Cloud Print Server Device Group Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cloud printing solutions from mobile devices lack security features to restrict printing to authorized devices within an organization's control, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a cloud print server process that uses release codes and printing device groups to authenticate and authorize printing devices, ensuring that only devices within a specific group can receive and print designated print jobs, thereby controlling access to sensitive information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cloud printing is implemented without device group restrictions, then printing accessibility from mobile devices is improved, but security and unauthorized access control deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments printing devices into distinct groups (e.g., home printing devices, work printing devices) and assigns print jobs to specific groups. This segmentation allows the cloud printing system to maintain accessibility while controlling which devices can receive which print jobs, thereby resolving the security concern without sacrificing ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cloud printing server acts as an intermediary between mobile devices and printing devices. It introduces release codes as an intermediate authentication mechanism and device groups as an intermediate control layer. This intermediary approach enables secure authorization while maintaining user-friendly access from mobile devices.
2Reliability
If release codes are required for print job retrieval, then security and authorization control are improved, but user convenience and printing speed deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service authentication where users generate their own release codes through the cloud printing application. The release code is automatically provided to the user after initiating a print job, eliminating the need for manual authorization requests while maintaining security. Users independently manage their own print authorization without requiring intervention from device administrators.
3Reliability
If printing device groups are implemented, then security control and access restriction are improved, but system complexity and device configuration requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud printing server provides universal group management functionality that works across all printing devices and mobile devices in the system. A single group configuration on the server side controls access for multiple devices without requiring individual device configuration changes. This multi-functional approach simplifies the overall system complexity while maintaining robust access control.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile device generates and transmits to a print cloud server application via email, a print cloud request that specifies information to be printed. The print cloud server application generates and assigns a print job to a printing device group that corresponds to the destination email address of the print cloud request. A user is authenticated at a printing device and the printing device generates and transmits, to the print cloud server application, a request for print jobs. The request for print jobs includes user information that identifies the user and data that identifies the printing device group for the printing device. The print cloud server application provides, to the printing device, data that identifies print jobs that correspond to both the user information and the printing device group. The user selects one or more of the print jobs and the selected print jobs are released to the printing device.