HP 9050 HP LaserJet 9040mfp/9050mfp - Software Technical Reference (external) - Page 46

HP Driver Preconfiguration HP Driver Preconfiguration is a software architecture and set of tools that permits HP printing-system software to be customized and distributed in managed corporate printing environments. Using HP Driver Preconfiguration, information technology (IT) administrators in corporate and enterprise environments can preconfigure the printing and device defaults for HP print drivers before installing the drivers in the network environment. HP Driver Preconfiguration is most beneficial when configuring print drivers for multiple workstations or print servers for print queues that share the same configuration. Two types of features can be configured: device settings and printing-preferences settings. The driver is configured to match the product hardware so that gaining access to all of the product accessories through the driver is enabled correctly (for example, for duplexing units and additional input trays). Most driver feature settings can also be configured. HP Preconfiguration configures the driver to match the accessories installed on the product, or to match the settings that IT administrators make in the configuration (.CFG) file (for example, optional trays, total amount of memory, job-storage settings, or mopier settings). The preconfiguration process consists of three basic steps: driver acquisition, driver preconfiguration, and driver installation and deployment. These steps can be accomplished in different ways, depending on the tool that is being used to define the configuration. The configuration process for driver preconfiguration is supported through three distinct tools. All three are designed with the same basic user-interface (UI) controls for interacting with the configuration (.CFG) file, but are packaged differently, either to support established product installation workflows or to leave the deployment and installation of the driver entirely up to the user. The following tools support driver preconfiguration: ■ HP Driver Configuration Editor. The HP Driver Configuration Editor is a small standalone Windows software program that the administrator can use to open the .CFG file that is associated with a particular driver and make modifications that are applied when that driver is installed on the target computer. It is intended for use in environments that have an established process for deploying drivers. This is the preconfiguration tool of choice to support any Novell or HP Print Server Appliance (PSA) Point and Print environments. It is used in the way that any ordinary Windows software program is used. The HP Driver Configuration Editor is available at the following URL: http://www.hp.com/go/ hpdpc_sw. ■ The HP Web Jetadmin Driver Configuration Plugin. HP Web Jetadmin provides a queuecreation program that can be used to create printer queues on any Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 or workstation. The HP Web Jetadmin Driver Configuration Plugin adds a number of screens to the existing queue-creation workflow from which the drivers that are being installed for the queues can be customized as part of the process. The plug-in is limited to Internet Explorer browsers. Netscape Navigator is not supported. The HP Web Jetadmin Driver Configuration Plugin is available at the following Web site: http://www.hp.com/sbso/tpm/web_jetadminplugin.html. ■ HP Customization Utility/Silent Installer. The Customization Utility features an install-time mode of HP Driver Preconfiguration. IT administrators can use the utility to preconfigure the drivers for a printing-system software driver installation that uses the silent installer. Detailed information about gaining access to and installing these tools can be found in the HP Driver Preconfiguration Support Guide, which is available on the printing-system software CD. 30 2 Software description