How to get alerted when a device serial number changes

By default, Print Director will take an SNMP reading from each device every hour. Included in this reading are meter counts, toner levels and the serial number.

The Counter Values Recon report is designed to compare the usage information (user printing data) with the meter readings so discrepancies can be identified and rectified. It will take the usage information between two meter readings for each device and show a comparison that includes counting an A3 page as 2 pages (since most printers are configured to click twice for an A3 print).

However, in order for the comparison to be valid, the serial number for the first reading must match the serial number for the last reading. Otherwise, it is likely that the readings are actually for two different devices (for example, a loan device). For this reason, any devices with mismatched serial numbers will be listed in a separate part of the report and not in the reconciliation data section.

This allows us to create an hourly scheduled report that will only send if there is data for that hour. We will configure it to only include data for mismatched serial number readings. Therefore, it will only send the email if a device reading shows a new serial number from one hour to the next.

Create the scheduled task to email the alert

1. Open Resource Manager.
2. Navigate to Scheduled Tasks > Report Exports.
3. In the right-hand pane, click Add.
4. Enter Alert for serial number change in the Report Export name textbox (or any descriptive name you prefer).
5. Tick the checkbox Skip scheduled export when there is no data.
6. Enter the recipient email address in the To textbox.
7. Edit the Subject textbox if desired.
8. Click Next.
9. In the Schedule Pattern frame, choose the Hourly option.
10. Click Next.
11. In the tree, expand the Device Readings node and select Counter and Usage Recon.
12. Click Next.
13. In the Time Period frame, enter 1 in the Show data from textbox and change the drop-down to hours.
14. In the Include devices frame, untick With recon data and Without 1^st & last reading leaving only Mismatched serial numbers ticked.
    

15. Click Finish.