Setting up a Printer Administration Server

Before you begin

Decide whether you will install the Printer Administration Server (PAS) interface on the same server as SOTI MobiControl or a separate server. Installing PAS on the same server as SOTI MobiControl allows for an easier setup and decreases the chance of connection issues between the PAS and deployment server extensions.

About this task

The Printer Administration Server (PAS) establishes an SSL connection between SOTI MobiControl and Zebra wireless printers allowing SOTI MobiControl to manage the printers.

In this procedure, you will learn how to:

  1. Create a PAS Profile
  2. Install PAS

Procedure

Create a PAS Profile
  1. On the server where you want to set up a PAS, open the SOTI MobiControl console. In the legacy console, go to the All Platforms and select the Servers tab.
  2. Right-click Printer Administration Servers in the upper left corner and select Create PAS Interface to open the Create Printer Administration Server (PAS) Interface dialog box.
    Printer Administration Server option on Server tab.
    This will launch the Create Printer Administration Server (PAS) Interface wizard that will take you through setting up a PAS.
  3. Enter a name for the PAS and click Create.
  4. Download both the SOTI MobiControl Root Certificate and the PAS Client Certificate to your server. You'll need to set a password for the PAS Client Certificate. It is used to generate and export a PAS certificate and bind it to the PAS. The password must be at least six characters.
    Note: Do not close the Create Printer Administration Server (PAS) Interface dialog box.
    Certificate download screen in PAS wizard.
  5. Install the SOTI MobiControl Root Certificate using the Microsoft Management Console (MMC).
    1. Open the Microsoft Management Console (MMC). Type mmc into the Start menu search and you should see an option to launch the console.
    2. In the MMC, open File > Add/Remove Snap-in to launch the Add or Remove Snap-ins wizard.
    3. Select Certificates from the Available snap-ins list and click Add to move it over to Selected snap-ins.
      This will launch a subwizard, Certificates snap-in.
    4. Complete the Certificates snap-in wizard with the following settings.
      This snap-in will always manage certificates for Computer account
      Select the computer you want this snap-in to manage Local computer: (the computer this console is running on)
    5. Click OK to close the Add or Remove Snap-ins wizard.
    6. In the left tree-view pane, expand Certificates (Local Computer) > Personal > Certificates.
    7. Right-click on the Certificates folder and select All Tasks > Import to open the Certificate Import wizard.
    8. Follow the Certificate Import Wizard's instructions to import the SOTI MobiControl Root CA certificate to your Trusted Root Certificate Authorities.
    9. Repeat with Certificates (Local Computer) > Trusted Root Certification Authorities > Certificates
  6. Click Finish to close the Create Printer Administration Server (PAS) Interface dialog box.
Install a PAS
  1. Return to the Create Printer Administration Server (PAS) Interface dialog box, and click the link for the PAS installer or go to the SOTI MobiControl Connector page on the Zebra website.
    Note: On the Zebra website, the PAS is referred to as the SOTI MobiControl Connector.
  2. At the bottom of the page, click the download link for the SOTI MobiControl Connector.
    Location of download link for Zebra SOTI Connector
  3. On the SOTI MobiControl Connector request page, enter the requested information and click Submit.
  4. Once you have the PAS installer, run it as an administrator on the server where you want the PAS located.
  5. Enter the information requested on the License Agreement and click Next.
    First screen of SOTI MobiControl Connector Setup wizard
    Tip: You may receive errors if your field entries are too long. If this happens, replace the values with meaningless, short values such as 1.
  6. Enter the requested information to associate your SOTI MobiControl server with the SOTI connector.
    Installation wizard screen: connection information for SOTI MobiControl and PAS
    SOTI MobiControl Server Location Enter the location of your SOTI MobiControl server
    Important: Use the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) and add /mc/pas to the end of the server location path. For example, http://example.corp.soti.net/mc/pas.

    Secondly, only use http, do not use https.

    Finally, ensure that the server on which PAS is installed has the outbound ports 80 and 443 open. Unless PAS is on the same server as SOTI MobiControl, in which case, open C:\Program Files (x86)\SOTI MobiControl Connector\tomcat\conf\server.xml and change the port from 443 to another open port. Port 5496 is usually open.
    PAS Identity Enter the name you chose for the PAS in the SOTI MobiControl console.
    PAS name in SOTI MobiControl console.
    SOTI Certificate Click Browse to browse to the location of the PAS client certificate that you downloaded in step 4.
    SOTI Certificate Password Enter the password you created for the PAS client certificate in step 4.

    Click Next.

  7. Click Finish to complete the installation.

Results

You've finished setting up a PAS to manage your printer devices.

What to do next

Connect your Zebra wireless printers to the PAS and enroll in SOTI MobiControl.