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Workspace: Forcing PINs, accounting codes, and passing custom data to printers

By DJ Updated

 

Overview

Google Workspace setup

  Set up the directprint.io schema

  List of reserved attributes, with effects on the directprint.io client

Entering per-user custom attributes

Using arbitrary custom data with PJL commands

directprint.io RED Control Panel Application authentication attributes

  Authentication methods

  Google Workspace Control Panel Application Authentication attributes

 

Overview

directprint.io allows administrators to set user data such as PIN numbers or accounting codes via Google Workspace.

Administrators may also set arbitrary custom data that can be used in PJL commands that are then sent to printers. This can include information such as Smartcard-ID, additional accounting information, or any other technical parameters required by the printer.

Data is managed within the user’s record within Google Workspace.

directprint.io uses the custom attribute capability of Google Workspace to define and set custom data (called custom attributes in Workspace).

This guide gives an overview of how to set user-specific customer data.

Custom data is divided into three categories:

  1. User data that has a direct effect on the operation of the directprint.io client
  2. Arbitrary data can be passed through to the printer via PJL commands
  3. User data that is used for directprint.io RED control panel applications.

 

Google Workspace setup

The administrator will need to define the directprint.io schema in Google Workspace to allow the setting of custom attributes against the user record.

Google overview of custom attributes here: https://support.google.com/a/answer/6208725?hl=en

Set up the directprint.io schema

  1. Navigate to the ‘Users’ option within Google Workspace
  2. Under the ‘More’ dropdown, select Manage custom attributes.
  3. Click ‘Add custom attribute’
  4. Enter the category as directprint.io (ensure all lowercase, include the ‘.’)

    mceclip0.png

     
  5. Enter one or more reserved custom attributes from the table below. Only enter the attributes that you require to be set (no need to enter all of them if they are unused)
  6. Resync your Workspace data with directprint.io to ensure that custom fields are transferred.

List of reserved attributes, with effects on the directprint.io client

Google Workspace settings Information
Name Type Visibility Single/multi directprint.io PJL substitution variable Description
PIN Text Visible to user and admin Single Value <<%%pin%%>> Sets the end-user PIN to the specified value - the user cannot change the PIN in the client (makes pin read-only).
ACCOUNTING_CODE Text Visible to user and admin Single Value <<%%deptCode%%>> Sets the end-user accounting code to the specified value - the user cannot change the accounting code (makes accounting code read-only).
USERNAME Text Visible to user and admin Single Value

Full username:

<<%%fullUserName%%>>


 

Truncated to 8 chars:

<<%%username%%>> or

<<%%shortUserName%%>>

 Sets the username used in PJL. Will override the generated G Suite or Windows-derived username

Table 1 - Reserved attribute names

 

Please note: Defining the schema and then not entering a value against the user record will have no effect on the client - i.e. default PIN and accounting code values will be used.

 

Entering per-user custom attributes

  1. Navigate to a user record in Workspace.
  2. Select ‘User information'
  3. You should see the custom ‘directprint.io’ schema with the selected attributes
  4. Set the PIN, ACCOUNTING_CODE, or USERNAME fields accordingly.mceclip1.png
  5. Save the user record

 

The data will be populated to directprint.io on the next Google Workspace Synchronization (nightly, or when forced by the administrator).

 

Using arbitrary custom data with PJL commands

The system can also be configured to pass arbitrary key-value data to the client and printers via PJL commands.

In the following example, we pass a smartcard ID to a printer in a PJL command.

  1. Set up the arbitrary attribute in the directprint.io schema in Workspace:
  2. Follow steps 1-4 of To set up the directprint.io schema
  3. For the arbitrary attribute, select a name that does not conflict with the reserved attribute in Table 1 - Reserved attribute names.
  4. E.g. SmartCard-ID
Name Type Visibility Single/multi directprint.io PJL substitution variable
SMARTCARDID Text Visible to user and admin Single Value <<%%customData.SMARTCARDID%%>>

 

The resulting PJL substitution will be <<%%customData.SMARTCARDID%%>> 

Please note that customData and the admin-defined attribute are case-sensitive.

In this case customData.STARTCARDID

  1. Set the SMARTCARDID value for the user per Entering per-user custom attributes above. E.g. ‘45ad3f12ccad132fdc’

To use the resulting SMARTCARDID data value in a PJL:

e.g.

@PJL SET SMARTCARD = <DQ><<%%customData.SMARTCARDID%%>><DQ>

At print-time, the PJL will be converted to:

@PJL SET SMARTCARD = “45ad3f12ccad132fdc”

 

directprint.io RED Control Panel Application authentication attributes

If you are a directprint.io RED customer then you can use Google Workspace to authenticate against the on-device control panel applications.

Authentication methods

You have the following options available for authentication;

  • User - Users can log in using their unique login ID
  • User & PIN - Users can log in using their unique login ID and PIN code
  • Card authentication - Users can log in with their access cards. Card authentication can be used in conjunction with the options above. 

Google Workspace Control Panel Application Authentication attributes

By default, the User ID is the first part of the user's Google Workspace email. This can be overridden in Google Workspace custom attributes using the attribute name MFD_USER.

By default the Login PIN is the last four digits of the user's Google Workspace GAIA ID. This can be overridden in Google Workspace custom attributes using the attribute name MFD_PIN.

By default, the smartcard ID is not set but can be set against the user through the Google Workspace User search function. Alternatively, this can be overridden in Google Workspace custom attributes using the attribute name MFD_SMARTCARD_ID.

 

To achieve the overrides follow the instructions first define the schema by following these steps;

1. Set up the directprint.io schema

2. Entering per-user custom attributes

3. To override the user ID use MFD_USER
4. To override the Login PIN use MFD_PIN
5. To override the smartcard ID use MFD_SMARTCARD_ID

 

 

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