Health monitoring using PRTG and PaperCut templates

With PaperCut and PRTG Network Monitor, you can easily monitor the health of your entire print environment, including real-time activity that will help you plan future printing resource requirements. End-users will have as wrinkle-free a printing experience as possible because you have avoided potential issues and outages along the way.

How do the templates work?

The PaperCut PRTG templates allow SysAdmins to perform health monitoring of their PaperCut printing environment, with a minimal amount of setup. The templates are automatically created by executing a python script ( PaperCut PRTG Template Generator ), which scans your specific PaperCut installation and create sensors for all printers, devices, and critical PaperCut infrastructure. You can then import this template directly into PRTG Network Monitor.

The sensors included in the template monitor the following:

• Server health status:
  • Overall server health
  • Current number of held jobs
  • Pages printed in the last minute
  • Server errors in the last 10 minutes
  • Server warnings in the last 10 minutes
• Individual printer health status
• Individual device health status

For more advanced usage, check out the PaperCut NG System Health Interface reference.

What do I need to get started?

• Python 3.1 or greater ( downloadable via https://www.python.org/ )
• PaperCut PRTG Template Generator ( see below )
• PaperCut NG / MF ( https://www.papercut.com )
• PRTG installation

Download the PaperCut PRTG Template Generator

• Visit our GitHub repository: https://github.com/PaperCutSoftware/PRTGTemplateGenerator .
• Click on the green button “Clone or download” and choose “Download ZIP”:

• Unzip the PRTGTemplateGenerator-master.zip file and keep it somewhere safe and easy to get to. You’ll need it soon!

How do I generate the PaperCut PRTG Templates?

Once the PaperCut PRTG Template Generator Script has been downloaded onto your local machine, it can be executed using a command line interface in order to generate the PaperCut PRTG Templates. Ensure that Python 3.1 or greater is installed.

This section describes the steps required to generate PaperCut PRTG Templates:

1. Obtain the PaperCut Health Monitoring API URL.
2. Run the PaperCut PRTG Template Generator script.
3. Import the PaperCut PRTG Templates.

Obtain the PaperCut Health Monitoring API URL

1. In the PaperCut Admin web interface, select Options > Advanced.
2. In the System Health Monitoring area, copy the URL for the PaperCut Health Monitoring API (this is the ‘GET query parameter’), or select an appropriate URL from the list in the warning below.

Run the PaperCut PRTG Template Generator script

Run the PaperCut PRTG Template Generator script (pc-prtg-generator.py) with the first argument being the GET Query Parameter (the Health Monitoring URL) for the PaperCut Health Monitoring API. First, CD to the un-zipped PRTGTemplateGenerator-master.zip folder from before. Next, see examples for your OS below:

In Linux or macOS:

$ ./pc-prtg-generator.py http://10.100.66.29:9191/api/health?Authorization=LAlwqdy57aE35n2TOyr777778888DaFb

In Windows:

c:\>pc-prtg-generator.py http://10.100.66.29:9191/api/health?Authorization=LAlwqdy57aE35n2TOyr777778888DaFb

Please Note: Older versions of the PaperCut PRTG Template Generator Script did not support HTTPS URLs. If you’re finding yourself unable to successfully generate templates referencing HTTPS addresses, be sure to update to the latest version the scripts available from our GitHub repository.

The PaperCut PRTG template files are generated in the same directory as the script. Templates are generated according to your setup. For example, if you have no printers or devices, the corresponding printer or device template file will not be generated. Up to three PRTG template files are generated:

• PaperCut Printers.odt : monitors PaperCut printers in your installation.
• PaperCut Devices.odt : monitors PaperCut devices in your installation.
• PaperCut Server.odt : monitors the PaperCut server.

Required Arguments

Optional Arguments

./pc-prtg-generator.py
http://10.100.66.29:9191/api/health?Authorization=LAlwqdy57aE35n2TOyr7BHy3p70CDaFb --name plotterPrinter

./pc-prtg-generator.py 
http://10.100.66.29:9191/api/health?Authorization=LAlwqdy57aE35n2TOyr7BHy3p70CDaFb --location financeDept

./pc-prtg-generator.py 
http://10.100.66.29:9191/api/health?Authorization=LAlwqdy57aE35n2TOyr7BHy3p70CDaFb --server pc-Server

./pc-prtg-generator.py
http://10.100.66.29:9191/api/health?Authorization=LAlwqdy57aE35n2TOyr7BHy3p70CDaFb --limit 50

Importing PaperCut PRTG Templates

Your PRTG Network Monitor is now set up for you to monitor your PaperCut printing environment.