On Wed, 5 Nov 2003, Jerome Alet wrote:

JA> Do you know if any of the numerous  Windows (c) (tm) (r) print
JA> accounting software use SNMP at all ?

The manufacturer's own solution most likely does, using their own MIB. I
can access the accounting data on my Xerox printers through the web
interface. Of course the authentication information there is the username
that comes with the job from Windows in the PostScript data. Easily faked
by sending a RAW job to the spooler with faked authentication info. So in
reality it is totally useless. But otherwise it seems nice, it counts
impressions correctly during duplex and also lists per cent black used per
page. I don't have Windows, so I have not tested it. The Windows hosts at
work authenticate and print via SAMBA (which then runs lp to send job to
LPRng).

JA> The only problem I can see with SNMP is that it doesn't allow the kind
JA> of accounting offered by PrintBill, which keeps records about ink
JA> coverage in all colors. PostScript and paper jams problems apart, this
JA> provides fair accounting for people who print mostly black text wrt
JA> people who always print their family color pictures...

If you go with one printer manufacturerar you could use their private MIB
to access that information. Xerox must have it as they show it in their
web interface.

JA> I've done some testing with retrieving ink levels from SNMP enabled
JA> printers (I've only got two very similar HPs, 2100 and 2200,
JA> unfortunately) but this is not precise enough : "full", "low",
JA> "middle" is the sort of thing I get.

JA> And now we would like to finally see the rest of the promised
JA> document...

You people sure are impatient! :-)

Henrik

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