We have a network of about 100 users: 75 Mac OS X (10.4 & 10.5 clients) and 25 Windows XP Pro PCs.
The PCs are in a Windows 2003 domain. The Mac clients are in a Mac work-group, bound to the domain file server. There is also a Mac XServer running Mac OS X Server 10.4 that has a NAS drive which provides additional (most) of the file storage.
OD and AD are NOT integrated. They are not currently running OD on the Mac Server. Only the PCs are using AD and function as a true domain.
The network shares 6 printers, shared out form the Win 2003 Server. Each client has a print-auditing application called "Print Audit 5" (
http://www.printaudit.com) installed on it which connects to a SQL database to generate reports on usage and automates billing back to clients through "Clients & Profits" (time/project billing software).
The problem is: Enforcing user compliance! We need the users to use the auditing software for all print jobs. Social Engineering has failed. We'd like to automate the decision out of their hands.
The application is already configured to auto-start on the Mac clients when the user logs on. But that doesn't stop a user from shutting down Print Audit (all Mac users are necessarily Admins on their local machines). I need away to enforce a policy on the client machines that will not allow a user to print to any of the printers on the server without running the "Print Audit" software.
The printers are as follows:
Canon CLC 1180 with Canon Fiery z80O server x2
Canon iRC3220 with Canon Fiery z3000 server
Kyocera KM-5050
HP LaserJet 4000
HP LaserJet 5000
Brother HL-5170DN x2
We have considered a GPO on the Windows domain.
We are also planning an upgrade to OS X 1.5 Server to integrate AD and OD if that will work.
I have even read briefly that the Mac OS X client has a "root" account (as in Linux) that can be activated and who's policy overrides the local Admin account on the Macs.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how we can enforce this policy on this hybrid network?
We would also consider moving to a different print-auditing solution if there was one that could be configured to our needs and that was the only solution. Though we would like to make their present investment work for them - of course.
It's a tall order but I have to believe that someone else has had the smae issue before. Anyone have a solution for this?
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