apply in PPPAdmin (you must always click Apply to save changes in PPPAdmin).
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Your configuration is now saved, and ready to be deployed.
After a PPP configuration has been created and saved, it can be deployed to the
users to configure their NDPS or iPrint printer. A configuration created on a
Windows 2000 computer, should be deployed to a Windows 2000 client, etc.
PPPClient requires no installation on the end-user workstation, but simply runs from
a network location. It can be started using any method desired (ie. a login script, a
Windows shortcut, a NAL object). To deploy a PPP configuration, follow these
steps:
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The PPPClient.exe runs on the client computer and needs to be started from the
PPP installation directory on the server, or a configuration distribution location
(click here to find out how to do this).
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When started, PPPClient checks for installed NDPS and iPrint printers.
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If any installed printers have a PPP configuration saved, PPPClient retrieves the
configuration and applies it to the installed printers.
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After configuring installed printers, PPPClient drops to the background and waits
for more printers to be installed.
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With PPPClient running in the background, if the end-user installs a new NDPS
or iPrint printer, PPPClient will immediately configure the printer.
Printer Properties Pro can be used to set the default printer on a user’s workstation, if necessary, and override the default printer set by NDPS. In order to set the default printer for a user or a group of users, follow these steps:
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Create a user group in eDirectory and add users that need the printer set as default.
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Start PPPAdmin and select the printer in the left pane
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Click the button next to the Set as Default Printer: box, and select the user group in the dialog box that appears.
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Click OK, and then click Apply in the PPPAdmin window.
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For all users in the group you selected, that printer will now be the default after running PPPClient on their workstation.
Once a PPP configuration has been created, it can be modified and deployed to all the appropriate users. To ensure that end-users get the most current configuration for each printer, PPP uses a configuration version number. To modify a configuration, follow these steps:
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Start PPPAdmin and select the printer you want to modify.
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Increment the version number by clicking on the red arrow (note that these changes only apply to the configuration for the operating system you are currently using).
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Click Configure Printer, configure the driver properties as desired, and click OK when finished.
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Click Continue on the PPP window that appears, and then click Apply in PPPAdmin.
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Next time PPPClient runs, the new configuration will be used to set printer properties.
*Note that you only need to increment the Version ID if you have previously set PPP to NOT Distrubute Printer Properties Always.
PPPAdmin saves all printer configurations in the PPP install directory and subdirectories. When PPPClient runs on the workstations, it retrieves printer configurations from those same directories. Because this may not be efficient network usage for WAN links, PPP allows the distribution of saved configurations to other servers on the network. The distribution tool saves PPP configurations as well as the PPPClient to servers you specify. From there, end-users can run PPPClient and retrieve configurations from a server closer to them, and thus minimize network traffic. To distribute PPP configurations to other servers, follow these steps:
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Start PPPAdmin and click Client_Options, Settings, Global tab, "Distribute PPP Client" button
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Enter the distribution path (mapped drive, UNC path, etc.) in the appropriate box, and click Submit to add the path to the box below.
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Repeat step 2 for as many paths as desired.
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Click Distribute Client Package to send the files to your chosen paths. PPPAdmin performs this task like a normal file copy operation, so you must have the appropriate rights to save files to the chosen paths.
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The Log: window will show the results of the operation.
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If a PPP configuration is modified after configurations have been distributed, repeat steps 1 – 5 above to ensure all remote locations have the current configuration.
Configurations may sometimes need to be removed from PPP. When a printer is
removed from eDirectory PPP does not automatically remove the configurations for that
printer, and the printer will still show up in PPPAdmin. The Printer Validation tool allows
you to compare current NDPS/iPrint printers to your saved PPP configurations, to find
any that should be removed. This tool can be used as often or as little as desired, in
order to synchronize PPP with eDirectory. To use this tool, follow these steps:
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Open PPPAdmin and click Tools, Printer Validation.
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Click Start on the dialog box that appears, and PPP will look for your configured
printers in eDirectory.
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If a configured printer is not found in eDirectory, PPP will prompt you to delete
the configuration files for that printer.
Printer Properties Pro is licensed on a per-printer basis. For each license, one printer can be configured (for all operating systems), saved, and deployed to end-users. PPP tracks for you how many licenses have been used and how many are remaining. Some important notes about printer licensing:
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As soon as a printer is configured for any operating system, one license will automatically be deducted from the pool of available licenses.
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If a printer’s configurations (for all operating systems) are removed using PPPAdmin, the license used by that printer will automatically return to the pool of available licenses.
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If a printer is configured as an NDPS and iPrint printer, it will consume 2 licenses.
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Additional licenses can be added to your original purchase at any time. Please email sales@printerpropertiespro.com for more information.
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PPPAdmin displays in the status bar how many total licenses you purchased and how many have been used.
The new printer template feature allows you to simultaneously create printer configurations for more than one printer of the same driver. This represents a huge time savings for larger organizations with more printers. The configuration process is still basically the same, except that you do not have to install each printer now, and you can select multiple printers in the NDS browser. Here’s how it works and looks.
Step 1 - Select a single template printer.
Each time you use the template feature, you will first select a single printer to be the template. This printer must be installed on your computer in order for you to make configuration settings. This printer does not need to be previously Enabled or Configured.
Step 2 - Select the rest of the printers you want to receive the same configuration.
Use the ctrl or shift key to select as many printers as you want. ***IMPORTANT*** These printers MUST ALL be using the exact same driver and version.
Step 3 - Enable and Configure the printers.
If necessary, click Enable to enable all the printers.
Once enabled, the right pane should show the template printer, or the first one selected, in the Printer Name box.
At this point, you may or may not have a timestamp in the Last Configured area. If you do, that means you had a previous configuration on the template printer, and it will be shown when open the properties. If you don’t, that’s okay. Now click Configure Printer Properties, and the printer driver for your template printer will open.
Step 4 – Configure the Driver
Configure the driver settings as desired, and the same as in previous versions of PPP. When finished, click Ok on the driver window to save your settings, and then click Continue in the small PPP window that appears. You should now see a timestamp in the appropriate OS box for your printer.
Click Apply to save your settings. When you do this, PPP runs through the list of printers you have selected on the left, and creates configuration files for each one, the same as if you had installed and configured each one.
When you need to change a printer’s settings, you can change one printer or as many as you want, following the same procedure as before. Just pick one printer to be your template, install it, select it first, then select as many other printers as you want to change.
By selecting your template printer first, it will already be configured the way you had it before, so you don’t have to guess. Step through the configuration and when you’re finished, PPP will create new, modified configurations for each of the printers selected.
Shows the log window to the end-user when running PPPClient. This is used mainly for troubleshooting.
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Use Short Printer Names When Possible
This setting is for Migrator / Mover / Converter Only. If checked the printers will be installed on the end user machine in "short" format instead of the full server name.
With it checked: printer on server
Without it checked: printer on server.subdomain.domain.com
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Start-up Delay
Time that PPPClient waits after being started before it begins to configure printers and make other changes.
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Wait Time After Printer Changes
When a new printer is installed, PPPClient will notice the change and run again to configure the new printer. Adjust this time as necessary to allow the printer to finish installing completely before PPPClient attempts to make changes.
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Check for Changes
PPPClient will check for changes to the configuration files and will apply the new changes. For example: If you have the it set to 10 minutes and the change "use short printer names when possible" setting, PPPClient will know the change has been made in 10 minutes and start using short names.
* The default of "0" means the PPPClient will run at login and exit.
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Client Priority
Use this to assign the priority of the PPPClient.exe process while being executed by the computer processor. The default of low allows users to continue to work without noticing a performance hit when PPPClient.exe has work to do.
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Distribute PPPClient Package
Use this tool to send PPPClient and all necessary files to remote locations so they can run the client from a local server.
Profiler Tab
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Use XP on 2000
By checking this setting you tell PPPAdmin to not have separate configuration files for 2000 and XP. If checked the interface will only show one entry for the XP/2000 operating systems. If unchecked you can specify a configuration for 2000 and a separate configuration for XP. If the drivers are the exact same it is useful to simply check this option and only make one configuration for both operating systems.
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Distribute all printer properties always
PPPClient display a log window on the end-user workstation that is helpful in the troubleshooting process. This option is off by default, and the users are unaware that the changes are being made. To turn this option on for all clients, open the Client_Options menu in PPPAdmin, and check the box next to Show Client Window on Workstations.
*Note: the log window can also be displayed on a per-machine basis by starting PPPClient using the command line parameter NOMINIMIZE. For example: Y:\PPP\PPPClient.exe NOMINIMIZE.
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Force reconfiguration of all printers
If checked the printer configurations will be reapplied every x minutes. If a end user changes the settings they will be changed back to the way you want them every x minutes.
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Printer Processor Information
By using the default "Do not distribute printer processor information" the end user will have the printer processor selected that NDPS uses. We highly recommend you leave this at the default value unless you understand the results of changing the printer processor. This feature is for Admins that want to change the printer processor (click "configure printer properties, advanced tab, Printer Processor button) for end users. A customer mistakenly had the wrong printer processor configured for the printer on his local machine and distributed this value to the other end users causing problems, so by default the printer processor information is not distributed anymore and this option is there just in case you have a rare need to use it.
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Distribute PPP Client
Use this tool to send PPPClient and all necessary files to remote locations so they can run the PPPClient from a local server.
Mover, Migrator, Converter, Tabs - See associated product user guide for explanation of option in these tabs.
