Features Guide

Complete guide to PrintMaster’s features and capabilities.

Table of Contents

• Device Discovery
• Device Monitoring
• Multi-Site Management
• WebSocket Proxy
• Alerts & Notifications
• Scheduled Scans
• Auto-Updates
• Security Features
• API Access

Device Discovery

PrintMaster automatically discovers printers and copiers on your network using SNMP.

How Discovery Works

1. Port Scanning: Quick TCP scan to find devices with printer ports open (80, 443, 9100)
2. SNMP Detection: Query each candidate to confirm it’s a printer
3. Deep Scan: Collect detailed device information via SNMP

Discovery Methods

Supported Devices

PrintMaster supports most SNMP-enabled printers and copiers, including:

• HP - LaserJet, OfficeJet, PageWide, DesignJet
• Canon - imageRUNNER, imageCLASS
• Epson - WorkForce, EcoTank
• Brother - HL, MFC, DCP series
• Lexmark - All network models
• Xerox - VersaLink, AltaLink, WorkCentre
• Ricoh - IM, MP, SP series
• Konica Minolta - bizhub series
• Kyocera - ECOSYS, TASKalfa
• Sharp - MX series
• Toshiba - e-STUDIO series

Adding Custom IP Ranges

1. Go to Devices → IP Ranges
2. Click Add Range
3. Enter the range in any supported format:
   • Single: 192.168.1.100
   • Range: 192.168.1.1-254
   • CIDR: 192.168.1.0/24
4. Optionally set a label (e.g., “Main Office”)
5. Click Save

Discovery Settings

Fine-tune discovery behavior in Settings → Discovery:

Device Monitoring

Collected Data

For each discovered device, PrintMaster collects:

Device Identity

• Model name and manufacturer
• Serial number
• Asset tag (if configured)
• Firmware version
• MAC address

Page Counters

• Total page count
• Black & white pages
• Color pages (if applicable)
• Duplex pages
• Large format pages

Supply Levels

• Toner/ink levels (percentage)
• Drum/imaging unit life
• Fuser life
• Waste toner capacity

Status Information

• Online/offline status
• Current errors and alerts
• Paper tray status
• Active jobs

Historical Data

PrintMaster stores historical metrics using a tiered retention system:

This allows you to track usage trends while keeping database size manageable.

Device Groups

Organize devices into groups for easier management:

1. Go to Devices → Groups
2. Create a new group (e.g., “Finance Department”)
3. Add devices to the group
4. View group-level statistics and reports

Multi-Site Management

The PrintMaster Server enables centralized management of multiple agents across different locations.

Architecture

                    ┌──────────────┐
         ┌────────▶│    Server    │◀────────┐
         │         │   (Central)  │         │
         │         └──────────────┘         │
         │                ▲                 │
         │                │                 │
    ┌────┴────┐     ┌────┴────┐      ┌────┴────┐
    │  Agent  │     │  Agent  │      │  Agent  │
    │ Site A  │     │ Site B  │      │ Site C  │
    └─────────┘     └─────────┘      └─────────┘

Agent Features

Each agent:

• Runs independently at its site
• Maintains its own local database
• Uploads data to the server periodically
• Continues working if server connectivity is lost
• Syncs automatically when connection is restored

Server Dashboard

The server provides:

• Fleet Overview: Aggregate statistics across all sites
• Agent Status: Real-time health monitoring of all agents
• Combined Device List: All devices from all sites in one view
• Cross-Site Reports: Compare usage across locations
• Centralized Alerts: Single pane for all site alerts

Agent Naming

Give each agent a meaningful name for easy identification:

[server]
agent_name = "NYC Office"

Or set via the web UI: Settings → Server Connection → Agent Name

Upload Frequency

Control how often agents send data to the server:

WebSocket Proxy

Access agent web UIs and printer admin pages remotely through the server.

How It Works

The server creates secure WebSocket tunnels to agents, allowing you to:

• Access agent UIs without direct network access
• Open printer web interfaces from anywhere
• Manage devices behind NAT/firewalls

Using the Proxy

1. Open the server dashboard
2. Go to Agents
3. Click Open UI on any agent card
4. The agent’s web interface opens in a new tab

For device access:

1. Go to Devices
2. Find the device you want to access
3. Click Open Web Interface
4. The printer’s admin page opens through the proxy

Benefits

• No port forwarding required: Works through existing connections
• Secure: Traffic encrypted through WebSocket tunnel
• Firewall-friendly: Uses the same connection agent established

Alerts & Notifications

Get notified about important events and issues.

Alert Types

Configuring Alerts

1. Go to Settings → Alerts
2. Enable/disable specific alert types
3. Set thresholds (e.g., low toner at 10%)
4. Configure notification methods

Notification Methods

• Email: Send alerts via email
• Webhook: POST alerts to a URL (integrations)
• Dashboard: Display in web UI

Alert Thresholds

Scheduled Scans

Automate device discovery and data collection.

Creating a Schedule

1. Go to Settings → Schedules
2. Click New Schedule
3. Configure:
   • Name: Descriptive label
   • Frequency: Hourly, daily, weekly
   • Time: When to run
   • IP Ranges: Which ranges to scan
4. Click Save

Schedule Examples

Manual Triggers

Run any schedule immediately:

1. Go to Schedules
2. Click Run Now on the desired schedule

Auto-Updates

Keep agents automatically updated to the latest version.

Update Modes

Fleet Policies (Server)

Administrators can set update policies for all agents:

1. Go to server Settings → Update Policies
2. Configure:
   • Version Strategy: Minor only, or allow major upgrades
   • Maintenance Window: When updates can occur
   • Rollout Control: Staged rollout settings

Local Agent Override

Agents can override fleet policy if needed:

[auto_update]
mode = "local"

[auto_update.local_policy]
update_check_days = 7
version_pin_strategy = "minor"
allow_major_upgrade = false

Maintenance Windows

Prevent updates during critical hours:

[auto_update.local_policy.maintenance_window]
enabled = true
timezone = "America/New_York"
start_hour = 2
end_hour = 5
days_of_week = ["Saturday", "Sunday"]

Security Features

Authentication

Agent Auth Modes

TLS/HTTPS

Enable encrypted connections:

Server:

docker run -d \
  -e USE_HTTPS=true \
  -e HTTPS_PORT=9443 \
  -v /path/to/certs:/certs \
  ghcr.io/printmaster-org/printmaster-server:latest

Agent:

[web]
enable_tls = true
https_port = 8443

Reverse Proxy Support

Both components work behind reverse proxies:

• Enable BEHIND_PROXY=true for proper header handling
• Configure WebSocket passthrough for real-time features
• Handle SSL termination at the proxy level

API Access

PrintMaster provides a REST API for integrations and automation.

Authentication

# Get auth token
curl -X POST http://server:9090/api/v1/auth/login \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"username": "admin", "password": "your-password"}'

Common Endpoints

Webhooks

Configure webhooks to receive real-time notifications:

1. Go to Settings → Integrations
2. Add a webhook URL
3. Select events to receive
4. Test the webhook

Integration Examples

• Monitoring Systems: Send alerts to PagerDuty, OpsGenie
• Ticketing: Create tickets in ConnectWise, Autotask
• Reporting: Export data to BI tools
• Custom Dashboards: Build your own UI

See the API Reference for complete documentation.