Print Queues and Their Configuration

YSoft SafeQ knows three types of queues: direct, secure and shared:

• Direct queues are mainly suitable for small network printers where authentication is not required because there is only a limited number of users who send submit print jobs to them. Their configuration requires a non-trivial amount of effort by administrators who need to configure them in YSoft SafeQ, create a shared printer for every device and deploy them to the right people.
• Configuration of secure queue is easy, as it does not require any configuration on YSoft SafeQ side and only one shared printer and GPO for every spooling YSoft SafeQ server. The biggest challenge here is how to deploy the queue for traveling users who change their location and therefore need to send print job into a different server.
• Standard shared queues (print delegation) are similar to direct queues because each of them needs to have a unique name and a unique shared printer. In addition, when a change is needed, it must be done by administrators. This is significantly improved by self-managed shared queues where only one shared printer per YSoft SafeQ server is needed and users can manage members of their personal shared queues by themselves in the web portal provided by the SWC-49 product extension.

This article describes how these queues can be created in YSoft SafeQ and deployed to users using Group Policy Objects (GPO) in Active Directory, which is the most widely used deployment method. 

Direct Queues

The Group Policy Object for printer deployment to users needs to contain network path to the shared printer created beforehand and it needs to be assigned to an Organizational Unit with users. An example of a group policy object follows.

At this moment, the print queue will be connected to all user accounts in the Organizational Unit and users will see the printer in their Windows accounts when they log in. All print jobs will go through YSoft SafeQ with stopping there and will be immediately printed and accounted.

These steps need to be done for every printer with a direct queue, which might be time-consuming especially in environments with a large fleet because all Group Policy Objects must be carefully assigned to appropriate Organizational Units in Active Directory for users to see only what they are supposed to see. It may be challenging especially for traveling users. 

Secure Queue

Configuration of the Group Policy Object is the same as in the previous example, only the printer name is different.

Shared Queues (Print Delegation)

Then create a new shared printer in Windows. The queue name specified in YSoft SafeQ is used in LPR port configuration.

In the last step, an administrator needs to create a Group Policy Object, which will make sure that the printer is connected to the right Windows account(s). In this case, it is enough to assign the policy to the boss as he is the only person who should be able to send print jobs into the shared queue. It means that the boss will see two printers in Windows – one for secure print and the other for shared print.

Shared queues in YSoft SafeQ are managed by administrator and only administrators are allowed to create them and set their members. Mind that those print jobs can be submitted by any user regardless of their queue membership or access.

Self-Service Shared Queues (Print Delegation)

https://portal.ysoft.com/products/ysoft-safeq/extensions-store

1. Only create and deploy a single shared printer to be used by all eligible users who want to delegate their print jobs, regardless of which shared queue group they belong to.
2. Use the SWC-49 product extension so that every user can self-manage who belongs into their personal shared queue list.
3. Utilize Rule-Based Engine to redirect all print jobs from the specific shared printer into user's personal shared queue.

And deploy it to all users who should be able to send print jobs to personal shared queues.

Finally, users log in to the queue self-management portal where they can look for colleagues who they want to add to their personal shared queue or remove from it.