Task Based Printing in Centricity
EMR and CPS
CHUG – Fall 2010
Brad Batman & Mike Dent
GE Healthcare ITPS
Objectives
1. Understand functionality and how task based
printing works
2. Understand different environment
configurations and how task based printing is
affected
3. Understand workflows/steps to enable task
based printing to work, and environments it
just won’t
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Question: Tasked Based Printing
options are stored based on the:
A. User
B. Workstation
Answer:
Task Based Printing options are selected entirely based on workstation settings.
Common Problems with Task Based
Printing
• When I change exam rooms, my documents
print to the wrong printer
• The printers I have listed are not mine
• When I print, I get an Access Denied error
message
• The options I choose in the Printers screen
keep changing
• I have no printers!
What is task based printing?
Task-based printing allows you to set up a
workstation to send different types of documents
to specific printers that have the right kind of
paper for each document.
Task Based Printing Workflow
Users Logs into
System
Matching
workstation records
in the printer table
Printer options are
set
No matching
workstation records
No printer options
are set
How does the EMR Store printers?
• When a user selects one of the task based
options, the EMR captures the workstation
and printer from which the user is logged in
from
• Workstation in this case is the device from which the
EMR session was initiated from
• The EMR inserts a row into the printer tables
for that workstation
Example of Captured Printer
What environments are susceptible to
TBP Issues?
• Terminal Servers
• Citrix XenApp
• This includes connections thru Access Gateway, Secure
Gateway and Web Interface
• Virtual Desktops (VMware View/XenDesktop)
• Thick Clients
• This means any environment the client runs in!
WHAT CAUSES THESE ISSUES?
Thick Clients
• Multiple users use the same workstation, but have
different printers applied during login
• By GPO, by login script, etc
• User 1 selects printer options, User 2 log’s and
receives User 1 printer options
• If User 2 doesn’t have same printers, errors will occur
• Difference in network printers vs. locally installed
printers
• Network printers created in context of user, locally
installed available for all machine
Terminal Services
– Users disconnect session from one workstation,
and reconnect to that session from another
workstation
• Printers are reapplied by Windows
– RDP Session will add the correct printers
• EMR will only pick up the printers if you click the drop
down arrow in printers
• EMR will not update your printer options in this case
Citrix XenApp
• By far, the environment that has the most issues
• Workspace Control (aka Follow Me) is a disconnect and
reconnect method
• Even though Citrix will update printers and the EMR will
enumerate new printers, TBP doesn’t know you changed devices
• Setting disabled to wait for printers
• If slow driver negotiation, app can start without printers
• Using Default Printer options from Citrix
• Dynamic naming convention, XenApp 4.0 and later
• Pre-4.0 did not use this
• Printer name will never stay the same between sessions
• Web Interface client naming convention
• Previously, WI uses a WI_xxxxxxxx naming
• Printer might be the same, but client name will never be the same
VMware View & XenDesktop
• Combines issues of Thick Client and XenApp into
one
• If the VDI environment is not a 1:1 match on user
to VM, the potential is there for multiple errors
• Pool of desktops is available, so any user can hit any
workstation
For Task Based Printing
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
Truncating the Printers Table
• Truncating the printers table is a popular fix
– Removes all the printers table entries
• ONLY a temporary fix!!!
Thick Clients
• Silo printers on login
– Ensure that if multiple users are logging into and out
of a single workstation, that printers are applied the
same regardless of user
• This would ensure that the same printers are available to any
user that logs into that workstation
• Use either locally installed printers (still can be
networked), or use global network printers
– Consider using global network printers, using specific
PrintUI.dll functions http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/NetPrinterAllUsers
.htm
Terminal Services
• Do not allow disconnected sessions to be
reconnected
– Put in a place a disconnected session timeout at a
very low value, to ensure no sessions get reconnected
• Consider using generic TS based logins unique to
workstation
– Security issue, possibly
• Ensure that cfw.ini file has the UseClientName
variable equal to True
XenApp
• Follow TS disconnect settings
• Like TS, consider using generic Citrix login’s
• Ensure that cfw.ini file has the UseClientName
variable equal to True
• Disable or limit Workspace Control
• Modify the Web Interface to use the client name
rather than the WI default naming convention
• Use of Session Printing vs. Auto Created printers
Thick Client, TS and Citrix Demo’s
DEMO OF TASK BASED PRINTING
SCENARIOS
Demo Scenarios
Thick Clients
1. Multiple Users, Different
Printers
Citrix/TS
1. UseClientName =
True/False
2. Web Interface Client Name
Enabled/Disabled
3. Policy for Legacy Printer
Name
Thank you!
ANY QUESTIONS?