Network device management utilities are designed to allow a customer’s IT and help-desk personnel manage the output devices on their network. Typically, a server-based software component communicates with devices and collects data, and users can access that data through a PC-resident software client or, more often than not, a browser-based user interface. The utilities gather and display each supported device’s status, current meter readings, device information (serial number, firmware revision, and so on), consumables status, settings and more—any data that is stored in the device’s Management Information Base (see below).

These utilities also provide real-time alerts, via e-mail or SMS, to designated personnel should an error occur, such as a paper jam, low toner alert, open cover, and so on. This lets IT personnel respond quickly when a device needs attention, minimizing downtime. IT personnel can also remotely manage devices via the utility—clone settings to like devices, updating firmware, and more—which saves time. Finally, many management utilities also include a built-in reporting engine and report templates to allow an administrator to generate a variety of reports on device usage, consumables levels and so on. The functionality provided by network device management utilities often overlaps that provided by remote management utilities (which have their own category here on BLI Solutions Center); the difference being that network management utilities are mean to be used by a customer’s IT personnel, while remote management utilities are used by dealer/reseller personnel to monitor a customer site remotely.

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.