Copy Tracking

Copy Tracking Overview

Description

YSoft SafeQ tracks all produced copies and provides addressed reporting per device and user

  • see Configuring Copy Tracking for configuration and deployment information.

  • see Available Copy Tracking Methods for more information and limitations

  • images/s/-3eliqb/8502/404359a7d2ab19c9c7c58d12013124a386b28257/_/images/icons/emoticons/warning.svg For various reasons YSoft SafeQ is typically able to address about 95-98 per cent of tracked pages to individual users or departments, the difference is caused by various service prints, system status prints, direct IP printing, server restarts, and limitations on the page meter handling by devices.

User Stories

CopyTracking - As a Manager I want to receive reports for the copy activity on controlled copiers / MFPs so that I have information to optimize our printing environment.

Requirements

  • SafeQ system shall collect information per each copy, device and user.

  • SafeQ system shall collect detailed information for each copy job: amount of pages per paper size (in two sizes: large and normal), amount of color/monochrome pages and duplex usage.

Dependencies / Non Functional Requirements

  • SafeQ Server must be installed and available within LAN with Identity management established

  • MFD Walkup Functions Control must be established

Caveats

  • images/s/-3eliqb/8502/404359a7d2ab19c9c7c58d12013124a386b28257/_/images/icons/emoticons/warning.svg For various reasons YSoft SafeQ is typically able to address about 95-98 per cent of tracked pages to individual users or departments, the difference is caused by various service prints, system status prints, direct IP printing, server restarts, and limitations on the page meter handling by devices.

  • see Available Copy Tracking Methods for more information and limitations

Licensing

Copy tracking feature is a standalone licensed feature since YSoft SafeQ 5.0 with following limitation if license for the feature expires or is not available in a license. Please see License content per version to review all SafeQ version and availability of a feature.

  • User's rights for copying are ignored.

  • User does not have option to select copying on a terminal.

  • All received accounting data from MFPs are ignored

Authenticated Copying Diagram

This workflow is typically used for MFD Walkup Functions ControlCopy TrackingProject Copy and Scan Tracking or Scan Tracking

Card / PIN based authentication

images/download/attachments/21955340/copy-card.png

PKI (SmartCard based) or Login/Password based authentication

images/download/attachments/21955340/copy-pki.png

  1. User information is typically replicated from LDAP server using secured (server-authenticated) LDAP/S connection. This step is however purely optional. See Identity management for additional details.

  2. User swipes/inserts the card and/or enters the PIN code. The information is transferred to SafeQ using TLS based secure protocol (with client only authentication - server verifies identity of terminal). Sever looks up the internal SQL database to find the user record connected with the entered PIN code or card ID.

    1. if Smart Card authentication or login/password authentication is used SafeQ server uses Kerberos v5 protocol to get the Ticket Granting Ticket information (TGT) form Kerberos server.

    2. Kerberos sends encrypted information back to the server

    3. Server uses the secured connection to decipher the data

    4. Server gets the deciphered data and looks up the internal database for respective user record

  3. If the user is authorized to copy, the device panel is unlocked (either using serial smart blocking cable from terminal or internal mechanism in case of MFP panel integrated (embedded) terminal.

  4. SafeQ gathers the accounting data using several mechanisms (see Available Copy Tracking Methods). If the online accounting method is used, SNMP protocol is used to gather the current page meter information from the printer.

  5. In case of vender provided accounting, the accounting information is transferred to SafeQ from printer using SOAP or HTTPS POST message.