HP Best Practices For Managing Your Assets With Web Jetadmin ENWW C01840713

User Manual: HP HP Web Jetadmin - Best Practices for Managing Your Assets with HP Web Jetadmin

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BEST PRACTICES FOR MANAGING YOUR ASSETS

with HP Web Jetadmin

CONTENTS

Overview ................................................................................................................................ 2

HP Web Jetadmin implementation practices ................................................................................ 2

HP Web Jetadmin use............................................................................................................ 2

Users and permissions ........................................................................................................... 2

Hosting the application .......................................................................................................... 2

Concurrent user login ............................................................................................................ 3

Application performance ........................................................................................................ 3

Other resources for planning and implementation ..................................................................... 4

Enterprise systems management integration .............................................................................. 4

Using HP Web Jetadmin device lists ........................................................................................... 5

Refreshing devices ................................................................................................................. 6

Refresh Selection ................................................................................................................ 6

Refresh Selection (Full) ........................................................................................................ 7

Managing MultiHomed devices .............................................................................................. 7

Device uniqueness ................................................................................................................. 7

IP hostname vs. system name .................................................................................................. 8

Device polling .......................................................................................................................... 9

Poll rate settings .................................................................................................................. 10

Default poll rate settings ....................................................................................................... 10

Polling example .................................................................................................................. 10

HP Web Jetadmin device groups .............................................................................................. 11

Device group policies .......................................................................................................... 11

HP Web Jetadmin templates .................................................................................................... 11

Cloning device settings using templates ................................................................................. 12

HP Web Jetadmin task scheduling ............................................................................................ 12

HP Web Jetadmin task management ......................................................................................... 13

Active tasks ........................................................................................................................ 13

Scheduled tasks .................................................................................................................. 13

Application logging ............................................................................................................. 14

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OVERVIEW

HP Web Jetadmin is a client/server application that is used for remotely managing HP and non-HP

printing and imaging devices. It is a multi-user application, which means that many users can access

the software through simultaneous client sessions.

HP WEB JETADMIN IMPLEMENTATION PRACTICES

HP Web Jetadmin implementations should always start with an implementation plan. A formal,

phased implementation should be led and driven by a team of people. In some cases, executive

sponsorship may be required to accomplish a successful implementation. Finally, a deployment plan

should be created that meets the stated needs or goals of the installation. Following is a limited list of

questions to ask when developing a deployment plan:

 What is the main purpose of the HP Web Jetadmin implementation?

 Who will be using HP Web Jetadmin, and which feature permissions will be required?

 Where will the application be hosted, and what are the hardware requirements for a successful

implementation?

 Who will administer the HP Web Jetadmin implementation?

HP Web Jetadmin use

The implementation plan should consider how the software will be deployed, and the number of users

interacting with it. In some cases, HP Web Jetadmin is implemented for only one user, but more

commonly it is implemented for multiple users. An IT-supported server typically hosts HP Web

Jetadmin, but in some cases a personal desktop or client hosts it. Following is a limited list of usage

cases:

 Deployed at the helpdesk: Multiple users access the software occasionally for troubleshooting.

 Deployed to a print management team: Multiple users troubleshoot, configure, and update device

firmware on a regular basis.

 Deployed to a facility planning team: Multiple users access the application to generate reports

used in planning balanced deployment.

 Deployed to a single print manager: One user manages and monitors device usage.

Users and permissions

In all but the last case listed above, HP Web Jetadmin is deployed to multiple users. When the

application is deployed to only one user, the administrator and the user may be the same person. In

the other cases, there is probably going to be an administrator, and the users’ needs should be

assessed in order to provide the features necessary for completing tasks. For example, the helpdesk

staff may be tasked with only viewing device status and using some troubleshooting tools. Or, the

print or facility management teams may need only reporting features. In some cases, the administrator

may want to reserve features like application management or discovery to the administrator team. In

all cases, User and Roles features should be considered in implementation planning. See the online

Help or the “HP Web Jetadmin Security” white paper on the Self Help and Documentation tab at

www.hp.com/go/wja for more information about user security features.

Hosting the application

The HP Web Jetadmin Self Help and Documentation tab at www.hp.com/go/wja contains the “Web

Jetadmin Installation and Setup Guide.” This document is crucial for implementation planning. When

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considering the system specifications for hosting the application, it is important to understand how the

software will be used.

For example, the software can be hosted for:

 One user: a desktop host with the minimum system requirements is typically sufficient.

 Multiple users requiring occasional access: a host providing the recommended hardware and

software should be used.

 A business-critical team such as the helpdesk: a server-class host with extra memory and perhaps

dual processors should be considered. IT should be involved with the implementation to determine

the best hosting practices.

HP strongly recommends using a dual processor host with at least 2 GB of memory. While this is

above the minimum required hardware specified, commercial implementations of the software

function much better on server-class hosts. Disk system performance is also critical to the software

performance. Much of the disk activity is tied to HP Web Jetadmin’s interaction with an SQL database

instance. High-performance storage speeds up these operations and helps the application run much

better.

Concurrent user login

HP Web Jetadmin is architected for multiple-user access, and supports 15 or more concurrent

connections while maintaining high performance. Of course, application usage makes the

performance at each client vary somewhat depending on client load and the hardware hosting the

application. The hardware and software requirements should be considered when the application is

to be loaded with multiple, simultaneous user connections. For example, if one user performs a device

discovery for all devices in the enterprise while another user establishes groups and generates reports,

HP Web Jetadmin may exhibit slow performance on a slower host. System resources, network

bandwidth, and other factors impact software performance under these conditions. For information on

background tasks and task management, see “HP Web Jetadmin task scheduling” and “HP Web

Jetadmin task management,” beginning on page 12.

Application performance

HP Web Jetadmin, like many other applications, processes large amounts of data while allowing

users to work productively. When clients view device lists or access device configuration or status

details, HP Web Jetadmin uses CPU bandwidth on multiple device data retrieval. In addition, the

application collates and communicates device information back to multiple client sessions. An

observant administrator using tools like the Microsoft® Performance Monitor can view the result of this

background processing. Here are some characteristics

about performance and HP Web Jetadmin software:

 During background task executions, the application

may consume a high percentage of the host’s

processor for short time periods. This is normal.

 System processor consumption may be pronounced

on host systems that meet only the minimum hardware

requirements.

 System processor consumption may be pronounced on single host systems that are running both

the HP Web Jetadmin application and the client application on the same host.

 Performance gains can be realized with HP Web Jetadmin running on multiple processor systems.

RAM paging is a process that Windows® uses when it runs out of RAM (memory). When HP Web

Jetadmin runs on a host that has run out of RAM and the host has begun RAM paging, the application

may respond very slowly. The user interface (UI) and most applications on the host will be sluggish.

Steps can be taken to address this problem:

Best practice

Scale the platform to meet your

HP Web Jetadmin use model. For

example, reporting on thousands of

devices drives processor and resource

utilization.

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First, launch Windows Task Manager to see if the system has run out of memory. When Available

Physical Memory displays zero, the host is RAM paging. If this is encountered, and the host does not

have at least 3 GB of RAM, consider the appropriate actions:

 Add more RAM.

 Be sure you are using a separate host to run the client.

NOTE The client also requires a full 1 GB of RAM. Client and server applications running on the

same host tend to use lots of RAM.

 Scale back the amount of memory being used by the SQL instance (Tools, Options, Shared,

General settings). While this sounds like it will impede performance, it may actually free up some

memory to be used by the HP Web Jetadmin service.

 Evaluate your HP Web Jetadmin host and usage:

 Are too many users adding tasks like Discovery, Exporting, and Reporting to the system?

 Is it severely underpowered for the way in which it is being used?

 Is it being shared for other high-overhead applications?

 Is it being run on a virtualized operating system (OS) that is not set up with proper resources

or is it on a system that is itself underpowered?

Other resources for planning and implementation

A number of documents and online help can be used for planning and implementation of HP Web

Jetadmin. The materials are available by going to www.hp.com/go/wja and clicking Self Help and

Documentation, or from within the application itself, as stated below:

 “Web Jetadmin User Guide” (available via the software’s online help)

 “Web Jetadmin Installation and Setup Guide” (available via the software’s online help)

 “HP Web Jetadmin Migration Too” (available via the software’s online help)

 “HP Web Jetadmin Security”

 “Discovering Devices in HP Web Jetadmin”

 “HP Web Jetadmin Late Breaking News”

Enterprise systems management integration

HP Web Jetadmin provides a bridge link for enterprise systems management applications such as

HP OpenView or IBM Tivoli. These applications and others can be configured to launch HP Web

Jetadmin software for specific printers and other imaging devices found within the enterprise

application. Here is how an administrator might use this functionality when managing devices within

an application such as HP OpenView.

IT administrators can use HP OpenView, Network Node Manager to monitor the status of network

hosts such as routers, switches, servers, and devices. This is done within a Network Node Manager

displayed map of the network or network segment. However, to arrive at appropriate and specific

printing or digital imaging detail, the administrator requires the help of a tool that is focused on the

wide variety of features needed to manage these devices. HP Web Jetadmin is that tool.

Once the HP Web Jetadmin linkage, or “bridge,” has been created within HP OpenView, the

administrator simply configures any printing or imaging device to launch an HP Web Jetadmin device

view when they are selected. HP Web Jetadmin activates this device view launch with this simple URL

format: http://WJAServer:8000/device/xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx, where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is the IP address of

the device (you can also use the device hostname). When HP Web Jetadmin is launched in this way,

the application loads with the device pre-selected in the All Devices list within HP Web Jetadmin.

Again, the linkage used to support the HP OpenView bridge is generic enough to be used in any

enterprise systems management application that can be configured, or “bridged,” into an application

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like HP Web Jetadmin. Other enterprise systems management integration is possible depending on

the application. Talk to your HP imaging and printing account team about HP Web Jetadmin

Consulting engagements from HP Services, which are available for assessing and providing solutions

for your needs.

USING HP WEB JETADMIN DEVICE LISTS

HP Web Jetadmin has a powerful device list feature designed for use with device groups, filtered

device lists, and the All Devices lists. Device groups are lists created to organize devices into

manageable device sets based on user criteria. Device groups can be populated automatically with

filter criteria or manually by users adding and removing devices to and from the list.

Filtered device lists are any HP Web Jetadmin list with a filter applied to them. Filters are used to limit

the content of any list based on user-specified criteria. The All Devices list shows all devices

discovered and captured within the HP Web Jetadmin SQL database with the exception of hidden

devices.

Each HP Web Jetadmin list will display devices along a “y”—or vertical—axis and columns along the

“x”—or horizontal—axis (see Figure 1, on page 6). Columns display specific device data and can be

enabled or disabled, re-ordered, or used to sort the list according to the string value present for each

device.

Users can manipulate the columns on any device list:

 Enable or disable columns: Right-click the column or

choose the Layouts tool on the device list toolbar.

 Re-order columns: Drag-and-drop the column headers

or use the Layouts tool on the device list toolbar.

 Sort the list according to column content: Click the

column header. When you click a column header a

second time the list re-sorts opposite from the last

operation. For a secondary sort, hold down on the

keyboard shift key and click the desired column

header.

 Filter lists: Limit the content displayed using Filters on

the device list toolbar. Once filter criteria are

established and applied to a list, HP Web Jetadmin

evaluates the criteria and shows only devices that meet the criteria. Device lists with filtering

applied are evaluated and changed immediately, causing HP Web Jetadmin to gather the data

from the devices and store it into the database.

Once data is initially acquired, HP Web Jetadmin polls devices at a device list poll rate (for more

information, see “Device polling” on page 9) to continue evaluating devices for changes.

HP Web Jetadmin shows actual device data from the HP Web Jetadmin SQL database within lists or

displays one of three data messages:

 <Missing>: Displayed when the HP Web Jetadmin client has not yet received data from the

HP Web Jetadmin server. This can be quickly resolved by scrolling through the HP Web Jetadmin

device list or by clicking the column header to sort where the

<

Missing

>

message is displayed.

 <Unknown>: Displayed when the data is not yet present in the HP Web Jetadmin SQL database.

This data is collected at one of three polling rates (for more information, see “Device polling” on

page 9).

 <Not supported>: Displayed when the device does not support the data column present in the list.

An example of this is an older HP printer that does not support the device object Asset Number.

Best practices

1. Limit the content of any list by

using filters that have settings

based on user-specified criteria.

2. To reduce the amount of data

traversing the network between

server and client, as well as

between server and device, use

the Hide/Show Device tabs on the

Device List page. This can

increase application performance

and enable you to see more

devices within a list.

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Figure 1—HP Web Jetadmin device list

Searching the list can be performed by using the Search

Text field from the device list tool bar. An advanced

search tool can also be displayed by clicking the

binocular icon located next to the Search Text field. In

both cases, data content displayed within the list can be

searched and devices can be pre-selected based on the

search being performed. A few advanced search features are End list wrap, Regular expressions, and

Select all matches.

Refreshing devices

Refresh Selection

From the device list, right-click and select Refresh Selection or press the F5 key to get real-time status

information for one or multiple devices. With Refresh Selection, the HP Web Jetadmin client queries

devices directly for all of the data it is tracking, even if the data within the database has not expired.

After performing the refresh, normal polling and data threshold behavior continues.

NOTE Although Refresh Selection offers a snapshot of the device status at the time you perform the

feature, some device data—such as page counts—can change quickly, and may not be fully

accurate even moments after the refresh.

Hide/Show Device Tab

Best practices

To get specific information you need

quickly, use list features like filtering,

searching, and layouts.

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Depending on the number of devices selected, there may be a short delay in the data update

in your device list.

Refresh Selection (Full)

From the device list, right-click and select Refresh Selection (Full) to obtain complete device and status

information. With Refresh Selection (Full), HP Web Jetadmin clears device data for the selected device

and then re-retrieves the data elements important to device identification. This is useful when, for

example, you believe a device has become disassociated from the IP address recorded for it in the

HP Web Jetadmin database. If the recorded IP address for a device is correct, HP Web Jetadmin

simply updates the device status information, retaining all acquired data. If, however, the IP address

in the database is associated with a different device, HP Web Jetadmin performs the equivalent of a

device discovery and registers the new device into the database. Information about the previous

device remains as well, but Communication Error displays in the device list until HP Web Jetadmin

discovers it under a new IP address or it is deleted.

NOTE For performance reasons, Refresh Selection (Full) is currently restricted to a single device. To

refresh your device database, run a full discovery on your network, or on a specific list of IP

addresses using Specified Address Discovery.

Managing MultiHomed devices

“MultiHomed” devices have multiple IP addresses associated with them. HP Web Jetadmin supports

this configuration, and offers a dedicated Device List column to show MultiHomed devices. The

MultiHomed column can be added to any Device List Layout. Yes and No values indicate whether a

device is MultiHomed or not. When dealing with MultiHomed devices, keep the following in mind:

 Each IP address is considered as a separate and unique device in the Device List. For simplicity,

assume one device—Bill’s printer—with two IP addresses assigned to it, and two hostnames:

Bill_Printer1 and Bill_Printer2.

 If a user-defined object (like System Contact) is defined for Bill_Printer1, the definition displays for

Bill_Printer2 as well.

 When Bill’s MultiHomed printer is added to a data collection, both Bill_Printer1 and Bill_Printer2

are included as individual devices.

 When Bill’s MultiHomed printer is removed from a data collection, both Bill_Printer1 and

Bill_Printer2 are removed.

 If Bill_Printer1 is deleted from the database, Bill_Printer2 remains unaffected and displays as

active.

 If Bill_Printer1 is part of a data collection and is deleted from the database, only Bill_Printer1 is

removed from the data collection.

 If both Bill_Printer1 and Bill_Printer2 are included in a page count report, the output for Bill’s

MultiHomed printer is counted twice. As a result, HP strongly advises against including

MultiHomed devices in page count reports.

Device uniqueness

To maintain accurate data, HP Web Jetadmin identifies individual, unique devices by querying them

for a serial number. If a device does not have a serial number or does not respond to HP Web

Jetadmin’s request for a serial number, the device is marked as not being unique. Some third-party

devices (and even some older HP devices) may not respond with a valid serial number. In such cases,

HP Web Jetadmin may be limited in how it manages that device. In order to help manage device

uniqueness, HP Web Jetadmin now offers a dedicated Device List column called Unique, which can

be added to any Device List layout. Yes and No values indicate whether a device is unique or not.

When dealing with device uniqueness, keep the following in mind:

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Figure 2—IP Hostname and System Name

 Make sure a device is unique before starting any data collections on it.

 After a valid serial number is added to a device that has been collecting data, the historical data

from that device will be unavailable. This is because the device with the new valid serial number

is treated as a new device, unrelated to the data collected from the device when it did not have a

serial number.

 Make sure devices stay unique by following the proper HP procedure when replacing an

HP device’s formatter board (ensure the serial number is re-written to the new formatter board).

IP hostname vs. system name

In the HP Web Jetadmin device list, the IP Hostname

column is enabled by default. The column is populated

with a value from the hosting system name resolve API

(Gethostbyaddr). This request is based on the device’s IP

address and is sometimes called a reverse lookup. The

host uses a number of methods to resolve names that are

not covered in this document, but that include DNS

(Domain Name System) and WINS (Windows Internet

Name Service). If the system is unable to resolve device

name information the column will display <Unknown>.

Figure 2, at right, shows an IP Hostname column example

where both name values and <Unknown> exists.

NOTE: HP Web Jetadmin uses a call to Windows to get

device IP Hostname and then stores this value into an SQL

table along with many other device details. Web

Jetadmin puts a time-to-live setting on the IP hostname

attribute and won’t check back with Windows name

services until the value is at least 24 hours old. In most cases, Windows acquires this same value

from a DNS server (some environments may vary). Windows has a default DNS cache setting of 24

hours. See Microsoft documentation regarding DNS, name services and also adjusting DNS cache

settings.

System Name is another column heading, but it is not enabled by default. This reflects the System

Name object that is stored on the HP Jetdirect network interface. This object is a proprietary HP item

and is also called sysName. It may seem confusing that HP calls the sysName item “Host Name”

within the HP Jetdirect embedded web server (EWS) configuration interface, but there is a reason for

this.

The System Name, which in and of itself is not resolvable by the computer hosting HP Web Jetadmin,

can be registered into network name services like DNS and WINS. This is key to understanding why

in HP Web Jetadmin the System Name is sometimes mirrored in the IP Hostname column. Some

HP Jetdirect devices can have a WINS address configured on them. If this item is configured on the

HP Jetdirect interface, the System Name value could be registered with the WINS server on the

network and the system hosting HP Web Jetadmin, if it is

using WINS, could resolve that name making it appear in

the IP Hostname column. As well, a DHCP (Dynamic Host

Configuration Protocol)-configured HP Jetdirect interface

(for some versions) can register the System Name value

onto DNS by way of the DHCP process. If this occurs, and

if the computer hosting HP Web Jetadmin resolves names

via DNS (this is very common), the System Name value

also appears in the IP Hostname column. Read the

HP Jetdirect documentation to further understand both of

Best practices

Learn and understand your IT

department’s implementation of name

services as well as the settings on the

HP Web Jetadmin host computer.

Both of these items are key to

understanding the result in the

HP Web Jetadmin IP Hostname

column.

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these mechanisms. Also, the HP Jetdirect device behavior varies depending on its firmware revision.

Another item to consider with IP Hostname values is where the IP address may have been used before

for a previous device. A printer within the HP Web Jetadmin All Devices list may be configured with

an IP address that used to belong to a workstation or server. In some cases, these IP addresses could

have been configured via static means into network name services like WINS and DNS. Sometimes

you may see an IP Hostname of “GeorgesPC” and wonder how George’s PC became a printer. The

solution typically involves contacting the people managing the network name services and asking

them to undo the static reference. In addition, printers often use static IP addresses and, in order to

get the correct naming within the HP Web Jetadmin IP Hostname column, static name reference

configuration must take place on the network name service(s).

DEVICE POLLING

HP Web Jetadmin stores all acquired device data in the Microsoft SQL Server Express 2005

database that is installed during software installation. Once device discovery has occurred and initial

data is stored to this database, HP Web Jetadmin uses several polling methods to update existing

information or retrieve new device information. These polling methods work independently from one

another and can be adjusted regarding the frequency and quantity of device queries. The poll rates

can be adjusted to improve device list performance and also to adjust the amount of query traffic the

application generates. Also, all device information stored in the database has an age threshold that,

when met, can drive the software into polling the device directly in order to refresh stale data.

Consider this example:

Bill is responsible for managing 250 devices, and he needs to know whether device security features

and passwords are set correctly. Bill requires this information once per week, so that he can relay a

report to Cindy, his manager, that hardware security is in place. Bill uses an HP Web Jetadmin Group

listing named “Bill’s Devices” and a built-in HP Web Jetadmin list layout called Security. Security

layout shows Bill which protocols are disabled and which device passwords have been set. Bill can

use the column headers within the layout to find enabled or disabled security features and quickly

assess device states. How does polling feed into this scenario?

Here are a number of device polling rate settings that can be found under Tools > Options:

 Device Management > Device Polling > Background

Background polling is a new feature in HP Web Jetadmin 10.2. This polling mechanism is

enabled by default and runs all the time. It supports device lists as they display data for clients.

Any time a client host displays a device list, the columns enabled within that device list are added

to the poll mechanism. In this way, polling is shared between the HP Web Jetadmin system and

any clients that are displaying device lists. Background polling also supports filtered lists (found

within the navigation tree under All Devices) and any Automatic Groups that have been

established. The poll rate can be adjusted by navigating to Tools > Options > Device

Management > Device Polling > Background (for more information, see “Poll rate settings” on

page 10).

 Device Management > Device Polling > Device Lists

Device list polling is a mechanism that supports list data viewed directly through any client logged

into HP Web Jetadmin. This mechanism enables fast data updates from within the display view.

For example, Bill has 10 devices within a device group and has 15 data columns enabled. 7 of

these data columns appear on Bill’s display. This means that 15x7 items are queued into the

Device List poll mechanism and that Bill will see this data update very quickly. Device list polling

puts a priority on the data being viewed by users. This poll rate can be adjusted by navigating to

Tools > Options > Device Management > Device Polling > Device List (for more information, see

“Poll rate settings” on page 10).

 Device Management > Device Polling > Device Tabs

The Device Tabs poll mechanism supports the Status and Troubleshooting tabs within any device

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list and for any devices selected by clients. With the Status or Troubleshooting tab enabled,

selected devices are added to this poll mechanism. Data to support either or both of these tabs is

also added to the poll mechanism. When a client logs off or changes the display to some other

area of the software, these items are removed from the Device Tabs poll mechanism. The Device

Tabs poll rate can be adjusted by navigating to Tools > Options > Device Management >

Device Polling > Device Tabs (for more information, see “Poll rate settings” below).

Alerts and Supplies poll mechanisms and adjustment controls within Tools > Options are similar poll

mechanisms developed to support respective features. See HP Web Jetadmin Help for further

information on these items.

Poll rate settings

Each of the three polling mechanisms have three settings that can be adjusted by navigating to Tools

> Options:

 Polling interval setting, measured in seconds, determines the period of time in which HP Web

Jetadmin can send device requests onto the network.

 Time between polling intervals, measured in seconds, is an inactive period during which the

application does not send device queries.

 Number of devices per poll is the number of devices that can be queried concurrently. HP Web

Jetadmin places X device queries onto the network in a poll burst and waits for responses. It

continues to place X device queries onto the network each time a burst of queries are satisfied

with response packets, and continues to do this until the polling interval time expires.

Device Management > Status > Multi Device View has the additional setting Maximum number of

devices to show. This restricts the number of devices that can be displayed through device list tabs.

Default poll rate settings

 Background Polling Rates:

 Polling interval = 2 seconds

 Time between polling intervals = 10 seconds

 Maximum devices to poll at a time = 2

 Device List Polling Rates:

 Polling interval = 5 seconds

 Time between polling intervals = 7 seconds

 Maximum devices to poll at a time = 2

 Device Tabs Poll Rates:

 Polling interval = 5 seconds

 Time between polling intervals = 2 seconds

 Maximum devices to poll at a time = 3

Polling example

Consider the following example: Each of three clients has one device selected and also has the Status

tab enabled. The Device Tabs poll mechanism queries for information on all three devices during the

five-second polling interval. After responses are received from all three devices, the poll mechanism

waits for the time between polling intervals (two seconds). If there are more clients with more devices

selected, the Device List Polling mechanism queries three devices. Once responses have been

received from the first three devices, if there is still time remaining in the 5-second polling interval it

queries another three devices. If there is not enough time, the poll mechanism waits for the time

between polling intervals and queries the next three devices during the next polling interval.

Best practices

Devices have to be registered onto

pollers. By default, HP Web Jetadmin

does not poll devices until something

drives that polling, such as when

someone displays a list or status

information. Other ways polling is

initiated include alerts (scheduled)

and automatic groups (such as when

a group looks for certain IP

addresses).

Data collection reporting is its own

polling mechanism.

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HP WEB JETADMIN DEVICE GROUPS

As stated above, lists of specific devices are displayed through HP Web Jetadmin Device Groups. In

cases where the application has discovered thousands of devices, it is advantageous to segment

devices into smaller groups. In HP Web Jetadmin, Groups are populated using either Manual or

Automatic methods. Manual group membership is managed by users who can add or remove

devices. Automatic groups are populated with devices based on user specified filter criteria. In either

case, application performance and ease of device management can be enhanced by using groups.

For more information on HP Web Jetadmin Groups, see the online Help.

Device group policies

Create policies for automatically

applying various types of operations on

devices. Figure 3, at right, shows the Edit

Group Policies wizard, which offers

templates created from the various

feature sets. The templates are applied

when devices are added to or removed

from a group.

Polices that can be created on a per-

group basis include:

 Enable data collection

 Configure devices

 Upgrade printer or HP Jetdirect

firmware

 Manage device solutions

 Subscribe/unsubscribe to alerts on

devices

 Remove devices from supply group

NOTE In many cases, templates must be created before a group policy can be applied.

HP WEB JETADMIN

TEMPLATES

Templates are named objects for storing

HP Web Jetadmin feature settings.

Templates can be applied by a user

through a schedule or, in many cases,

using the Groups Policy feature.

Discovery, Alerts, Data Collections,

Reports, and Configuration can all have

associated templates. In the case of Data

Collection, time can be saved in adding

devices to multiple collection types by

using a Data Collection Template.

Figure 4, at right, shows a confirmation

pane for a Data Collection Template that

combines By User Tracking, Supply

Utilization, and Peak Usage data

Figure 4—Data Collection Template confirmation pane

Figure 3—Edit Group Policies pane

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collections every five hours. The Data Collection Template can also be applied through group policy

settings applied to devices as they are populated within a device group.

Templates save administrators time. A complex set of device configuration parameters can be created

and then re-deployed on a schedule, without requiring the administrator to continually reset

parameters. Configuration templates leverage configuration settings from an existing device, by

selecting the device in the Configuration area.

Cloning device settings using templates

Figure 5, at right, shows a device

configuration template being created for

an existing device. All settings intended

for the template must be selected for the

device. Once the template is created,

settings can be deployed to single

devices or cloned to batches of devices

by dragging-and-dropping, right-clicking,

scheduling, group policies, and more.

Templates can also be exported from one

HP Web Jetadmin instance and then

either stored or imported onto the same

or a different HP Web Jetadmin instance.

To find Export and Import configuration

templates, right-click Device

Management, then select Overview,

Configuration, Templates in the navigation tree. Templates can be imported only when they have

been exported from the same revision of HP Web Jetadmin.

HP WEB JETADMIN TASK

SCHEDULING

Many HP Web Jetadmin features can be

applied as scheduled tasks through a robust

scheduler. Figure 6, at right, shows the

scheduler interface for HP Web Jetadmin

Discovery. Here, we have enabled a

recurring schedule to start discoveries only

between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00

p.m. every three weeks on Mondays. If

other tasks are running during this time

period, the scheduler does not start the

Best practices

 Templates can be created from scratch or copied from an existing single device configuration.

 By selecting one or more models from a device list and using the Configuration tab to create

templates, you can create composite template settings based on model selection. This ensures

that configuration items stored in the template are only those supported by these devices.

 When “cloning” by using single select, right-click the configuration item header to select or

deselect all controls within a configuration category such as Security or Device. This speeds up

template creation.

Figure 5—Create Device Configuration Template

Figure 6—Discovery scheduler

13

discovery. The option to queue the discovery to start outside of this timeframe is provided by

deselecting Allow start time to occur between the specified hours of. Other features that can be

scheduled include Configuration, Firmware Upgrade, Reports, Predictive Supplies Reporting, and

Synchronize Data. Scheduling provides a means of organizing tasks that can impact the performance

of your network and HP Web Jetadmin. By planning and organizing when processor-intensive-tasks

occur, the administrator can keep application performance optimal.

HP WEB JETADMIN TASK MANAGEMENT

It is important to know what background tasks are being processed by the application, and which

tasks are scheduled to run at a future time. This section provides insight into a few task-management

features and offers tips.

Active tasks

HP Web Jetadmin has several features

that allow the administrator to see which

tasks are running and which tasks are

scheduled to run. The Active Tasks

modules are used to view running tasks.

High-level or overview areas such as

Firmware, Discovery, and Application

Management have Active Task modules

to display tasks that are either queued or

running. Other information displayed in

these task modules are Task Name,

Initiator, and Start time. Figure 7, at right, shows the HP Web Jetadmin All Active Tasks

module displaying active tasks from all feature areas.

NOTE Task modules are small feature blocks within the application that can be enabled in feature

overview workspaces or within the Task Module Docking Area. Task modules are interfaces

that provide detailed information and in many cases provide feature controls or launch

points.

Scheduled tasks

Another important aspect of task

management is keeping an eye on items

that have been scheduled to execute at a

future time (see Figure 8, at right). As

with Active Tasks modules, the Scheduled

Tasks modules can be launched from

within a feature overview workspace or

from the Task Module Docking Area.

These task modules show tasks queued in

scheduling and allow the administrator to

Best practices

Optimize activities around peak device usage periods. For example, if your company shuts off

printers at the end of the day, a discovery can’t be scheduled because it wouldn’t find those

printers. It’s better to discover during peak usage to see all of the printers, even though the

discovery itself might degrade performance.

Figure 7—All Active Tasks module

Figure 8—Scheduled Tasks pane showing Scheduled Discoveries

14

edit or remove the scheduled task. The interface also

shows who initiated the task schedule.

Application logging

HP Web Jetadmin includes an application log that shows

different activities as well as the users who launched them.

A variety of activities are logged here and can be helpful for both auditing and troubleshooting.

Figure 9, below, shows the HP Web Jetadmin Application Log.

Figure 9—HP Web Jetadmin Application Log

© Copyright 2015 HP Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without

notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying

such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be

liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States

and/or other countries.

c01840713EN, Rev. 3, August 2015

Best practices

Use historical configuration or

discovery data to track or resolve

issues or problems.