Active Directory - Users are not receiving the correct group membership settings or reporting

Symptoms:

  • Users are not getting the quota or restriction settings that have been assigned on a Group or OU they are in.
  • Users’ group membership is listed as on the Users tab.
  • Users’ group membership is listed incorrectly on the Users tab.
  • Users are reporting in the wrong group within Group Reports.
  • Users report as (Ungrouped Users) within Group Reports.

Applies To:

This article applies to Print Manager Plus 2010. Current version build at time of last article update: 8.0.137.172

Causes & Solutions:

1. Upgrade to Print Manager Plus version 8.0.137.179 or Later
Several updates were done to help troubleshoot and resolve group membership issues in this version. For this reason it is important to update to this version as a first step.

Method1: eUpdate
The easiest way to update is by using the eUpdate system to upgrade to the newest. This can be done within File > eUpdate.

Important:
eUpdate can only bring you to the newest revision, of each major version.

Example:
If you are on version 7.x, eUpdate will only bring you to the latest version of 7.0. You will need a full/upgrade installer from support to move from 7.0 to 8.0 (2010 version)

Method2: Obtain a full/upgrade installer from support. If you need the latest Install files please send an email to worldwidesupport@printmanager.com with your company name and License Key.

2. No Groups or OUs are activated within Print Manager Plus:
Since users are often a member of several, if not dozens or hundreds of Active Directory groups, Print Manager Plus will only assign users to activated groups to assist in narrowing which group to assign each user to. The below process will assist in activating groups.



Activating Groups and OUs:
If no Groups or OUs are active, then users will be assigned no group membership. The below steps will cover activating.

a. Pick the group(s) that you specifically wish to group and report by.

b. Double click, or open their properties to edit them.

c. Leave them set to Unlimited, or set to the desired quota and restriction options.

d. Click OK. The group(s) will be active, and colored in as the example below shows.

Important:
Take care when activating groups. Users can only report in, and obtain their quota settings from one group at a time. It is best to activate a smaller number of groups, where users will only be a member of one activated group.

3. Users are being Assigned to an undesired Group because they are a member of multiple Groups
When a user prints for their first time, Print Manager Plus will assign them to their group. Print Manger Plus uses the following process and criteria to determine what group to assign them to.

How Print Manager Plus Assigns Group Membership

  • Print Manager Plus Reads all Groups the user belongs to within Active Directory
  • Print Manager Plus compares against the list of Activated Groups (see item 2)
  • Print Manager Plus checks Matches:

If there is a match of 1 Group:

The user will be assigned to this group for reporting, and quota and restrictions

If there is a match of multiple Groups:
Print Manager Plus will assign them to the active group with the highest balance. Unlimited Printing is considered higher than any monetary amount.

(If more than one active group that the user in has unlimited, it will be assigned to the first one found).

If there are no matches:
The user’s group membership will show as and their print jobs in reports will be marked ungrouped.

Resolutions for Undesired Grouping of Users:

a. Activate Less Groups:
If users are getting assigned to an undesired group, then you may need to look at activating less, so the user is only found in one active group.

b. Alter Quota Settings:
Since Print Manager Plus assigns based on the highest quota, an adjustment of quota settings on each group may help assign users in the correct group.

c. Manually Assign Users:
With some users, it may be easiest to simply manually assign their group membership. This can be done on the Users tab, by right clicking on the user in question and choosing Set Primary Group.

4. Users' Group Membership has Changed:
Print Manager Plus saves the group membership once assigned, and does not automatically reassign if their group membership has changed in Active Directory. The following solutions for this. 

a. Manually Change Group Membership:
A  users' group membership can be manually changed by right clicking on that user, and choosing Set Primary Group

b. Remove the Users Printing Account:
You can also cause Print Manager Plus to look up account information again, by deleting their account. You can do this by selecting a user on the Users tab , and choosing Delete this User's Account.

This user's print history will be kept and remain intact. The next time they print, Print Manager Plus will re-evaluate their group membership, and assign them again using the rules mentioned in item 3.

Non-Resolution:
In the event none of the mentioned causes and solutions resolved your issue. Please follow the following steps to provide support with valuable information to assist in troubleshooting further.

  • Locate a user that was added with no group membership, or an undesired group membership.
  • Delete that users' account
  • Reprint a job as that user

From the Print Server send the Print Manager Plus service log files along with the username to WorldwideSupport@printmanager.com


Log File Name: PQService_(day of the week)_1.log
Log File location - 32 Bit System: C:WindowsSystem32
Log File Location - 64 Bit System: C:WindowsSysWow64