Layered Service Provider Print Policy Enforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
In traditional office environments, it is difficult for organizations to track and enforce printing policies on users who send print jobs directly to imaging devices, especially when these devices are of dissimilar makes and models with proprietary printer drivers, and updating drivers becomes a tedious practice for IT departments.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a computing device with a layered service provider (LSP) and spooler that intercepts print data, extracts user information, and enforces policies by determining if print jobs comply with set limits, notifying users and updating accounting servers accordingly, regardless of the imaging device's brand or model.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a print release server is implemented to track and enforce printing policies, then policy enforcement capability is improved, but system complexity and infrastructure cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a Layered Service Provider (LSP) as an intermediary component that sits between the application and the printing system. This LSP intercepts print jobs at the driver level and enforces policies locally without requiring a centralized print release server, thus maintaining policy enforcement capability while reducing system complexity and infrastructure requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The LSP is designed to autonomously enforce printing policies by locally evaluating print jobs against configured policy rules. It automatically blocks or allows print jobs based on user permissions, quotas, and policy violations without needing external server intervention for each decision, enabling self-service policy enforcement that reduces infrastructure complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If printer drivers are customized to enforce policies on dissimilar imaging devices, then policy enforcement coverage is improved, but ease of manufacture and maintenance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The LSP is designed as a universal solution that works across dissimilar imaging devices and printer drivers without requiring customization. It implements a standardized interface that intercepts print jobs from any driver and applies policy enforcement consistently, eliminating the need to customize each driver for policy enforcement while maintaining broad adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts policy enforcement functionality from the printer driver itself and places it in the LSP layer. This separation allows the driver to remain focused on device-specific communication while the LSP handles universal policy enforcement, reducing driver customization complexity while maintaining broad device compatibility.
3Measurement precision
If software is installed on each computing device to enforce policies, then policy enforcement precision is improved, but ease of operation and deployment deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent shifts policy enforcement from the application layer to the driver/LSP layer, which is a different dimension in the software stack. This allows precise policy enforcement at the point where print jobs are sent to the printer, while deployment is simplified because the LSP integrates with the existing driver architecture rather than requiring separate software installation on each computing device.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus enforce policy on print jobs and track them per users. A computing device has a layered service provider (LSP) and a spooler. The LSP determines whether data coming to it corresponds to print data or not. If so, it extracts user information and determines whether any imaging policies apply to the user. If policy applies, the LSP iteratively acknowledges to the spooler that data is being successfully transferred to an imaging device so the spooler will continue sending a remainder of the data corresponding to the print job. Upon receipt of an entire print job, the LSP enforces policy and notifies the user. It also notifies an accounting server to update its policies. Further embodiments note relationships between the LSP and spooler and their interaction with layers in a TCP/IP model.