Usage considerations by DSS for accounting information

This section contains more information about server accounting information by DSS. It also gives suggestions for working with the various DSSs when using the accounting information in InfoPrint Manager.

CUPS DSS

• If wait-for-job-completion is set to True and the job completes successfully or is cancelled, then the page count shown in the accounting log is the number of pages stacked at the printer. For example, a three-page document printed simplex records three pages in the accounting log and three pages are stacked; a four-page document printed duplex records four pages in the accounting log even though only two sheets are stacked. Depending on the printer and the backend used, jobs held at the printer log zero pages completed.
  Note:
  • When you use CUPS DSS, make sure that cups-libs version is 1.4.2 or higher for accurate accounting information.
  • If your physical printer has a time-out setting, make sure it is disabled or the time-out value is high enough when you specify True or Yes for wait-for-job-completion. A low time-out value causes incorrect information and the backend fails.
  • If your physical printer does not support nested PJL JOB commands, you must configure the actual destination printer-command attribute. For more information, see wait-for-job-completion.
• If wait-for-job-completion is set to False, the page count is not based on the number of pages stacked on the printer. In this case, InfoPrint Manager uses these methods to calculate a page count:
  1. The printer backend can return a non-zero page count that is based on the number of pages it is sending to the printer. If this number is returned, InfoPrint Manager uses it for the page count that is reported in the accounting log.
  2. If the printer backend returns a zero for the page count and if the user has specified a job-page-count with the job, InfoPrint Manager reports that page count in the accounting log.
  3. If the printer backend returns a zero for the page count and the user has not specified a job-page-count and the job is PCL, PDF or PostScript, then InfoPrint Manager tries to calculate a page count and records that calculated page count in the accounting log.
• Limitation: The octet count reported for cancelled or paused jobs might not be accurate.

BSD DSS

The page count recorded in the accounting log for destinations using the BSD DSS is based on these criteria:

• If the user specifies a job-page-count job attribute or a page-count document attribute with the print job, InfoPrint Manager records that number in the accounting log.
• If the user has not specified job-page-count or page-count, and the data being printed is PCL, PDF or PostScript, InfoPrint Manager tries to calculate the page count and records the calculated page count in the accounting log.

PSF DSS with TCP/IP attachment type

• On jobs that complete successfully, the page count shown in the accounting log is the number of AFP pages stacked on the printer, including start pages and end pages.
  Note: For n-up documents, up to n pages are counted for each sheet-side that prints.
• Limitations:
  • When printing a multiple-document job in which all the documents are ASCII, the accounting log only shows pages for the last document printed.
  • If a job is paused or cancelled, the page count shown in the accounting log might not be accurate.
  • On paused jobs, the octet count is always zero (0).

PSF DSS with Other-Driver attachment type

• If wait-for-job-completion is set to True and the job completes successfully, then the page count shown in the accounting log is the number pages stacked at the printer. For example, a three-page document printed simplex records three pages in the accounting log and three pages stacked; a four-page document printed simplex or duplex reports four pages in the accounting log even though only 2 sheets are stacked. Depending on the printer and the backend used, jobs held at the printer log zero pages completed.

  The page count recorded in the accounting includes the auxiliary sheets.

• If wait-for-job-completion is set to False, the page count is not based on the number of pages stacked on the printer. In this case, InfoPrint Manager uses these methods to calculate a page count:
  1. The page count recorded in the accounting log is the number of pages PSF reports it has sent to the printer driver, except for the case when the document-formats-ripped-at-destination actual destination attribute is set.
  2. If the document-formats-ripped-at-destination actual destination attribute is set to the input datastream and the job is PCL, PDF or PostScript, then InfoPrint Manager attempts to calculate a page count and records that calculated page count in the accounting log. The only exception occurs when the user specifies a job-page-count attribute and InfoPrint Manager records the user specified value of that attribute
• Limitations: The page count and octet count reported in the accounting log for canceled jobs is not accurate.

PSF DSS Command and Upload attachment types

The page count recorded in the accounting log for destinations using the command or upload attachment types is the number of pages PSF generates and sends to the printer or host system. It is not based on the number of pages received or printed by the printer or host system.

Email DSS

The page count recorded in the accounting log for destinations using the Email DSS reflects the number of pages generated and sent to the email recipient by InfoPrint Manager. It is not based on the number of pages received by the email recipient.

DFE DSS

• If the wait-for-job-completion attribute is set to True and the job completes successfully or is canceled, then the page count shown in the accounting log is the number of pages stacked at the printer. For example, a three-page document printed simplex records three pages in the accounting log and three pages are stacked; a four-page document printed duplex records four pages in the accounting log even though only two sheets are stacked.
• If the wait-for-job-completion attribute is set to False, the page count is not based on the number of pages stacked on the printer. In this case, InfoPrint Manager uses these methods to calculate a page count:
  1. The page count recorded in the accounting log is the number of pages PSF reports it has sent to the printer driver, except for the case when the document-formats-ripped-at-destination actual destination attribute is set.
  2. If the document-formats-ripped-at-destination actual destination attribute is set to the input datastream and the job is PCL, PDF or PostScript, then InfoPrint Manager attempts to calculate a page count and records that calculated page count in the accounting log. The only exception occurs when the user specifies a job-page-count attribute and InfoPrint Manager records the user specified value of that attribute.
• Limitations: The page count and octet count reported in the accounting log for canceled jobs is not accurate.