FMAudit Local Agent Deployment Expectation Settings to Prepare Your Client IT Departments

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1 FMAudit Local Agent Deployment Expectation Settings to Prepare Your Client IT Departments Please review the Local Agent Best Practice Documents. They will explain how the Local Agent works and how to set expectations with the client. Here is information for distributing the FMAudit Local Agent application to PC workstations All documents are important. Please follow these recommendations. We strongly recommend a controlled testing deployment of the agent to workstations with locally attached printers. (As you know, not all of the local printers are supported, and see Local Agent Support.pdf document for the list). The best practice is to deploy the agent in two phases. One manually and the other via the client s normal network update push. Both deployments should only go out to a limited number of workstations. No more than 5 workstations each. Once they are deployed and the agent is confirmed it is installed, and then the USB Key should be used for an assessment. Upon satisfactory results, the agent should be deployed to an increased number of workstations in either manner. Again, assessment and verify results. Ricoh has set an expectation that about 70 percent of the local printers respond to a query. Percentages due very because of environment, communication and both workstation and printer must be on at time of assessment. At each phase of deployment if the local printer is not responding or providing a meter, the Local Printer Walkthrough Checklist, must be used to verify the Local Agent is communicating. Partner with the client IT resources and document the information on the worksheet. If the results are not to expectations, please notify me and I will engage FMAudit Support to assist in the analysis. We may need to check our engine logic to see what information should be reporting. If necessary, we may be able to provide an update. 1 P a g e

2 FMAudit Local Agent Methodology Communication Common Conflicts The FMAudit Agent installs its own print monitor, as do some other print drivers and virtual print drivers (fax drivers, PDF printers, etc.). Problems arise when there are conflicts between the monitors due to a poor design of some third-party print monitors. This conflict most commonly occurs with virtual print drivers that interact with a machine s printing system in less than desirable ways. These are typically written by companies not really in the business of writing print drivers. These monitor conflicts can cause issues with the spooler like the crashing or holding print jobs as this customer is experiencing. Since made aware of these issues by other customers many months ago, we have made changes to our Agent software to work around the offending drivers/monitor. Those changes are always included in the latest version of the Agent, which can be obtained here: It is generally best to obtain the Agent from that link as opposed to using any version you may have on file. The link in the Onsite Installer s also contain the latest version Each driver is unique, and we have to make very specific code changes for every virtual driver that is reported to cause spooler crashes. We have tools available to collect the information necessary to create exceptions for the offending driver they are using. Unfortunately, this will take several weeks if it comes to that. In some cases, the driver simply needs to be updated in order to prevent the spooler issues, but the necessary exploration has to be done in order to determine what driver is causing the problem. In moving forward, I would first recommend that that customer isolate at least a couple of the machines experiencing spooler issues. Uninstall all Agents via whatever method they used to deploy them, and then push out If does not correct the issue on the test machines, then we need to isolate the offending driver and either update it or gather the necessary information for us to create an exception for it. If it comes to that, we can provide steps for collecting the data. Concisely, the issue is really not caused by our software, but by poorly written printer drivers (or monitors that are part of those print drivers more specifically). We create exceptions for all of these drivers that have been reported, but it is possible there are others out there. Install to take advantage of most recent exclusions, and if the issue persists after doing so, we will have to gather more information in order to resolve the problem. 2 P a g e

3 FAQ - Best Practice Recommendation Page 4 Readme.txt for Active Directory Page 7 Troubleshooting Post Implementation Page 10 Introduction: Device Support Page 12 3 P a g e

4 FAQ: Is there a Best Practice for installing Local Agent and confirming reporting / Trouble shooting issues? I apologize upfront if this seems like information overload, however it is necessary. In an effort to ensure everyone is using the current Agent to capture information from the devices that are connected via a USB port on the desktops, please launch an internet browser window and type in the following information: help.fmaudit.com/fmaa On this page you will see Download, System Requirements, Installation, etc. Go to Download and -select the appropriate version for your location Click to download the latest FMAudit Agent for 32-bit systems. Click to download the latest FMAudit Agent for 64-bit systems. -Save the zip file to your computer There are different options on the installation of the Agent, but the one that I will focus on is the manual installation. If you are curious about system requirements, please review the System Requirements Manual Install Procedure: 1. Log into Windows using an account, which has Administrator privileges. 2. Launch the setup.exe and click the "Next" button. 3. Read and agree to the License Agreement (EULA). 4. The 'FMAudit Agent' service automatically starts after installation is complete. Alternatively, an Administrator may install applications on the workstations remotely using Windows Remote Desktop Connection. **The above method can actually allow you to place the Agent file on a Network Share that you can then create a BAT file to install the item for you. 4 P a g e

5 Supported command line parameters for FMAudit Agent are as follows Parameter Command line format Description /quiet fmaasetup.msi /quiet Quiet mode; no user interaction /passive fmaasetup.msi /passive Unattended mode; progress bar only For additional command line options, visit the following URL: Once the agent has been installed, the file that has been included as an attachment is openfmauditports.zip should be ran if your firewall on the computer is on. The ports that have to be opened are, 161 and If these ports are closed, the agent will not communicate with the USB tool. 5 P a g e

6 Settings for using USB Key 1. Insert USB tool: 2. Launch Audit Program 3. Find your Location 4. Click on the Name 5. Select Settings at the Top 6. Check the subnets loaded: It should list Low End to High End IE: On the communications timeout, Please make sure this is If it is lower than this, the local agent will not be captured. (After your first audit, you don t see a specific computer listed that you know should be showing and the device attached is on the supported list, then increase the communications timeout value by an additional Click on the Update Settings button 9. Now Local Audit Screen should appear 10. Click on Local Audit 11. Click on Start 12. Watch the devices populate the screen 13. Once complete, look for the IP address of a computer that you loaded the agent on 14. Is it listed? Yes, Awesome. (If not, we give me a call and I can help investigate) 15. Save Data (even if your test computer did not show up) 16. On this screen you will see all devices found. 17. You are done 18. Select File>Exit 19. Eject USB Device 6 P a g e

7 Readme.txt Installation - Active Directory (Refer to for current installation instructions) **Instructions for FMAudit Agent v3.xx and v2.xx** For further information, refer to the Agent help files located at (copy & paste URL into your internet browser): The FMAudit Agent v3.xx component contained within this folder adds support for locally connected printers attached to a workstation via USB, parallel, or other port. IMPORTANT!! - Before you proceed: You must uninstall previous releases of the FMAudit Agent before installing v3.xx. Agent v3.xx requires the Microsoft.NET Framework 2.0 or higher to be pre-installed on the workstations. For convenience, the.net redistributable is contained in this folder. The latest.net version may also be obtained from the Windows Update. Manual Install Procedure: Log into Windows using an account which has Administrator privileges. 2. Launch the setup.exe and click the "Next" button. 3. Read and agree to the End User License Agreement (EULA). 4. The 'FMAudit Agent' service automatically starts after installation is complete. Alternatively, an Administrator may install applications on the workstations remotely using Windows Remote Desktop Connection. Deployment via Active Directory: Currently, large corporations use enterprise-wide deployment mechanisms such as System Management Server (SMS) or Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) to deploy applications. However, smaller organizations that do not use these deployment mechanisms use Active Directory distribution mechanisms. For the purpose of the FMAudit Agent, you would set policies that are applied to computers rather than individual users. This allows you to deploy the Agent to multiple Windows 7 P a g e

8 platforms on a network regardless of who logs on to them. With the auto-install option, the install process will be initiated the next time the computer is rebooted. Instructions for deploying the FMAudit Agent using Active Directory: 1. Click the Start button, point to Programs, and then point to Administrative Tools. Click Active Directory Users and Computers. The Active Directory Users and Computers tree is displayed. 2. Right-click the domain node at the top of the tree. Click Properties on the shortcut menu. The Properties dialog box is displayed. 3. Click the Group Policy tab. 4. Click the Edit button. A window is displayed with the Default Domain Policy tree. 5. There are two alternatives when choosing how the software will be assigned. Select the Computer Configuration node in Group Policy to set policies that are applied to computers, regardless of who logs on to them. 6. Right-click Software installation. Point to New, and then click Package on the shortcut menu. 7. A dialog box is displayed that prompts you for the path to the Agent Installer file. Browse to the location where you copied the Agent Setup.msi file. Verify that the source path (must be a UNC share e.g. \\servername\share\) within the group policy editor (see below to edit Group Policies) is accessible by the target computer(s). 8. Choose the Advanced Published or Assigned selection and click the OK button. 9. A window is displayed where you can choose to auto install or publish the software. Select the Auto Install option so that the software will be installed automatically on every computer in the domain. The install process will be initiated the next time the computer(s) are rebooted. After you have modified all necessary items, click the OK button. 10. Exit the Active Directory Users and Computers console. Instructions for setting elevated privileges via Group Policy: 1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, then Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers. 2. In the console tree, right-click the domain or organizational unit for which you want to set the policy. 3. Click Properties, and then click the Group Policy tab. 4. Select a Group Policy Object in the Group Policy Objects Links box and click Edit. 5. Open the Local Computer Policy\Administrative Templates\Windows Component\Windows Installer folder. 6. In the details pane, double-click the Always install with elevated privileges policy. 7. In the Group Policy Property dialog box, enable the policy, select the check box to turn the setting on, and then click OK. 8 P a g e

9 8. Open the User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Component\Windows Installer folder and repeat Steps 6 and 7. Instructions to verify the FMAudit Agent deployment: 1. Log on to any computer that is a part of the domain. Click the Start button, point to Control Panel, and then click Add or Remove Programs. 2. The FMAudit Agent installation package should appear in the list of installed software. 3. If the FMAudit Agent installation package does not appear in the list of installed software, the package is incorrectly configured in Active Directory. Return to the Active Directory Users and Computers console and double-click the package to reconfigure it. Deployment via 3rd party applications: The preferred method which allows immediate deployment to workstations regardless of the user access, is by using an add-on Windows application such as ZenWorks, or another third party solution. These applications vary, and come included with Help Files to assist in the applications configurations and deployment process. Supported command line parameters for FMAudit Agent: Parameter Command line format Description /quiet fmaasetup.msi /quiet Quote mode; no user interaction /passive fmaasetup.msi /passive Unattended mode; progress bar only For additional command line options visit the following URL: 9 P a g e

10 TROUBLESHOOTING LOCAL AGENT RESULTS POST IMPLEMENTATION If you audit did not capture a computer that you know you loaded the Agent on, then we can go back into the settings and increase the timeout as mentioned above. (Also refer to Local Printer Walkthrough Checklist) FMAudit Knowledge Base Information Best Practice Applies to: Application: FMAudit Agent Version: 1.x, 2.x, & 3.x Issue: No results are showing for locally attached devices or limited information is available, what do I check? Resolution: No information is reported: 1) Make sure you can print to the device first. If a missing device is an HP device that supports PML and it s not physically attached or unable to respond, print a test page to see if it responds. 2) Ensure that Microsoft.NET Framework v1.1 or v2.0 is installed (which version of.net depends on which version of FMAudit Agent is being used). See the related article for minimum requirements. 3) Make sure the Agent Service is started in Control Panel\Administrative Tools\Services. If you've installed the Agent manually, you must start the FMAudit Agent service or reboot the computer. If you installed the Agent silently, the service will start automatically. 4) Check the IP ranges in Viewer, Onsite, or Central (depending on which product is being used). The IP addresses of the workstations with locally attached devices should also be included in the ranges. 5) Increase the Communication Time-Out setting in the settings screen giving the devices more time to respond. 6) If the Windows SNMP Provider is installed and the community has been changed to something other than public, the settings in Viewer, Onsite or Central must be changed to reflect the same community. 7) Check any firewalls or antivirus application settings for conflicts. 8) Check the Windows Event Viewer Application Log (Control Panel\Administrative Tools\Event Viewer for any new entries (SOURCE=FMAudit Agent). 9) Check to see if another similar application has been installed such as PrintFleet Beacon (Windows SNMP Provider is ok). 10 P a g e

11 10) Make sure to remove any duplicate printer drivers, as well as unused printer drivers. For best results, use the latest PCL5 driver available from the manufacturer. For some HP products, the Universal Print Driver works best. 11) Restart the workstation the Agent is installed on. Only basic information is reported: 1) If only basic information is provided (manufacturer, model, description, location) but the device supports PJL, make sure you can print to the device. 2) Check the Printer Properties (Ports tab) to ensure the Enable bidirectional support box is checked. If the device is connected by a parallel cable, make sure that the cable also supports bi-directional communication (will have IEEE 1284 on the cable). 3) Ensure there are no other print devices or virtual printers configured to use the sameport. If you re using an LPT connection and there was an interrupted network connection, the laptop or workstation may require a reboot. 4) If the options above do not resolve the problem, contact FMAudit Support ([email protected]) and provide the Manufacturer & Model name as reported in the printer properties dialogue (must have exact information) and we will check our engine logic to see what information should be reporting. If necessary, we may be able to provide an update. Only basic information or basic information plus total pages is reported but the device supports PML: 1) Contact FMAudit Support ([email protected]) and provide the Manufacturer & Model name as reported in the printer properties dialogue (must have exact information) and we will check our engine logic to see what information should be reporting. If necessary, we may be able to provide an update. 11 P a g e

12 Introduction: Device Support FMAudit Agent supports local printers from all major manufacturers. The information extracted depends on whether the models supports PJL (printer job language) or PML (printer management language). FMAudit Agent may extract and combine the information contained within the print device with the OS's print driver information. Legend: IP Address Local Index Manufacturer Model Serial Number Location Description Asset No. Total Pages Mono Pages Color Pages Printer Pages Fax Pages Copy Pages List Pages Total Scans Fax Scans Copy Scans Net Scans Scans Cov. Sum Black Supported Depends on model Not Supported Extracted from printer Extracted from driver All models Printers with PJL support HP printers with PML support 12 P a g e

13 Cov. Sum Cyan Cov. Sum Magenta Cov. Sum Yellow Cov. Sq. Sum Black Cov. Sq. Sum Cyan Cov. Sq. Sum Magenta Cov. Sq. Sum Yellow HP devices with support for the PML printer language, may extract all available fields supported by FMAudit Viewer and Onsite. Although we strive to support every print device currently available, the FMAudit Agent may not include some information or the expected results supported by the manufacturers specific printer models. If this is the case, we'd appreciate your feedback via the online FMAudit support page. Copyright All Rights Reserved. Pasted from < 13 P a g e