Automated Print Job Redirection

Abstract

An example embodiment may involve receiving a print job. The print job may be associated with one or more printing preferences. The example embodiment may also involve determining to redirect the print job, and querying one or more network entities for printing capabilities of one or more candidate printing devices. The first example embodiment may further involve, possibly based on a comparison between the printing preferences and the printing capabilities of the one or more candidate printing devices, selecting one of the one or more candidate printing devices for redirection of the print job. The printing capabilities of the selected printing device may meet the printing preferences. The first example embodiment may additionally involve transmitting the print job to the selected printing device.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a target printing device, a print job, wherein the print job is associated with one or more printing preferences;   determining, by the target printing device, to redirect the print job;   querying, by the target printing device, one or more network entities for printing capabilities of one or more candidate printing devices, wherein querying the one or more network entities for the printing capabilities of the one or more candidate printing devices comprises (i) querying a network topology management device for a list of devices, (ii) identifying a set of candidate printing devices from the listed devices, and (iii) querying each of the set of candidate printing devices for their respective printing capabilities, wherein the network topology management device is a network switch device, wherein querying the network topology management device for the list of devices comprises performing a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) walk on a bridge Management Information Base (MIB) of the network switch device to discover addresses of each of the set of candidate printing devices, and wherein querying each of the set of candidate printing devices for their respective printing capabilities comprises performing an SNMP walk of printer MIBs of each of the set of candidate printing devices;   based on a comparison between the printing preferences and the printing capabilities of the one or more candidate printing devices, selecting one of the one or more candidate printing devices for redirection of the print job, wherein the printing capabilities of the selected printing device meet the printing preferences; and   transmitting, by the target printing device, the print job to the selected printing device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the printing preferences include at least one of a toner capacity preference or a stapling preference. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining to redirect the print job comprises:
 comparing the printing preferences to printing capabilities of the target printing device; and   determining that at least one of the printing preferences cannot be met by the printing capabilities of the target printing device.   
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein querying the one or more network entities for the printing capabilities of the one or more candidate printing devices further comprises:
 determining that the respective printing capabilities for each of the identified candidate printing devices do not meet at least one of the printing preferences;   querying a second network topology management device for a second list of devices;   identifying a second set of candidate printing devices from the second listed devices; and   querying each of the second set of candidate printing devices for their respective printing capabilities.   
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting one of the one or more candidate printing devices for redirection of the print job comprises:
 determining respective weighted ratings for two or more candidate printing devices with printing capabilities that meet the printing preferences, wherein the weighted ratings are based on (i) respective observed response times of the two or more candidate printing devices, and (ii) respective topological distances between the target printing device and each of the two or more candidate printing devices; and   selecting one of the two or more candidate printing devices with the highest weighted rating.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein a weight of the weighted rating for the selected printing device is increased after being selected. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting one of the one or more candidate printing devices for redirection of the print job comprises:
 displaying, on a user interface, information related to at least some of the candidate printing devices with printing capabilities that meet the printing preferences; and   receiving, from the user interface, an indication of the selected printing device.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the redirection occurs after at least one page of the print job has printed at the target printing device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the printing capabilities of the one or more candidate printing devices include respective operational statuses of the one or more candidate printing devices. 
     
     
         12 . An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by a target printing device, cause the target printing device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a print job, wherein the print job is associated with one or more printing preferences;   determining to redirect the print job;   querying one or more network entities for printing capabilities of one or more candidate printing devices, wherein querying the one or more network entities for the printing capabilities of the one or more candidate printing devices comprises (i) querying a network topology management device for a list of devices, (ii) identifying a set of candidate printing devices from the listed devices, and (iii) querying each of the set of candidate printing devices for their respective printing capabilities, wherein the network topology management device is a network switch device, wherein querying the network topology management device for the list of devices comprises performing a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) walk on a bridge Management Information Base (MIB) of the network switch device to discover addresses of each of the set of candidate printing devices, and wherein querying each of the set of candidate printing devices for their respective printing capabilities comprises performing an SNMP walk of printer MIBs of each of the set of candidate printing devices;   based on a comparison between the printing preferences and the printing capabilities of the one or more candidate printing devices, selecting one of the one or more candidate printing devices for redirection of the print job, wherein the printing capabilities of the selected printing device meet the printing preferences; and   transmitting the print job to the selected printing device.   
     
     
         13 . The article of manufacture of  claim 12 , wherein the printing preferences include at least one of a toner capacity preference or a stapling preference. 
     
     
         14 . The article of manufacture of  claim 12 , wherein determining to redirect the print job comprises:
 comparing the printing preferences to printing capabilities of the target printing device; and   determining that at least one of the printing preferences cannot be met by the printing capabilities of the target printing device.   
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The article of manufacture of  claim 12 , wherein selecting one of the one or more candidate printing devices for redirection of the print job comprises:
 determining respective weighted ratings for two or more candidate printing devices with printing capabilities that meet the printing preferences, wherein the weighted ratings are based on (i) respective observed response times of the two or more candidate printing devices, and (ii) respective topological distances between the target printing device and each of the two or more candidate printing devices; and   selecting one of the two or more candidate printing devices with the highest weighted rating.   
     
     
         17 . A target printing device comprising:
 at least one processor;   memory; and   program instructions, stored in the memory, that upon execution by the at least one processor cause the target printing device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a print job, wherein the print job is associated with one or more printing preferences; 
 determining to redirect the print job; 
 querying one or more network entities for printing capabilities of one or more candidate printing devices, wherein querying the one or more network entities for the printing capabilities of the one or more candidate printing devices comprises (i) querying a network topology management device for a list of devices, (ii) identifying a set of candidate printing devices from the listed devices, and (iii) querying each of the set of candidate printing devices for their respective printing capabilities, wherein the network topology management device is a network switch device, wherein querying the network topology management device for the list of devices comprises performing a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) walk on a bridge Management Information Base (MIB) of the network switch device to discover addresses of each of the set of candidate printing devices, and wherein querying each of the set of candidate printing devices for their respective printing capabilities comprises performing an SNMP walk of printer MIBs of each of the set of candidate printing devices; 
 based on a comparison between the printing preferences and the printing capabilities of the one or more candidate printing devices, selecting one of the one or more candidate printing devices for redirection of the print job, wherein the printing capabilities of the selected printing device meet the printing preferences; and 
 transmitting the print job to the selected printing device. 
   
     
     
         18 . The target printing device of  claim 17 , wherein the printing preferences include at least one of a toner capacity preference or a stapling preference. 
     
     
         19 . The target printing device of  claim 17 , wherein determining to redirect the print job comprises:
 comparing the printing preferences to printing capabilities of the target printing device; and   determining that at least one of the printing preferences cannot be met by the printing capabilities of the target printing device.   
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the respective observed response times include respective average delays from the target printing device to the two or more candidate printing devices, and the respective topological distances include respective network hop distances from the target printing device to the two or more candidate printing devices, and wherein determining the respective weighted ratings for the two or more candidate printing devices comprises:
 calculating the weighted ratings for the two or more candidate printing devices based on respective inverses of the respective average delays and the respective network hop distances.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the respective topological distances further include respective port distances between the target printing device and the two or more candidate printing devices, and wherein calculating the weighted ratings for the two or more candidate printing devices is based on respective inverses of the respective average delays, the respective network hop distances, and the respective port distances.