Identify Idle Printers Using Performance Data Logging

Description

This article describes a method of identifying idle printers by using the Performance Data Logging feature included with the Loftware Print Server version 9.7 and above.
For more information on configuring performance data logging and the Loftware Print Server's logging tools see the Loftware Print Server User's Guide.

Solution

Performance Data Logging outputs a Comma Separated Value (CSV) file containing a record of print jobs sent to the Loftware Print Server and jobs output from your printers for a specified period of time. These data can be used to bring visibility to printers that have not processed a print request for the specified time period.
Each Per Printer CSV file contains two entries for each printer. The first entry records the input and output data for the previous time interval (30 minutes by default). The second entry records the input and output data from the first entry to when the file was created. So each CSV file contains data for a maximum of twice the logging interval. For example, if the logging interval is 30 minutes, there will be a maximum of 60 minutes of data recorded in the file. There may be a shorter time period recorded if the Loftware Printer Server is stopped.

Start Performance Data Logging

1. Open the Loftware Print Server Configuration Utility. Start | Programs | Loftware Labeling | Print Server | LPS Configuration.
2. Select the Logging tab.
3. Select Per Printer from the Performance Data Logging section.
4. Enter an Interval and select Minutes, Hours or Days.
5. Restart the Loftware Print Server.

Retrieve Performance Data

After the logging interval has passed, you can retrieve the first CSV file from the Loftware Print Server Logs folder.

1. Open the Log File location.Start | Programs | Loftware Labeling | System Folders | Logs. Navigate through the date sub folders that will vary based on your system.
2. Locate the CSV file or files for the logging interval you want to analyze.

For Example
The following is example data from a per printer performance data file set to a 30 minute interval. Each line records the activity for one printer for the logging interval. In this case the file records per printer throughput for 60 minutes (1800000 milliseconds) between 14:00 and 15:00.
DTM,TYPE,NAME,ELAPSEDMSECS,INPUTCOUNT,INPUTRATEPERSEC,INPUTRATEPERMIN,INPUTRATEPERHOUR,OUTPUTCOUNT,OUTPUTRATEPERSEC,OUTPUTRATEPERMIN,OUTPUTRATEPERHOUR"2010/09/23 14:30:00","JOB","PRINTER001",1800000,10,0.01,0.33,20.00,10,0.01,0.33,20.00"2010/09/23 14:30:00","JOB","PRINTER002",1800000,7,0.00,0.23,14.00,7,0.00,0.23,14.00"2010/09/23 15:00:00","JOB","PRINTER001",1800000,8,0.00,0.26,16.00,8,0.00,0.26,16.00"2010/09/23 15:00:00","JOB","PRINTER002",1800000,6,0.00,0.20,12.00,6,0.00,0.20,12.00

Analyze Performance Data

Use the Performance Data to identify printers that have not processed jobs during an interval. You can create formulas that total the values in the Per Printer CSV file.
Note: When creating formulas to help in analyzing performance data, use the milliseconds recorded in the CSV file rather than the interval you set in the Loftware Print Server Configuration Utility. LPS adds an entry to the CSV file on or about the logging interval. The actual interval will vary slightly based on this.