Directories - Managing homonyms

Introduction

Watchdoc allows managing print jobs that are specific to each individual user at an entity, hence the special case where user accounts have homonyms may represent a configuration issue.

 

Version 5.2 of Watchdoc includes homonym management functions based on the configuration of the META and CARDS directories as well as setting the print queues.

The contexts in which homonym issues may arise can be highly varied (network architecture, peripheral brands and models, number of directories, print policy, etc.) and it is necessary to produce a homonym handling feasibility audit prior to configuring this function in Watchdoc v5.2.

Principle

Generally, when accounts are created in a directory (domain), the network administrator distinguishes between users with the same name by preceding their surname with the initial of their first name in their login (or e-mail address). Hence John Doe takes the login j.doe while Emma Doe takes the login e.doe. If first name initials too are identical, the administrator will find something to distinguish between the accounts (e.g. John Doe who joins the company after James Doe will be assigned the account jo.doe or j.doe2).

 

This way every user can print their own documents unambiguously.

 

Yet there are (rare) cases where homonyms were not anticipated or, more often, where it is necessary to merge a number of separate directories into a single one. This is especially the case when a number of companies come together to share their IT resources.

 

In this case, confusion may arise when it comes to managing printing if no changes are possible at the user account level. This is because when the print jobs are managed by Watchdoc, as the user accounts are all sent to the META directory, two homonym accounts can no longer be distinguished as their initial domain (directory) is replaced by the META domain name.

 

Failure to take the homonym issue into account will expose users to the risk that their print jobs will be released by their homonym, which would of course for certain sensitive documents, cause problems. Watchdoc V5.2 therefore includes a new function offering different ways to manage domains so that homonym issues can be overcome.

The homonyms mentioned here are not pure ones with users that have the same first names and surnames, but rather ones relating to user accounts (John or Jane Doe, who are not homonyms, but do both have user accounts called j.doe.

Diagram

Configuring homonyms

Steps

To set-up homonym handling in Watchdoc v5.2, you need to:

  1. Start handling in the META directory (and in CARDS if you use this directory),

  2. Configure files or groups of files to detail how homonyms are managed.

Instructions

To configure how Watchdoc behaves when a multi-domain (multi-directory) environment is used comprising homonyms:

  1. From the Main Menu in Watchdoc, Configuration section, click on User directories,

  2. From the User directory list, click on the button for the META directory to edit its properties:



  1. From the User directory configuration interface, in the Sub-directories section, check the Remember the original domain of mapped users to not replace the initial domain with the META domain as this could create homonyms that would be impossible to discriminate between (so that CompA\j.doe and CompB\j.doe do not both become META\j.doe),

  2. Click on the button to validate the META directory configuration,

  3. Return to the Main Menu in Watchdoc, then from the Production section, click on Printing queues,

  4. From the Printing queues list, choose a group of files or a specific file, depending on what you wish to configure and click on the Edit properties button.

If you configure a group of files, the settings will apply to all of the files included in the group, but you can still change the settings for each file later on.

  1. From the File group properties or File properties interface, in the Expert Mode section, configure the Domain setting by selecting the radio button "Use the domain specified in the spool file if present, otherwise use default domain":

    This setting allows the initial domain first (or the default domain if the initial domain does not exist). The accounts saved in the META directory will retain the information from their initial domain, which makes it easier to distinguish homonyms.
    You can also use another option depending on your requirements.

  1. Click on the button to validate spool group or spool settings.

  2. Test printing from homonym accounts to ensure the effectiveness of the settings chosen.