Learn the first steps to start monitoring USB printers. It starts with:
The installation of the DCA and Cloud Connector agent on the computer or server connected to the device to be monitored;
Enabling and configuring the monitoring rules;
The configuration of the service (optional).
By following these steps, you ensure that the environment is correctly configured so that printers are automatically registered in the portal and have their data collected, including registration data, meters, supplies, and events.
Instructions
Follow the steps below to start monitoring USB printers:
Step 1. Generate the agent installer (Windows)
Who can use this feature
Users with the Admin or Generate installer permissions
The installer is generated directly in the NDD Orbix portal and can be customized according to the organization's needs:
Warning
If the agent is already installed to monitor another device, it is not necessary to reinstall it on the same computer or server.
After creating the customer, access the menu Installations > Installers > Generate installer
In the Install Local Monitoring option, click Select
Click Generate installer
In the side tab, select the desired customer
Click the Generate installer button
Copy the link of the generated installer or click Send by email to send the installer link to the configured emails
When pasted into the browser, the file download will start automatically.
When you click Send by email, a side tab will open
Define the recipients:
System emails: select users registered on the NDD Orbix portal;
External emails: enter the email address in the field indicated and click Add. Repeat the process until you have included all the desired emails;
Both.
Click the Send installer button to immediately send the installer link to the configured emails
The link is valid for 90 days. After this period, you will need to generate a new installer.
After creating the customer, access the menu Installations > Installers > Generate installer
In the Install Local Monitoring option, click Select
Click Customize
Select the desired customer
In the Communicator connection to the cloud field, if Gateway Connector is being used to communicate with NDD Orbix servers, enter the address (IP or hostname) and port of the computer/server where Gateway Connector was installed, in the following format: IP:port If filled in, the address and port will be predefined in the installer.
Copy the link of the generated installer or click Send by email to send the installer link to the configured emails
When pasted into the browser, the file download will start automatically.
When you click Send by email, a side tab will open
Define the recipients:
System emails: select users registered on the NDD Orbix portal;
External emails: enter the email address in the field indicated and click Add. Repeat the process until you have included all the desired emails;
Both.
Click the Send installer button to immediately send the installer link to the configured emails
The link is valid for 90 days. After this period, you will need to generate a new installer.
Step 2. Install the agent in the environment (Windows and Linux)
Install manually on Windows operating system
Warning
If the gateway is used for communication between the agent and the portal, install the Gateway Connectorbefore installing the DCA and Cloud Connector agent.
Note
The installer is customized for each customer and cannot be used for customers other than the one selected at the time of generation.
Access the link generated by the portal to download the installer
Run the downloaded file
Select the desired language and click Próximo
First, the Microsoft .NET Runtime, Microsoft ASP.NET Core Runtime, EpsonNet SDK for Windows, and PawnIO applications will be installed. If they are already installed, steps 5 through 7 will be skipped, and the installation will proceed from step 8.
Click Next on the prerequisite installation welcome screen
Click Next to start installing the prerequisites
Wait for installation
Once the prerequisites have been installed, the installation of the DCA and Cloud Connector agent will begin.
Click Next on the agent installation welcome screen
Choose the Installation folder and Work folder and click Next
Click Next on the provider and customer information screen.
The fields will be filled in automatically according to the configurations generated in the installer portal.
Under Additional settings, if desired, select the type of communication (proxy or gateway) and click Next
If no option is selected, communication will take place directly between the agent and the portal
If Use proxy for communication with NDD Orbix servers is selected, enter the necessary proxy connection settings (address, port and authentication, if any) and click Next
If Use Gateway Connector to communicate with NDD Orbix servers option is selected, enter the address (IP or hostname) and port of the computer/server where the Gateway Connector was installed and click Next If the address and port have been previously configured in the NDD Orbix portal when generating the installer, these fields will already be filled in.
Click Install
Wait for installation and click Finish
Install silently on Windows operating system
Warning
If the gateway is used for communication between the agent and the portal, install the Gateway Connectorbefore installing the DCA and Cloud Connector agent.
Note
The installer is customized for each customer and cannot be used for customers other than the one selected at the time of generation.
DCA and Cloud Connector silent installation parameters
The parameters with "*" are mandatory and must be observed.
The parameters with "**" may become mandatory depending on other parameters used.
Warning
The silent installation of DCA and Cloud Connector must be performed using the parameters documented below. The other options displayed in the installer help (/? or /help) should be disregarded.
APPDIR – Configures the installation directory of DCA and Cloud Connector
Setup option: enter the path where you want to install the agent.
Requirement: optional.
Behavior if not configured: installs in the default directory: C:\Program Files (x86)\NDD TECH\DCA and Cloud Connector.
Example: APPDIR=C:\test
WORKFOLDER – Configures the directory of the DCA and Cloud Connector work folder
Setup option: enter the path where you want to create the agent's work folder.
Requirement: optional.
Behavior if not configured: installs in the default directory: C:\NDD TECH\Workfolder.
Example: WORKFOLDER=C:\test
ENABLEPROXY – Enables the use of the proxy
Setup option: checked = enabled.
Requirement: optional (do not use the parameter if you do not want the proxy to be enabled).
Behavior if not configured: proxy will not be enabled.
Example: ENABLEPROXY=checked
**PROXYADDRESS – Configures the proxy server address
Setup option: enter the proxy address.
Requirement: mandatory if proxy use is enabled (ENABLEPROXY=checked).
Behavior if not configured: proxy will not be configured correctly.
Example: PROXYADDRESS=192.168.17.10
**PROXYPORT – Configures the communication port of the proxy server
Setup option: enter the proxy port number.
Requirement: mandatory if proxy use is enabled (ENABLEPROXY=checked).
Behavior if not configured: proxy will not be configured correctly.
Example: PROXYPORT=12
ENABLEGATEWAY - Enables the use of the gateway
Setup option: checked = enabled.
Requirement: optional (do not use the parameter if you do not want the gateway to be enabled).
Behavior if not configured: gateway will not be enabled.
Example: ENABLEGATEWAY=checked
**GATEWAYADDRESS - Configures the gateway address
Setup option: enter the address (IP or hostname) of the computer/server where the Gateway Connector was installed.
Requirement: mandatory if gateway use is enabled (ENABLEGATEWAY=checked).
Behavior if not configured: gateway will not be configured correctly.
Example: GATEWAYADDRESS=192.168.17.10
**GATEWAYPORT - Configures the communication port of the gateway
Setup option: enter the gateway port number.
The default gateway port is 9635, but you can enter another one if you wish.
Requirement: mandatory if gateway use is enabled (ENABLEGATEWAY=checked).
Behavior if not configured: gateway will not be configured correctly.
Step 3. Enable and configure monitoring rules (Windows and Linux)
Who can use this feature
Users with the Admin or Managing service rules and Enable or disable general service rule permissions
When installing the agent, no services will be enabled. The next step is to enable the service in the NDD Orbix portal according to your needs, so that the agent takes over the service and performs device monitoring.
Go to Installations > Enable services
Locate the USB printer monitoring option
Click on the Edit button
Enable the service
If you enable it, all the registered rules will be activated. If you disable it, all the registered rules and the services that monitor USB printers (NDD - Printer Monitor USB) will be deactivated.
Click the Save button
Click on the Configure Rules button
By default, the NDD Orbix portal will have a rule registered for all customers and all computers, but disabled. You therefore need to create specific rules to configure USB printer monitoring for the desired customers/computers.
Create rule by customer
The agents installed on all the computers allocated to the selected customers will be monitored.
Click the Create > Create rule by customer button
Check All if you want the rule to apply to all customers (agents installed on all computers allocated to all customers will be monitored) or Specific client(s) if you want to add which customers the rule will apply to (all computers of the selected customers will be monitored)
If the Specific client(s) option is chosen, click the + Add button
Select the customers you want to add to the rule
Click the Add button to add and remain on the add screen or the Add and Close button to add and return to the page
Enable or disable the rule
If you enable and save the rule, it will be active for the selected customers. If you disable and save the rule, it will be registered but not active. To change the rule's status, you must register it again with the desired status.
Click the Save button to create the rule
If a rule is deleted and no new rule is registered for the same customer or computer, device monitoring will be interrupted.
Create rule by computers
The agents installed on all the computers allocated to the selected customers will be monitored.
Click the Create > Create rule by customer button
Check All if you want the rule to apply to all customers (agents installed on all computers allocated to all customers will be monitored) or Specific client(s) if you want to add which customers the rule will apply to (all computers of the selected customers will be monitored)
If the Specific client(s) option is chosen, click the + Add button
Select the customers you want to add to the rule
Click the Add button to add and remain on the add screen or the Add and Close button to add and return to the page
Enable or disable the rule
If you enable and save the rule, it will be active for the selected customers. If you disable and save the rule, it will be registered but not active. To change the rule's status, you must register it again with the desired status.
Click the Save button to create the rule
If a rule is deleted and no new rule is registered for the same customer or computer, device monitoring will be interrupted.
Step 4. Configure the service (Windows and Linux)
Access the documentation below to configure the service, if you want:
Once you have completed the steps above, all USB printers will be automatically registered on the portal. From that moment on, registration data, meters, supplies, and events will be collected. The printers will be available in the inventory and will begin to be monitored. To view the printer inventory, access View printer inventory.
In addition, you can also create a printer manually and associate it with an agent so that it is monitored. For more detail, access Create printer manually.