The PPP Suite is broken into two main portions; Admin Tools used by an administrator to migrate printers,
move printers, define new printers, etc, and the Client application that runs on all end-user machines and
peforms whatever changes may be needed as a result.
Admin Tools - PPPAdmin.exe
These allow you to configure the various applications in the PPP Suite. To use the administrative tools, you need read/write access to the directory you are running them from, local admin rights to the computer
running them, and often network admin rights for many of the capabilities of the tools.
Note: The PPPAdmin tools are not intended for multi-user access. Multiple people making changes at the
same time will generally cause each other's changes to be lost, giving preference to the very last person
who made a change. Even if the changes are in different areas or applications, many datafiles are related
to each other and are read and wrote as a single unit. Excessive use by multiple people at once may cause
datafiles to become corrupt entirely.
End-user application - PPPClient.exe
This application is run by every user on the network and is responsible for implementing the
configurations made in the admin tools. There are many ways to configure this application to run and they
are described in the "Client installation" section. It can be setup to run once and exit when a user logs in, or
to stay running indefinately to monitor for changes. In some cases the Client may need more rights than the logged in user has, and in these situations, there are several techniques available to setup the Client
with appropriate access. See the "Client Installation" section for more information.
Which application do I want to use?
Novell Users
I have Novell printers (Queue, NDPS, iPrint) that do not have the correct settings when they get installed, and I want to configure them automatically - PPP Profiler
I need to configure settings on a printer but preserve already existing settings that are different on each end user machine (such as a user identification number that the printer requires for tracking purposes) - PPP Profiler
I am currently using Novell printers, but we are moving to windows print servers -- PPP Migrator
I am currently using Novell printers, but would like to start using Direct TCP/IP printers instead - PPP Migrator (and PPP Installer. See PPP Migrator's guidep for more information)
Active Directory Users (or Windows Networking only)
I have Direct TCP/IP printers installed on end-user machines but want to consolidate them all onto one or more print servers - PPP Mover (using special gathering options. See PPP Mover's guide for more information)
I have windows print servers but wish to move to Direct TCP/IP printers while still managing them centrally. - PPP Installer
I am replacing an existing print server with a new similar one - PPP Mover
I am replacing an existing print server with an incompatible server (such as 32bit to 64bit) - PPP Mover
I want to reorganize printers on existing servers, and/or rename printers on the same server and automatically map end-users to the new names/locations - PPP Mover
I want to push printers, and default settings profiles to end-user machines - PPP Installer
I want users to be able to install printers themselves from a searchable list (including Direct TCP/IP printers) with drivers and settings - PPP Installer
I have printers that do not have drivers compatible with my print server and all the end-users connecting to it and need to specify specific drivers for different operating systems (for example, a new 64bit server may not have drivers available for an older printer, or the 64bit driver may not be compatible with the 32bit driver, etc) - PPP Installer
I do not have Active Directory, but I wish to push printers out to users based on IP address, computer name, etc - PPP Installer
Quickstart
Download the latest version of the PPP Suite from
http://www.printerpropertiespro.com/downloads/PPP.exe
The archive can extracted to any path you wish. It can be moved at a later time, if needed, simply by
copying the files.
Start the program "PPPAdmin.exe"
Choose the component you are interested in, and start making configurations
Once you have tried some sample configurations, you can do a quick test of the client by simply executing
PPPClient.exe directly. Since some features of the Client require local administrative rights, if UAC is
enabled on your system, you may want to use "Run as Administrator" just to ensure desired behavior during
your tests.
Installation Guide
Choosing where to put the PPP Suite's files
The PPP Suite does not require any setup. Simply put the files in a location accessible
to all users. A few techniques are described below.
File Share
The most common technique is to use a single basic file share where everyone has read access, and
administrators have read/write access. This can be on a clustered resource, or any network device that is
compatible with Windows file sharing.
The easiest arrangement is a resource that can be accessed by any end-user using the same UNC address
(\\server\share) or mapped drive letter (t:\), but it is still possible even if the resource can't be
universally referenced by end-users.
Note: If you intend to run the client as a service, you must give read rights to "Everyone", or to the
Active Directory group called "Domain Computers" and the Built-in user "Network service". It is also
difficult to ensure drive mappings for a service so only UNC style addresses should be used.
i) Using a private working/testing area
This common variation uses two file shares. The first file share is an admin only file share. All use of
the administrative tools, and modifications to configurations occur from this share (it can even be a
local directory on a specific computer that isn't shared at all). This provides a working area, where an
admin can make changes to configurations and test them out before 'publishing' the changes to the file
share that end-users use. There is a built-in tool on the [Global] tab of "Client Settings" found in any
of the administrative tools labelled "Distribute Client". This can be used to specify location(s) you
wish to copy all the information needed by clients to, and to initiate the update. You may also use any
sort of file copying or replication techniques to simply copy the PPP directory and all sub directories to
the 'published' share that end-users use.
ii) Multiple file servers
This technique can be useful when you have several regional file servers that will host PPP Client for
end-users in their area. This allows you to use one location as your master location where you
make changes using the admin tools, do any testing, etc, and then 'publish' the settings to all your
regional file servers. There is a built-in tool on the [Global] tab of "Client Settings" found in any of
the administrative tools labelled "Distribute Client". This can be used to specify location(s) you wish
to copy all the information needed by clients to, and to initiate the update to the servers. You may also
use any sort of file copying or replication techniques to simply copy the PPP directory and all sub
directories to the 'published' shares that end-users use.
Note: When using multiple file servers, if end-users cannot all refer to their server by the same drive
letter, or UNC name, you may require additional work when setting up the PPP Client to run on end-user
machines, since different workstations will need different settings in order to point to the correct
server. Also, if the client will be setup to run as a service, drive mappings are generally not
available, so UNC names would be needed.
HTTP Server
This feature allows you to host the datafiles on an internal or external HTTP Server. If you do not
already have an HTTP server available, you will need to set one up which is outside the scope of this
document. The PPP Suite does not require any special configurations or settings and all common HTTP
servers are currently supported (as long as you can access them using FTP to update the PPP data files
being hosted).
To set this up, you will need a local copy of the application where you run the administrative tools from,
for configuring/changing settings to the various applications. Once you have completed your changes, you
publish the settings using the built-in tool on the [Global] tab of "Client Settings" found in any of the
administrative tools labelled "Distribute Client". You simply need to setup a target location specifying
the ftp server such as "FTP://server.com/path/". You will be prompted for a username and password to
connect with. The username and password are stored in a private location for the current user, on that
workstation only (in an encrypted format). If you attempt to publish to the server at a later time from
another machine, or user account, you will be prompted for the login information. You can not simply copy
files up to the server using other techniques. The files put on the server are compressed and have
special header information added for accuracy and efficiency.
Note: Some FTP servers do not support accurate file modification dates. As a result, you may see files
created in your local directory ending in ".ftp". These are special flag files that help the software
know which files are up to date on the server and which are not. If you delete the local files, the
software will assume files are out of date and update the server (even if it didn't need to).
In order for end-users to run the client, they will need PPPClient.exe in a local directory, or on a
fileserver that can be executed specifying the HTTP address as a commandline parameter such as
\\myserver\myshare\PPPClient.exe "workingdirectory=http://www.ourhttpserver.com/ppp/"
Specifying an http address for a working directory automatically implies the commandline parameter
"WorkOffline". For more information, see the command-line options section.
Coming soon... Full online solution for end-users to manually/automatically have printers installed and configured from
browsable web-pages. Contact Printer Properties Pro for more information.
Does the PPP Client need local administrative rights?
Below is a short list of common activities in the
various applications that can help you determine if the Client needs admin rights. If it does, and your end-users do not have sufficient rights, there are several techniques for installation that can help.
PPP Profiler: (Novell)
Configuring per-user iPrint printers does not require local admin rights
All other printer types require local admin rights for full functionality
PPP Migrator: (Novell to Windows)
Migrating Novell printers to AD per-user printers does not require administrative rights.
Deleting anything except per-user iPrint printers after the migration does require administrative rights.
Migrating captured printer ports does not require administrative rights.
Migrating to Direct TCP/IP printers requires administrative rights.
Migrating to per-workstation AD printers requires administrative rights.
PPP Mover: (Windows to Windows)
Moving any printer to AD per-user printer connections does not require administrative rights.
Moving any printer to a per-workstation printer connection requires administrative rights.
Deleting a printer after a move requires administrative rights if its a workstation printer (locally
installed printer with a network printer for the port, or an IP address for the port)
Deleting a printer after a move requires administrative rights if its a per-workstation printer
connection (a command that causes windows to create a per-user printer connection for every user that logs
in)
PPP Installer: (Push printers to end-users)
Pushing a per-user printer connections do not require administrative rights
Pushing direct TCP/IP printers requires administrative rights.
Deleting per-workstation printers, or direct TCP/IP printers requires administrative rights.
Client Installation/Launching the Client
A few simple techniques are described below. There are many possibilities and if you need assistance we would be happy to find a technique that works for you.
Launching from an Active Directory user logon-script
This is a common technique, but has become much more difficult with the introduction of
UAC in windows Vista and up. However, if all end-user are going to be local administrators, you are are
not using UAC, or the features you are using do not require local adminsitrator rights, then this is an
easy option.
To do this, create an Active Directory "Group Policy Object", edit the policy and add a "Logon" script under "User Configuration" -> "Policies" -> "Windows Settings" -> "Scripts". Create a batch file to use for the script (see examples in the
<PPP Suite directory>\tools\scripts\ directory), link the group policy to a computer, user, container, or domain, etc, and then
right-click on the linked policy and select "Enforced". You may wish to apply filters to the policy or to the batch file, to prevent the script from running on special computers like domain controllers, and print servers, etc. With default settings though, the Client wouldn't interfere with any operations on these systems.
This technique will run the client in the security context of the user logging in. If the Client requires local admin rights, and the user logging in does not have local admin rights, this may cause some functionality of the Client to be lost.
Launching from an Active Directory computer startup-script (AD Group Policy)
This technique is a very simple way to setup the client to run with local admin rights. The Client runs on a hidden desktop as the system user (much like a service) and uses a
seperate executable to provide an interface to the end-user when needed. This seperate executable runs in
the context of the user, reducing security risks of users interacting with applications running under the
system account.
To do this, create an Active Directory "Group Policy Object", edit the policy and add a "Startup" script under "Computer Configuration" -> "Policies" -> "Windows Settings" -> "Scripts". Create a batch file to use for the script (see examples in the
<PPP Suite directory>\tools\scripts\ directory), link the group policy to a computer, user, container, or domain, etc, and then right-click on the linked policy and select "Enforced". You may wish to apply filters to the policy or to the batch file, to prevent the script from running on special computers like domain controllers, and print servers, etc. With default settings though, the Client wouldn't interfere with any operations on these systems.
Everytime a computer starts up, PPPClient will be run (even before anyone logs in). The
client will continue running (even if users log in and out) until the computer is shutdown. If for any
reason PPPClient is closed or terminated (including commandline options that can close the client after
certain intervals), PPPClient could not be started again without restarting the computer.
Running as a service
This technique sets the Client to be launched by a service on the end-user's machine. This is very
similar to using a computer startup script to launch the client, but doesn't require Active Directory, and
allows the Client to be restarted without restarting the system. In this mode you can also just launch PPPClient.exe as a regular user, and it will detect the service and have the service launch the Client instead. This allows a restricted user to indirectly start the Client with elevated rights.
For more information see the readme.txt file in <PPP Suite directory>\Tools\PPPClientLauncher\.
Updating the application
When new updates are available the Admin tool will automatically let you know when you start it (or if you have disabled the notices, you can manually check for updates using "Check For Updates..." in the "Help" menu).
When you update through the Admin tools, a backup will automatically be made for the key datafiles and binaries in the event of any problem.
If you experience any issues with the automated updates, or prefer to update software manually, you can always download the newest version of the PPP Suite from http://www.printerpropertiespro.com/downloads/PPP.exe. This is a self extracting archive that you can simply overwrite your existing files with. We always recommend backing up first.
Several different Client installation techniques are possible, some involve copying binaries to end-user machines and running them from there using a 'WorkingDirectory="path"' parameter to point the end-users to the datafiles. When updating the binaries in the "WorkingDirectory", end-user machines will automatically obtain new versions of the binaries and use them. This makes the update process significantly easier in these instances.
PPP Profiler
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.
•
Novell NDS/eDirectory: PPP supports all versions.
•
Windows 9X/NT/2000/XP : Both PPPAdmin and PPPClient run on these versions of Windows.
•
Novell Client: PPP supports all versions of the Novell client, but we recommend always using the latest version.
•
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.
•
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.
3.
Install the program to a central location on the network, accessible to all users.
4.
The PPP installation does not modify the computer from which the installation is started.
5.
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.
6.
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.
7.
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.
2.
Install the NDPS/iPrint printers for which you want to create configurations.
3.
Start PPPAdmin, select NDPS or iPrint on the right, and browse the tree to find a printer to configure.
4.
NDPS Controlled Access printers are listed under their container, while Public Access printers are listed under the NDPS Manager in which they were created.
5.
Select the printer to be configured, and click Enable.
6.
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.
7.
Configure the desired properties, and click OK when finished.
8.
Click Continue on the PPP window that appears, and then click Apply in PPPAdmin (you must always click Apply to save changes in PPPAdmin).
9.
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:
1.
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).
2.
When started, PPPClient checks for installed NDPS and iPrint printers.
3.
If any installed printers have a PPP configuration saved, PPPClient retrieves the
configuration and applies it to the installed printers.
4.
After configuring installed printers, PPPClient drops to the background and waits
for more printers to be installed.
5.
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:
1.
Create a user group in eDirectory and add users that need the printer set as default.
2.
Start PPPAdmin and select the printer in the left pane
3.
Click the button next to the Set as Default Printer: box, and select the user group in the dialog box that appears.
4.
Click OK, and then click Apply in the PPPAdmin window.
5.
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:
1.
Start PPPAdmin and select the printer you want to modify.
2.
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).
3.
Click Configure Printer, configure the driver properties as desired, and click OK when finished.
4.
Click Continue on the PPP window that appears, and then click Apply in PPPAdmin.
5.
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:
1.
Start PPPAdmin and click Client_Options, Settings, Global tab, "Distribute PPP Client" button
2.
Enter the distribution path (mapped drive, UNC path, etc.) in the appropriate box, and click Submit to add the path to the box below.
3.
Repeat step 2 for as many paths as desired.
4.
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.
5.
The Log: window will show the results of the operation.
6.
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:
1.
Open PPPAdmin and click Tools, Printer Validation.
2.
Click Start on the dialog box that appears, and PPP will look for your configured
printers in eDirectory.
3.
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:
•
As soon as a printer is configured for any operating system, one license will automatically be deducted from the pool of available licenses.
•
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.
•
If a printer is configured as an NDPS and iPrint printer, it will consume 2 licenses.
•
Additional licenses can be added to your original purchase at any time. Please email sales@printerpropertiespro.com for more information.
•
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.
•
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
•
Start-up Delay
Time that PPPClient waits after being started before it begins to configure printers and make other changes.
•
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.
•
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.
•
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.
•
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
•
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.
•
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.
•
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.
•
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.
•
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.
