Peripheral Device Management System with Quota Enforcement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for monitoring and controlling the use of peripheral devices across a computer network are limited to devices from a single manufacturer, are costly, and lack efficient configuration and maintenance capabilities, especially in large enterprise environments with diverse device types.
Innovation Solution
A method and system where a manager server periodically receives and totals accounting data from various peripheral devices, stores user-specific account information including quotas and permissions, and configures print queues with account identifiers to manage and control device usage, preventing excessive usage by pausing or deleting jobs when quotas are exceeded.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a system is deployed to monitor and control usage of tens of thousands of peripheral devices across thousands of locations, then comprehensive device management capability is improved, but system cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The manager server is designed to handle multiple functions including monitoring usage, controlling access, enforcing quotas, and managing diverse peripheral devices from different manufacturers through a single unified system, eliminating the need for separate specialized systems for each function or device type
Solution Approach 2:
The manager server acts as an intermediary between users and peripheral devices, receiving usage data from devices, processing quota enforcement decisions, and controlling device access through workstations, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining comprehensive control
2Loss of energy
If per-user monitoring and control of peripheral devices is implemented, then cost control and authorized usage are improved, but system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically monitors usage, enforces quotas, and controls device access without requiring manual intervention or additional expensive specialized software, using the existing embedded features of peripheral devices to gather usage data
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of peripheral devices by controlling access and usage through quota enforcement, thereby reducing resource consumption and associated costs while using a cost-effective software-based management approach
3Adaptability or versatility
If usage data is retrieved from peripheral devices of different manufacturers using embedded features, then system adaptability is improved, but configuration difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manager server is designed to work with peripheral devices from multiple manufacturers by utilizing common embedded features and protocols that exist across different device types, providing universal compatibility without requiring manufacturer-specific configurations
Solution Approach 2:
The system retrieves and uses usage data that is already embedded in peripheral devices from various manufacturers, copying this existing data for management purposes rather than requiring new hardware or complex custom integration for each device type
Data Source
AI summary
A method for controlling the use of a plurality of peripheral devices by a user is disclosed. The method includes assigning access rights to a user for access to individual ones of the peripheral devices, and quotas to each user for the use of the peripheral devices over a predetermined period. The system collects the use of each one of the peripheral devices by each user and totals the use by each user of the peripheral devices over the predetermined period. The method prevents a user from using the peripheral devices when the user exceeds the user's quota. The method also prevents a user from using peripheral devices to which the user has not been granted access rights.