Print server monitoring with Log360

Overview

ManageEngine Log360 centralizes the collection, parsing, storage, analysis, correlation, and archiving of print server logs. This comprehensive approach provides valuable insights into print infrastructure usage, potential security risks, and operational efficiency. By monitoring print jobs, access attempts, and system events, Log360 empowers administrators with effective log management, threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities specific to their printing environment.

How Log360 collects and analyzes print server logs

Log360 simplifies print server log management through versatile collection methods and intelligent processing:

Collection methods:

• Agent-based: Secure and reliable forwarding of logs, ideal for critical print servers.

Monitoring capabilities:

Log360 gathers and analyzes crucial print server logs from the following key channels, offering a comprehensive view of print operations and security:

Operational logs (Microsoft-Windows-PrintService/Operational):

These are the most detailed logs for print job activity. They capture events related to:

• Print job tracking: Records the initiation, spooling, pausing, resuming, and completion of print jobs. This includes details like document names, user details, and print status.
• Driver management: Logs events related to printer driver installation, uninstallation, and issues.
• Printer status: Provides information on printer state changes.

Admin logs (Microsoft-Windows-PrintService/Admin):

These logs primarily focus on administrative actions and errors related to print services and queues:

• Printer management: Records events when printers are added, deleted, or their configurations are changed.
• Service errors: Logs critical errors or warnings related to the print spooler service.

Critical print server events monitored

Log360 tracks essential print server activities, including:

• Successful and failed print jobs
• User activity related to printing
• Access to print queues and resources
• Changes to printer configurations
• Installation or removal of printers and drivers
• Errors and failures within the print service
• Unauthorized attempts to access print server resources

Key benefits

• Centralized visibility: Gain a unified view of all print server activity from a single console, eliminating the need to examine logs on individual servers.
• Usage monitoring and optimization: Understand printing patterns, identify heavy users or departments, and optimize resource allocation.
• Security incident detection: Identify suspicious printing activities, such as large volume printing at unusual times or unauthorized access attempts.
• Troubleshooting and diagnostics: Quickly pinpoint the root cause of printing issues, errors, or failures by analyzing relevant log data.
• Compliance and auditing: Maintain records of print activity for auditing purposes and demonstrate compliance with internal policies.

Address key print server management challenges

The Log360 advantage

While providing in-depth print server insights, Log360 extends its capabilities beyond a single system:

• Cross-platform correlation: Correlate print server events with security logs from other systems (e.g., user authentication failures on domain controllers preceding unusual printing) for a broader security context.
• Integrated alerting: Set up real-time alerts for critical print server events, such as service failures or suspicious activity, enabling proactive intervention.
• Comprehensive reporting: Generate detailed reports on print usage, security events, and operational metrics for analysis and compliance purposes.
• Unified security operations: Integrate print server log analysis into a broader security operations framework for enhanced threat detection and incident response across the entire IT infrastructure.

Gain complete visibility into all your print server activities from a single, unified console with ManageEngine Log360.

Explore print server auditing and monitoring capabilities and use cases to learn more.