Quota
Controlled Fast Network Printers for the Terminal Areas
By
Joe Lee
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The Computing Services Centre (CSC) implemented
the Quota Controlled Printing System in December 2003 to better
manage student printing activities initiated from open access
computers in its Terminal Areas on Level 2, Academic Building.
(For details, please refer to Network Computing Issues 38
and 39.)
Limited by the affordable printing technology then, all printers
connected to this printing system are small but productive desktop
models and students must feed their own paper to the printers
to obtain printouts. While this solution was considered unsatisfactory
due to the substantial maintenance effort and operational support
rendered to many small printers, yet the set up could still meet
the printing demands at the time.
Starting from January 2009, a new printing system, equipped with
better and more mature technology, includes a splendid new feature
called “follow me printing” that enables submission of print jobs
from any centrally managed PC or notebook computers, and picking
up the printout at any printer managed by the printing system.
The following figure depicts the concept:
To overcome the problems of small printers mentioned above and
to satisfy the printing needs due to growing e-learning and collaborative
learning activities, the CSC installed five heavy duty fast printers
for students in March 2009 making use of the new feature described
above. This new set up has the following distinct advantages:
All computers inside the CSC Student Terminal Area, Library’s
Information Space and Oval Area, and notebook computers connected
to the Wireless LAN can enjoy this service. Currently, students
at the CSC can find these fast printers at
As going green is one of CSC’s goals, students are strongly encouraged
to use double-sided (or 2-sided or duplex) printing whenever possible.
By doing so, students can help in saving trees, reducing carbon
in the atmosphere, and holding a handier set of hardcopies on
the one hand, and saving up their print quota on the other. For
details, please refer to the
“Best Printing Practice”.
This new service has been well received by students. By the end
of Semester B, students have submitted most of their print jobs
to these fast printers instead of those manual-fed small ones.
From our record, students have also shown their support for green
computing by adopting duplex printing for around 80% of their
print jobs.
References:
