Summary

The following document describes how printer redirection functions.

What is Printer Redirection

Printer redirection allows an NSOE document (receipt or report) to print to specified failover printer if the default printer is not functioning correctly. Consider the Simple NSOE Network below. In this installation, there  are three printers: Check-1, Check-2, and Check-3. Prior to Printer Redirection, if the Check-1 printer was out of paper and an employee tried to print a receipt to that printer, the receipt would not print.

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When printer redirection is enabled for a printer, the system automatically redirects the print job to the next specified failover printer. If the next specified failover printer is unavailable, the system attempts the next failover printer until all three printers are attempted. If the document is printed, a message is displayed on the iPad that a redirection occurred. If the failure continues, no additional messages are displayed on the iPad.

When Does Printer Redirection NOT Occur

Printer redirection only detects whether or not a given printer can be printed to. If the printer can accept a print job, then no further action is taken. Printer redirection does not redirect for failed print jobs or print errors.

When Does Printer Redirection Occur

Printer redirection occurs whenever the default printer for the location or specified printer for a report is unavailable. Printed documents are automatically routed to the next specified failover printer without user intervention. Unavailable states include, but are not limited to when the printer:

• Does not exist (no printer with the specified name)
• Is offline
• Is out of paper
• Has a paper jam
• Printer door is open
• Lost network connectivity
• Printer is paused

The following diagram illustrates the flow for printer redirection:

Examples

Consider the following example:

• Check-1 is set up with two failover printers: Check-2 and Check-3
• Check-2 is set up with one failover printer: Check-1

Example 1

• An employee is trying to print a receipt to Check-1
• Check-1 is out of paper

In this example, a receipt is printed on Check-2 and a message appears on all staff interfaces that Check-1 is printing to Check-2. Continued failovers to Check-2 do not generate on-screen messages.

Example 2

• An employee is trying to print a receipt to Check-1
• Check-1 is out of paper
• Check-2 has a paper jam

In this example, a receipt is printed on Check-3 and a message appears on all staff interfaces that Check-1 is printing to Check-3. Note that redirection only follows the failover printers specified for the original intended printer, Check-1. Continued failovers to Check-3 do not generate on-screen messages.

Example 3

• An employee is trying to print a receipt to Check-1
• Check-1 is out of paper
• Check-2 has a paper jam
• Check-3 doesn't exist

In this example, a receipt is printed placed into the Check-1 print queue and a message appears on all staff interfaces that Check-1 has a document queued. Once Check-1's issue is resolved, the document prints. Continued failovers to queue do not generate on-screen messages.

Example 4

Printer redirection is managed in ECM in the Sites -> Printers interface. Use the following steps to configure Printer Redirection. The user must have Site editing role.

1. Log in to ECM.
2. Click Order Entry.
3. Click Sites.
4. Click Edit button for the site for which you wish to configure printer redirection.
5. Click Printers.
6. Ensure that the printers that you wish to redirect from and to exist. If not, add those printers.
7. Click the edit (pencil) icon for the printer that you wish to have redirect. The Edit - Printer dialog opens:

8. Under Failover Printers, select up to three printers to which the printer should redirect. When failing over, NSOE will attempt to print in the order specified (from 1 to 3). Select None Selected to specify no failover for a given position.

9. Click Save.

Failover printers are sent to the site on a Site deploy.