User manual

PaperCut - Sharp OSA Manual 2014-12-24

configuration key: ext-device.sharp_osa.offline-awake-interval-

minutes.

A shorter time may be more convenient, but would make it easier to bypass

PaperCut control by removing the network cable before making copies. A longer

time would increase protection against this behaviour.

Currently PaperCut does not track print or copy jobs made whilst the device is in

Offline Mode.

6 Known Limitations and Security

The Sharp Embedded Software environment (OSA) has a number of limitations that

have impacted on functionality and security.

6.1 Zero Stop when Copying

In an ideal implementation, PaperCut would be able to control exactly how many

pages a user can copy and always prevent the user from overdrawing their account.

The OSA API offers the ability to limit page counts, but has the following limitations:

1. The copier does not seem to stop immediately when limits are reached.

There is a small delay meaning that users can overrun their account below

zero by about 4 pages.

2. Ideally PaperCut would be informed of the user selection prior to copying and

be able to accept/reject the job at this point. Current Sharp API

implementations prevent this level of pre-approval.

The implications of this limitation are:

 Restricted users with credit for X pages may be able to select and complete a

job of X + 4 pages. They will still however be charged for X + 4 pages leaving

a negative account balance.

 A user may only have credit for X pages and copies a document with X + n

pages. The job will stop half way through at X pages. An ideal solution will

inform the user of insufficient credit before the job starts.

The PaperCut Software development team has passed some suggestions for future

API design to the Sharp OSA team. We hope these are implemented in future

releases.

6.2 Zero Stop when Scanning and Faxing

Sharp devices currently do not stop scan jobs or fax jobs mid-way when users run

out of credit. Instead, users can complete the scan or fax job and possibly incur an

overdraft in their accounts. Users are then prevented from starting further jobs of any

kind.

6.3 Bypassing the System

It’s important that the administrators take care to prevent users from bypassing the

system and directly accessing the copier. Likewise it’s also important that

administrators know how to bypass/disable the system if direct copier access is

required – say to change advanced system settings. Administrations should take the

following precautions: