<%NUMBERING1%>.<%NUMBERING2%>.<%NUMBERING3%> PRTG Manual: Windows Print Queue Sensor

The Windows Print Queue sensor reads the print queue on the parent device and returns the number of jobs in the print queue. It can monitor queues for all printers that are locally installed.

i_round_blueYou can use this sensor to monitor all print queues on your Windows print server and to retrieve information about all available jobs that are in the queue longer than defined.

i_round_blueAdditionally, this sensor can change to a defined status if there is a printer problem. See section Sensor Settings for available parameters.

Windows Print Queue Sensor

Windows Print Queue Sensor

i_square_cyanFor a detailed list and descriptions of the channels that this sensor can show, see section Channel List.

Sensor in Other Languages

  • Dutch: Windows Print Queue
  • French: Windows file d'attente d'impression
  • German: Windows Druckwarteschlange
  • Japanese: Windows プリントキュー
  • Portuguese: Fila de impressão Windows
  • Russian: Очередь печати Windows
  • Simplified Chinese: Windows 打印队列
  • Spanish: Cola de impresión Windows

Remarks

  • This sensor has a high performance impact. Use it with care. We recommend that you use no more than 200 sensors of this sensor type on each probe.
  • This sensor requires that the Print Spooler Windows service runs on the target device and the probe system.
  • This sensor requires .NET 4.7.2 or later from Microsoft on the probe system. If the sensor shows the error PE087, additionally install .NET 3.5 on the probe system.
  • This sensor requires credentials for Windows systems in the settings of the parent device.
  • We recommend Windows Server 2012 R2 on the probe system for best performance of this sensor.
  • This sensor supports the IPv6 protocol.
  • You can add a change trigger to this sensor to get a notification when the number of jobs in the queue changes.

i_podYou cannot add this sensor to the hosted probe of a PRTG Hosted Monitor instance. If you want to use this sensor, add it to a remote probe device.

Detailed Requirements

Requirement

Description

.NET 4.7.2 or later

This sensor requires .NET 4.7.2 or later to be installed on the probe system (on every cluster node, if on a cluster probe).

i_round_redIf the framework is missing, you cannot create this sensor.

i_square_cyanFor more information, see the Knowledge Base: Which .NET version does PRTG require?

Windows credentials

This sensor requires credentials for Windows systems in the settings of the parent device. Preferably, use Windows domain credentials.

i_round_redIf you use local credentials, make sure that the same Windows user accounts (with the same user name and password) exist on both the probe system and the target computer. Otherwise, the sensor cannot correctly connect.

Print Spooler Windows service

For this sensor to work, the Print Spooler Windows service must be started on the target computer and the probe system.

To enable the service, log in to the respective computer and open the services manager (for example, via services.msc). In the list, find the respective service and set its Start Type to Automatic.

Add Sensor

The Add Sensor dialog appears when you manually add a new sensor to a device. It only shows the settings that are required to create the sensor. You can change nearly all settings on the sensor's Settings tab after creation.

i_round_blueThe settings that you select in the Add Sensor dialog are valid for all sensors that you create when you finish the dialog.

Sensor Settings

Setting

Description

Print Queues

Select the print queues that you want to monitor. PRTG creates one sensor for each print queue that you select.

i_round_blueIf no print queues are available, you see a corresponding message.

i_round_blueIf a printer name changes after sensor creation, you need to add the sensor anew.

i_round_blueEnable check boxes in front of the respective lines to select the items. Use the check box in the table header to select all items or to cancel the selection. In large tables, use the search function in the upper-right corner.

Basic Sensor Settings

Click the Settings tab of a sensor to change its settings.

Basic Sensor Settings

Basic Sensor Settings

Setting

Description

Sensor Name

Enter a name to identify the sensor.

Parent Tags

Shows tags that the sensor inherits from its parent device, parent group, and parent probe.

i_round_blueThis setting is for your information only. You cannot change it.

Tags

Enter one or more tags. Confirm each tag with the Spacebar key, a comma, or the Enter key. You can use tags to group objects and use tag-filtered views later on. Tags are not case-sensitive. Tags are automatically inherited.

i_round_blueIt is not possible to enter tags with a leading plus (+) or minus (-) sign, nor tags with parentheses (()) or angle brackets (<>).

i_round_blueFor performance reasons, it can take some minutes until you can filter for new tags that you added.

The sensor has the following default tags that are automatically predefined in the sensor's settings when you add the sensor:

  • ptfsensor

Priority

Select a priority for the sensor. This setting determines the position of the sensor in lists. The highest priority is at the top of a list. Choose from the lowest priority (i_priority_1) to the highest priority (i_priority_5).

i_round_blueUsually, a sensor connects to the IP Address/DNS Name of the parent device. See the device settings for details. For some sensors, you can explicitly define the monitoring target in the sensor settings.

Sensor Settings

Sensor Settings

Sensor Settings

Setting

Description

Print Queue

Shows the name of the task whose print queue this sensor monitors.

i_round_bluePRTG shows this value for reference purposes only. If you need to change this value, add the sensor anew.

Advanced Status Options

You can optionally define specific sensor states for several return messages of the printer that this sensor monitors. Choose between:

  • Do not define sensor states for specific return messages: Do not define sensor states for specific return messages.
  • Define sensor states for specific return messages: Define sensor states for various messages that the printer reports.

i_round_blueNot all printer types properly support Advanced Status Options, which might lead to false alerts. If the printer does not support a property, this property is always false. This means that the sensor cannot display the state or detect if the printer supports the property. Even if the printer can report a property, it can only do so if a print job is sent to the printer.

Door Open

This setting is only available if you select the Define sensor states for specific return messages above. For each problem that the printer reports, you can define the status that the sensor shows. Choose between:

  • Ignore: Stay the same if the printer reports this message.
  • Warning: Show the Warning status if the printer reports this message.
  • Down: Show the Down status if the printer reports this message.

Manual Feed Required

This setting is only available if you select the Define sensor states for specific return messages above. For each problem that the printer reports, you can define the status that the sensor shows. Choose between:

  • Ignore: Stay the same if the printer reports this message.
  • Warning: Show the Warning status if the printer reports this message.
  • Down: Show the Down status if the printer reports this message.

Needs User Intervention

This setting is only available if you select the Define sensor states for specific return messages above. For each problem that the printer reports, you can define the status that the sensor shows. Choose between:

  • Ignore: Stay the same if the printer reports this message.
  • Warning: Show the Warning status if the printer reports this message.
  • Down: Show the Down status if the printer reports this message.

Offline

This setting is only available if you select the Define sensor states for specific return messages above. For each problem that the printer reports, you can define the status that the sensor shows. Choose between:

  • Ignore: Stay the same if the printer reports this message.
  • Warning: Show the Warning status if the printer reports this message.
  • Down: Show the Down status if the printer reports this message.

Out of Memory

This setting is only available if you select the Define sensor states for specific return messages above. For each problem that the printer reports, you can define the status that the sensor shows. Choose between:

  • Ignore: Stay the same if the printer reports this message.
  • Warning: Show the Warning status if the printer reports this message.
  • Down: Show the Down status if the printer reports this message.

Out of Paper

This setting is only available if you select the Define sensor states for specific return messages above. For each problem that the printer reports, you can define the status that the sensor shows. Choose between:

  • Ignore: Stay the same if the printer reports this message.
  • Warning: Show the Warning status if the printer reports this message.
  • Down: Show the Down status if the printer reports this message.

Paper Jammed

This setting is only available if you select the Define sensor states for specific return messages above. For each problem that the printer reports, you can define the status that the sensor shows. Choose between:

  • Ignore: Stay the same if the printer reports this message.
  • Warning: Show the Warning status if the printer reports this message.
  • Down: Show the Down status if the printer reports this message.

Paper Problem

This setting is only available if you select the Define sensor states for specific return messages above. For each problem that the printer reports, you can define the status that the sensor shows. Choose between:

  • Ignore: Stay the same if the printer reports this message.
  • Warning: Show the Warning status if the printer reports this message.
  • Down: Show the Down status if the printer reports this message.

Paused

This setting is only available if you select the Define sensor states for specific return messages above. For each problem that the printer reports, you can define the status that the sensor shows. Choose between:

  • Ignore: Stay the same if the printer reports this message.
  • Warning: Show the Warning status if the printer reports this message.
  • Down: Show the Down status if the printer reports this message.

Printer Error

This setting is only available if you select the Define sensor states for specific return messages above. For each problem that the printer reports, you can define the status that the sensor shows. Choose between:

  • Ignore: Stay the same if the printer reports this message.
  • Warning: Show the Warning status if the printer reports this message.
  • Down: Show the Down status if the printer reports this message.

Printer Not Available

This setting is only available if you select the Define sensor states for specific return messages above. For each problem that the printer reports, you can define the status that the sensor shows. Choose between:

  • Ignore: Stay the same if the printer reports this message.
  • Warning: Show the Warning status if the printer reports this message.
  • Down: Show the Down status if the printer reports this message.

Toner Low

This setting is only available if you select the Define sensor states for specific return messages above. For each problem that the printer reports, you can define the status that the sensor shows. Choose between:

  • Ignore: Stay the same if the printer reports this message.
  • Warning: Show the Warning status if the printer reports this message.
  • Down: Show the Down status if the printer reports this message.

Toner Out

This setting is only available if you select the Define sensor states for specific return messages above. For each problem that the printer reports, you can define the status that the sensor shows. Choose between:

  • Ignore: Stay the same if the printer reports this message.
  • Warning: Show the Warning status if the printer reports this message.
  • Down: Show the Down status if the printer reports this message.

Minimum Print Job Age (Sec.)

Optionally define the age of the print job in seconds. If you define a minimum print job age, the sensor does not regard jobs that are younger than this value. If you leave this field empty, the sensor does not check for the print job age. Enter an integer or leave the field empty.

Debug Options

Debug Options

Debug Options

Setting

Description

Result Handling

Define what PRTG does with the sensor result:

  • Discard result: Do not store the sensor result.
  • Store result: Store the last sensor result in the \Logs\sensors subfolder of the PRTG data directory on the probe system. The file names are Result of Sensor [ID].txt and Result of Sensor [ID].Data.txt. This setting is for debugging purposes. PRTG overwrites these files with each scanning interval.

i_round_blueIn a cluster, PRTG stores the result in the PRTG data directory of the master node.

Sensor Display

Sensor Display

Sensor Display

Setting

Description

Primary Channel

Select a channel from the list to define it as the primary channel. In the device tree, the last value of the primary channel is always displayed below the sensor's name. The available options depend on what channels are available for this sensor.

i_round_blueYou can set a different primary channel later by clicking b_channel_primary below a channel gauge on the sensor's Overview tab.

Graph Type

Define how different channels are shown for this sensor:

  • Show channels independently (default): Show a graph for each channel.
  • Stack channels on top of each other: Stack channels on top of each other to create a multi-channel graph. This generates a graph that visualizes the different components of your total traffic.
    i_round_redYou cannot use this option in combination with manual Vertical Axis Scaling (available in the channel settings).

Stack Unit

This setting is only visible if you enable Stack channels on top of each other as Graph Type. Select a unit from the list. All channels with this unit are stacked on top of each other. By default, you cannot exclude single channels from stacking if they use the selected unit. However, there is an advanced procedure to do so.

Inherited Settings

By default, all of these settings are inherited from objects that are higher in the hierarchy. We recommend that you change them centrally in the root group settings if necessary. To change a setting for this object only, click b_inherited_enabled under the corresponding setting name to disable the inheritance and to display its options.

i_square_cyanFor more information, see section Inheritance of Settings.

Scanning Interval

Scanning Interval

Scanning Interval

i_square_cyanFor more information, see section Root Group Settings, section Scanning Interval.

Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Window

i_round_blueYou cannot interrupt the inheritance for schedules, dependencies, and maintenance windows. The corresponding settings from the parent objects are always active. However, you can define additional schedules, dependencies, and maintenance windows. They are active at the same time as the parent objects' settings.

Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Window

Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Window

i_square_cyanFor more information, see section Root Group Settings, section Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Window.

Access Rights

Access Rights

Access Rights

i_square_cyanFor more information, see section Root Group Settings, section Access Rights.

Channel List

i_round_blueWhich channels the sensor actually shows might depend on the target device, the available components, and the sensor setup.

Channel

Description

Downtime

In the channel table on the Overview tab, this channel never shows any values. PRTG uses this channel in graphs and reports to show the amount of time in which the sensor was in the Down status in percent.

Execution Time

The execution time in milliseconds (msec)

Jobs

The number of jobs in the queue

i_round_blueThis channel is the primary channel by default.

More

i_square_blueKnowledge Base

Which .NET version does PRTG require?

What security features does PRTG include?