HP Web Jetadmin - Supported Printer Features in HP Web Jetadmin

2
OVERVIEW
HP Web Jetadmin is a printer management solution capable of discovering many different printing
device models from various vendors. Once a printing device is discovered, the additional functions
that can be performed and the device details that can be viewed depend on several factors listed
here.
GENERIC SUPPORT
HP Web Jetadmin uses a variety of techniques in its queries to gather information from printing
devices. How much information is displayed, and what functionality is provided, depends solely on
the device’s ability to answer the queries. HP Web Jetadmin always attempts to query a generic set of
objects as defined in the common management information bases (MIBs) such as the Standard Printer
MIB (RFC 1759), whether it be HP or third-party devices. Devices that cannot answer queries defined
in common MIBs generally display very little information in HP Web Jetadmin, if they are discovered
at all. For HP printing devices, HP Web Jetadmin has knowledge of proprietary HP MIB objects which
can provide a much higher level of support. Earlier models of HP devices may not support many of
the advanced features of HP Web Jetadmin.
DEVICE PLUG-INS
Device plug-ins in HP Web
Jetadmin define what is
displayed for a particular
device model. Features
such as Status page
information (Figure 1),
alerts, firmware upgrades,
configuration options, and
columns are displayed as
a result of a discreet
device plug-in instructing
HP Web Jetadmin that the
items are available for
each model. A bitmap image is hardcoded into each discreet plug-in to provide a matching picture of
the device. Capabilities are hardcoded into the plug-in to define what are potentially installed on
each device. When configuration templates are created through the configuration template wizard,
each desired device model can be pre-selected so Web Jetadmin only offers configuration items that
pertain to each selected model. The discreet plug-in defines which configuration options are displayed
for each model.
Discreet plug-ins are added to Web Jetadmin to coincide with the release of each printer to offer any
new features the printer may introduce and to provide at least the same support experience as the
previous model the new model replaced. If an older version of Web Jetadmin is being used when a
new printer releases, since the discreet plug-in isn’t included in Web Jetadmin yet, only very limited
support is provided through a generic plug-in. HP Web Jetadmin would need to be upgraded in order
to receive a full feature set for each new model.
Figure 1—Status page