Solutions Report. Samsung SyncThru Admin 5 OVERVIEW

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1 BUYERS LAB AUGUST 2007 Solutions Report A BLI Network Device Management Software Assessment JUNE 2009 Samsung SyncThru Admin Ease of Use... Device Discovery... Device Monitoring... Device Management... User Management... Integration... Reporting... Documentation, Support and Training... OVERVIEW Samsung SyncThru Admin 5 is a server-based network device management utility that provides network administrators and help-desk staff with centralized management, maintenance, auditing and support capabilities for networked MFPs and printers. Once installed, SyncThru Admin 5 can be accessed via a Web browser, and the utility works with networked Samsung devices as well as SNMP-compliant output devices from other manufacturers, provided those devices have an industry-standard printer MIB (Management Information Base). SyncThru Admin 5 allows administrators to remotely discover devices on the network, quickly discern the status of devices and consumables, group devices for streamlined management, clone settings to like devices, distribute printer drivers over the network and update firmware. Users can also generate detailed reports showing device settings and usage. Two add-in modules expand the functionality of the core product. With the SyncThru Admin 5 Device Map Plugin, administrators can organize devices based on location and create maps showing where each device is located, which can make it easier to service and administer devices. With the SyncThru Admin 5 Job Accounting Plug-in, users of the utility can track, analyze and allocate the costs of every document that any employee sends to any networked device. This can help a company eliminate unauthorized jobs, enforce quotas on color output, allocate output costs to departments or clients, and analyze exactly what jobs have been performed by the devices

2 Product Profile Product: Samsung SyncThru Admin 5 Test Version: Version Software Developer: Supported Devices: Suggested Retail Price: Free Samsung Electronics Company, Ltd. All network-capable Samsung MFPs and printers, as well as SNMPcompliant output devices from other manufacturers that are compliant with the standard printer MIB Server Requirements: Hardware: 1.0-GHz Pentium III or faster, 1 GB RAM, 1 GB hard disk space; for environments with greater than 500 devices under management, additional resources may be required Operating system: Microsoft Windows Server 2000, Server 2003, XP Pro, or Vista (Business, Enterprise or Ultimate) Other: PostgreSQL (included) or Microsoft SQL Server Express 2005 Client Workstation Requirements: Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or later, Apple Safari 3.0 or later, or Chrome 1.0 or later Features New to Samsung SyncThru Admin 5 Top-level Dashboard and more complete device list for improved monitoring Drag-and-drop user interface alert notifications Ability to manage LDAP/Domain users in addition to local users Support for external Microsoft SQL Server databases History tracking to show completed or scheduled tasks Automatic and customized grouping of devices Functionality such as device cloning, file storage, local device discovery and report generation now built in and no longer delivered via separate plug-ins 2

3 What We Thought While all of the network device management utilities BLI has evaluated deliver the same basic discovery and monitoring capabilities, technicians found that ease of use, as well as advanced features such as reporting capabilities and the ability to limit end-user access to devices, varies widely from one solution to the next. Overall, Samsung SyncThru Admin 5 is superior to almost every other utility BLI has tested, and on par with the best in the class. Thanks to its Dashboard top-level view, drag-and-drop functionality and customizable user interface, the Samsung utility delivers a more user-friendly interface than most competitors. It also delivers more complete functionality, including built-in graphical reports and the ability to discover and monitor local devices connected to networked PCs. With the addition of the free Job Accounting plug-in, SyncThru Admin 5 adds the ability to control end-user access to device features (such as color printing) and the ability to track jobs for accounting purposes both of which are not found in most other management utilities. Most others also don t provide the handy device-map features found in Samsung s free Device Map plug-in. That said, while Samsung has done away with several plug-ins that were required in version 4, administrators still must download and install the Device Map plug-in and Job Accounting plug-in for complete functionality. Strengths Weaknesses Fast, easy installation procedure Intuitive drag-and-drop user interface Accurate device discovery and status reporting Robust log and graphical reporting capabilities Free Job Accounting plug-in allows administrators to track and limit device usage by user or group Free Device Map plug-in delivers map view not offered by competing utilities Accounting and mapping functions require separate plug-ins Compatible only with Windows Server network operating environments No integration with Active Directory or enterprise-level management utilities 3

4 Ease of Use SyncThru Admin 5 is one of the easiest-to-use network device management utilities BLI has tested to date. The utility is available as a free download from the company s Web site, and finding the solution is very easy thanks to the intuitive structure of the site. The size of the SyncThru Admin download files (including plug-ins) is 109 MB, which is 50 MB to 150 MB smaller than that of most competing utilities downloads, saving administrators precious time. Thanks to its embedded SQL-compatible database, installing SyncThru Admin is markedly simpler than setting up utilities that require an administrator to also install and configure a Microsoft SQL Server database component. In fact, installing Sync- Thru Admin took BLI technicians approximately 10 minutes, which is about half the time that was required to install most other network management utilities BLI has tested. Unlike some other programs, however, SyncThru Admin does not automatically add an icon for the utility onto the user s desktop. Instead, it must be launched from the folder added to Windows Start menu; from there, users can choose to create their own desktop shortcut or to add the URL of the Web-based service to their browser s Favorites list. BLI technicians noted only two negatives in terms of installation and setup. First, to enable all of the functionality SyncThru Admin offers, administrators must download and install the main program plus two additional plug-ins: the Job Accounting plug-in and the Device Map plug-in. While this modular approach frees administrators from the clutter of features they don t want, it means extra steps compared to an integrated approach for users that do want all the available functionality. Second, unlike some competing utilities, SyncThru Admin does not prompt the administrator to set up and execute an initial device discovery upon completion of the installation process. That task must be completed separately upon launching the application for the first time. Once it s installed, using the utility is easy thanks to SyncThru Admin s interface, which is both pleasing to look at and intuitive to navigate. The main screen s dashboard view provides individual widgets (similar in concept to the applets available for Windows Vista) that show information at a glance. The dashboard is fully customizable, letting administrators choose from a default list of widgets Device Status, Disconnected Device Status, Consumables Status, Unresolved Error Devices, Current Alerts and allowing them to place the widgets in the order they like via simple drag-and-drop actions. SyncThru Admin 5 s main UI features a Dashboard motif that can be customized with a number of quick-glance widgets. 4

5 The Dashboard Settings tab shows both default and customized groups of devices, with the total number of devices in a given group followed by the number (in red) of those devices that need attention. SyncThru Admin automatically creates Consumables Groups, so Samsung devices that share common consumables can be seen together. In addition, the sizes of panels and columns throughout SyncThru Admin can be changed via simple drag-and-drop actions, and columns on device lists can be easily resized and re-sorted with the click of the mouse. The user interface is extraordinarily customizable, and users can easily select which attributes to display on the device list and change the order in which columns are presented. The steps below illustrate how to set up a discovery task using SyncThru Admin 5. From the Discovery Settings area under the Devices tab, enter the parameters for the discovery task, such as IP Broadcast, SLP Multicast, an IP range and so on, then click Start or enter the scheduling information. Click on the Group/List entry to see the newly created or updated device list. 5

6 Tech Speak: SNMP and MIB The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a basic protocol that makes it possible to have computer networks, including both the LAN in the office and the wider Internet. Technically speaking, it is designed to facilitate the exchange of management information between network devices, such as desktop PCs, network switches and routers. By using SNMP data, network administrators can manage networked devices, monitor network performance and solve network problems. The Management Information Base (MIB) is a virtual database describing a particular piece of hardware that is attached to a computer network. Data stored in the MIB tells the network what the device is (a printer, a copier or a fax machine), what it can do and other basic information about the hardware. For network device management utilities, the MIB is the source of information on device configuration and utilization, such as meter counts. MIBs and SNMP were originally created and deployed to manage the routers and switches that make up a computer network. Today there are hundreds of different MIBs for any kind of hardware that needs to be connected to and managed via a network. Network device management solutions make use of the SNMP protocol to discover printers, copiers and MFPs on the network, and return data from those devices to the software. Almost every networked printer, copier and MFP includes a version of the standard printer MIB, which was developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and a consortium of printer manufacturers as a common standard defining the data that all printers should report over networks. (The exceptions BLI has found are specialty printers like some, though not all, wide-format devices.) The standard printer MIB includes several subsections, or tables. There s the general table, which covers the name of the device manufacturer, the model name and serial number, as well as the device s default settings and the information currently displayed on the control panel. The cover table indicates whether the device s covers are open or closed. The input table reports on the paper trays and their contents, while the output table reports on the output trays. The marker table describes anything related to marking paper, such as the device s resolution, margin settings and imaging technology (laser, LED or inkjet). The supplies table covers life remaining in the toner or ink cartridge, as well as data about the fuser or developer if they re included in the device. The meter table includes basic, top-level page counts produced by the device. Each hardware manufacturer also supports its own private MIB, the structure of which is usually proprietary and not shared with the wider world. Private MIBs provide a place for information and features that aren t covered in the public MIB but need to be made available to a manufacturer s software applications, such as network device management and remote monitoring solutions. Every vendor offers features that set it apart from its competition if all a manufacturer used was the public printer MIB, then their devices would be equally compatible with every third-party application on the market. By reserving some information for the private MIB, such as more granular meter information broken down by function, the manufacturers can keep a leg up on the competition. In addition, the public MIB does not specify how the device should report certain pieces of critical information. For example, detailed meter information is often not included in the public printer MIB; generally it is kept in the private MIB. That means detailed information on duplexing, color usage, scan counters and other data can be hard to get for products made by other manufacturers. 6

7 Device Discovery Samsung SyncThru Admin supports several ways to discover devices on the network, including IP broadcast, SLP multicast, LDAP integration, entering an IP range and importing a list of IP addresses from a CSV file. Notably, unlike many (but not all) network device management solutions BLI has evaluated, SyncThru Admin gives administrators the option of discovering local printers and MFPs connected to a networked PC. The utility s scheduling feature lets administrators specify a schedule (daily, weekly, monthly and so on) for the discovery task to execute automatically, so the device list is always up to date. SyncThru Admin s initial device discovery on BLI s test network took only a few seconds, which was the fastest time to completion BLI has seen among competing utilities. The utility successfully discovered all 37 SNMP-compliant output devices on BLI s test network, and among the utilities tested by BLI, SyncThru Admin was among the most successful at reporting manufacturer and model names for other manufacturers devices. In fact, the utility correctly identified every discoverable device on BLI s test network. Device Monitoring SyncThru Admin 5 tracks device status via SNMP polling as well as device-initiated SNMP traps. As with other utilities, SyncThru Admin s device list shows a colorcoded iconic representation of the status of each monitored device (blue checkmark for ready, yellow exclamation point for needs attention, and red x for error condition). The default device list also contains black, cyan, magenta and yellow rectangles that indicate the percentage of toner or ink remaining (in as granular an increment as the device MIB supports). Some other utilities make a user drill down into a device s details page to glean such granular consumables information. Customizing SyncThru Admin s device list to monitor different attributes is easier than with some of the competing utilities. A user simply clicks on the arrow next to any column heading, then selects Custom from the drop-down list. SyncThru Admin offers 150 attributes an administrator can monitor; that number is more than most (but not all) competing utilities BLI has seen. A user can then specify the order in which the utility will display the columns. By default, SyncThru Admin presents a handy Group Summary pane above the device list that shows a bar graph of total usage (by date) for the selected group. Unlike most competing utilities, SyncThru Admin (when used in conjunction with the Device Map plug-in) offers a handy Map view of deployed devices, which can be viewed on-screen or printed for use in the field. 7

8 A user can select from a list of 150 attributes to display on the device list. A prominent Test Print button on the details page for a given device lets the administrator send a test page (if such a remote action is supported by the device), and an SWS (SyncThru Admin Web Service) button provides a link to the device s embedded Web page. SyncThru Admin s Device Details page offers an alert view that indicates the severity of an alert and if the remedy requires a trained or untrained individual, a feature most competing utilities don t offer. In BLI s tests, SyncThru Admin did an excellent job reporting on the mission-critical operational status ready, needs attention, error of both Samsung and third-party devices, which is crucial to administrators and other IT personnel charged with keeping devices running. It also did an excellent job reporting on more granular device information for Samsung devices. For example, with a Samsung CLX-8380, SyncThru Admin provided detailed information, including serial number, paper tray capacity and level, toner cartridge rated capacities and current levels, total meter information and current alerts. However, the details page did not give access to more granular meter information, such as a breakdown of print and copy pages, or color and black pages. That information must be accessed via the Job Accounting plug-in. In BLI s tests, SyncThru Admin did a very good job reporting more granular information for third-party devices. In fact, it performed better than most network device management utilities BLI has evaluated to date, and on par with the best BLI has seen. For example, with a Canon Color imagerunner C3080i MFP, the information SyncThru Admin reported was very complete. The utility reported the manufacturer and model name, though not the serial number for the device. SyncThru Admin very accurately reported the rated yield and percentage remaining for each of the Canon device s toner cartridges. It also correctly identified the installed paper trays and their total capacities, as well as an estimation of the paper remaining in each. Sync- 8

9 Thru Admin reported the Canon device s total meter count, but not a breakdown of individual counts, which is common. As with other management utilities, SyncThru Admin 5 provides real-time notification of error conditions via . An unlimited number of addresses are supported for each alert, and the administrator can send alerts on different types of conditions to different recipients. So, for example, IT or help-desk personnel could receive alerts about network/communications errors, low-toner alerts could be sent to facilities workers, low-paper or open-cover notices could be sent to an administrative assistant that sits near a given device, and service-level error messages could be sent directly to an outside dealer. Device Management In addition to monitoring network devices, SyncThru Admin 5 allows administrators to better manage the devices in their fleets, which can save time for IT department employees and minimize device downtime. This management includes changing settings remotely for individual devices or device groups, as well as updating firmware for Samsung devices and distributing printer drivers electronically abilities not found in some management utilities BLI has evaluated. To change the settings for a device via SyncThru Admin, an administrator simply selects the machine and clicks the Modify button; this entails fewer steps than required by some other management programs BLI has evaluated. A particular device s settings can be cloned to similar devices in SyncThru Admin by selecting the device and clicking the Save as Template. Again, this process is easier than the cloning features found in some other utilities. SyncThru Admin lets administrators remotely set up to 150 device settings, and also select one device s settings to save as a template for use with like devices. 9

10 Importantly, administrators can use SyncThru Admin to remotely enable environmentally friendly (and money-saving) settings such as duplex printing, toner-save mode and power-save timeouts. SyncThru Admin also allows administrators remote access to a wider range of settings 50 in all than some (but not all) competing utilities. Major configurable settings include System attributes (restart, wakeup, fuser cleaning, OPC cleaning, job continue, power-save timeout, job timeout, tray chaining), Print settings (color enabled, USB Direct Print enabled, resolution, darkness, duplex modes), settings (default scan to resolution, default document type, default message body, default from field) and Scan settings (default document type, default resolution, color mode, default file format, scan to FTP settings, scan to SMB settings). However, the list of available configuration options does not change for a device that doesn t support a given attribute; for example, color setting options are still displayed for a monochrome device. But SyncThru Admin does present a pop-up message advising administrators that the selected device does not support a particular selection after they hit Apply. User Management SyncThru Admin 5 is intended primarily for IT administrators and other IT personnel, including technicians charged with keeping devices online and help desk employees that are likely to field calls on printer/mfp problems. In addition, the utility could be used by department managers that would need to check the device logs or monitor and report on the activity of a company s output devices for budgeting and purchasing decisions. An administrator can set roles with varying levels of permissions, so users have access only to the information they need but not the settings they don t. Unlike most competing utilities, SyncThru Admin does not by default prompt the administrator to set up a password to control access to the utility. To password-protect SyncThru Admin, an administrator must be sure to select the Enable authentication checkbox during the initial setup. Administrators can add SyncThru Admin users individually, or integrate user data (user names and passwords) from a domain server or an LDAP server. Unlike many competing utilities, SyncThru Admin (via the Job Accounting plug-in) allows administrators to enforce quotas on color printing or other device access by user or group, and proactively send notifications to users informing them of their remaining usage. The plug-in also allows administrators to allocate output costs to users, departments, or clients, as well as analyze exactly what jobs have been performed by the devices. 10

11 Integration SyncThru Admin 5 can be used with both Samsung and third-party devices through the standard printer MIB. Taken together, the utility and its available plug-ins make an integrated remote management suite with more functionality than most network device management applications. Unlike some competing network device management solutions, however, SyncThru Admin 5 does not integrate with IBM s Tivoli NetView or other enterprise-level management applications. Nor does it integrate with Active Directory for more easily adding users. Reporting Unlike many competing utilities BLI has evaluated, Samsung SyncThru Admin offers graphical reporting capabilities built in. The program delivers 10 built-in graphical report templates, which is the most BLI has seen to date. In addition, SyncThru Admin lets users automatically send generated reports via at set intervals. However, SyncThru Admin does not offer a few of the more advanced reports BLI has seen, such as environmental reports or an automatic cost-per page analysis for devices. SyncThru Admin does offer a more comprehensive range of log categories than some other utilities. For example, in addition to the more-common usage logs, Sync- Thru Admin offers total usage for a specified time interval for a group of devices and peak usage by hour. SyncThru Admin also maintains an error-history log, so more problematic machines can be easily identified. Documentation, Support and Training Should an administrator need help with any facet of installing or using SyncThru Admin 5, Samsung delivers a 111-page Admin Guide, plus separate guides for the Device Map Plug-in and Job Accounting Plug-in modules. The documentation is well-written and easy to follow, and comes in searchable PDF format with a hyperlinked table of contents. Most functions are clearly explained and illustrated with relevant screen images, and the guide includes a section for troubleshooting problems. based technical support is available via Samsung s Web site. However, the company does not offer phone support or training for this free utility. 11

12 BLI S TEST ENVIRONMENT Testing was conducted in BLI s 10,000-square-foot lab in Hackensack, NJ, from a PC running Windows Vista Business Edition (with Internet Explorer 7.0). Technicians downloaded and installed the latest version of the utility available on the test start date, and followed the developer s instructions to properly configure Windows IIS and.net settings. For the testing, BLI technicians used the network device management utility to discover and monitor a mix of several dozen printers and MFPs (both printer- and copier-based) present on BLI s test network. These devices included units manufactured by the utility maker as well as hardware from other makers so BLI technicians could determine how well the utility performed with both first-party and third-party hardware, highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the utility and assign a comparative rating in each of the areas evaluated. 12