Cirrato Print Management: Secure & Efficient Printing with LRS
Quick Summary
- Centralized print management
- Enhanced print security
- Reduced server overhead
- LRS continues support
Cirrato, now a part of LRS Output Management, offers a robust single-server printing solution designed to streamline print infrastructure for organizations. It provides a centralized approach to managing all your printers, significantly reducing the complexity and cost often associated with distributed print environments. This powerful system moves beyond traditional print spool server technology, offering a smarter, more flexible, and resilient printing framework for businesses worldwide. While LRS acquired Cirrato in 2016 and continues to provide maintenance and support for existing customers, the product has been functionally stabilized since January 2020 and is generally no longer sold to new customers outside the Nordic countries. LRS encourages current Cirrato users to explore migration paths to their newer, strategic platforms like LRS CloudPrint, VPSX/DirectPrint, and MFPsecure®/Print. This guide provides essential information for existing Cirrato users to maximize their system's efficiency and security.
- 📋 What Your Organization Needs for Cirrato Implementation
- 📍 Accessing Your Cirrato Print Management Console
- ⭐ Core Capabilities of Cirrato Single Server Printing
- ⚠️ Resolving Common Cirrato Print Management Challenges
- 🔒 Ensuring Secure Printing with Cirrato Technology
- 🎧 Official Help Desk Contacts
- ❓ Answers to Key Questions About Cirrato Printing
What Your Organization Needs for Cirrato Implementation
- Cirrato Server software installed on a dedicated server.
- Cirrato Client software deployed on user workstations and laptops.
- Necessary network ports configured and opened, including 5000 (workstations/laptops to server), 5001 (client to server), 5005 (administrators to server), 161 (SNMP for monitoring), and 9100 or 515 (for direct printer connections).
- Printer drivers uploaded to the Cirrato server using tools like CirratoPak for centralized management.
- For mobile printing, a compatible mobile device and Cirrato Server 21.0.3 or newer are required.
Accessing Your Cirrato Print Management Console
- Administrative Access: To manage your Cirrato printing environment, administrators typically access the Cirrato server directly through its dedicated management interface. This connection often occurs over a specific network port, such as 5005, which the Cirrato server listens on for administrative connections.
- End-User Printing: For standard printing, users interact with their installed Cirrato Client. Print jobs are sent directly from the user's workstation to the destination printer, with the Cirrato server centrally managing drivers, queues, and policies without requiring a direct 'login' from the end-user for each print job.
- Mobile Pull Print Release: Users with the Cirrato Mobile Release app can securely release documents. After sending a print job to a pull print queue, they can open the mobile app and select a printer from a list, scan a QR code located on the printer, or manually enter the printer's IP address, brand, or model name to release their pending documents.
Core Capabilities of Cirrato Single Server Printing
- Centralized Print Control: Manage your entire print infrastructure from a single Cirrato server, regardless of your organization's size or geographical distribution.
- Eliminate Print Servers: Significantly reduce hardware and administrative overhead by removing the need for numerous local print servers.
- Direct Printing with Redundancy: Users can print directly to devices, ensuring continuity even if the central Cirrato server is temporarily offline; statistics are captured and uploaded once the server is back online.
- Secure Pull Printing: Enhance document security with pull print functionality, allowing users to release jobs only when they are physically at the printer, often using the Cirrato Mobile Release app.
- Optimized Network Traffic: Cirrato uses minimal bandwidth for print management, sending tiny messages to control printing and compressing jobs for thin client or remote desktop environments.
- Comprehensive Statistics: Gather valuable data on print usage, helping organizations track costs and optimize their printing resources.
- Driver and Queue Management: Centrally manage and deploy printer drivers and queues, simplifying printer setup and maintenance across the network.
Resolving Common Cirrato Print Management Challenges
⚠️ Print jobs are not printing or disappearing from the queue.
Cause: This can stem from various factors, including network connectivity issues between the client, server, and printer, incorrect driver configurations, or server-client communication disruptions. Sometimes, jobs might appear on printer screens but fail to materialize.
Solution: First, verify the Cirrato server's operational status. Ensure that the necessary network ports (5000, 5001, 9100/ 515) are open and that firewalls are not blocking communication. Confirm that correct printer drivers have been uploaded to the Cirrato server using CirratoPak. If using pull printing, double-check that the user correctly selected the release printer. If the server is offline, direct printing should continue uninterrupted, with print job statistics stored locally and synchronized later.
⚠️ Cirrato server becomes unavailable or offline.
Cause: Unexpected server downtime due to maintenance, network outages, or hardware failures.
Solution: We know being locked out is stressful. Cirrato is designed with redundancy. If the server is offline, users can typically continue direct printing without noticing any difference. For pull print users, the Cirrato Client will present a list of previously used pull print queues, allowing them to release jobs as if it were a direct printer. All print statistics from these operations will be stored on the client side and automatically uploaded to the server once it comes back online.
Ensuring Secure Printing with Cirrato Technology
- 🔒 Implement Secure Pull Printing: Always utilize Pull Print functionality to ensure that sensitive documents are only printed and retrieved by the authorized user who initiated the print job, preventing documents from sitting unsecured in printer trays.
- 🔒 Proper Network Segmentation: Configure your network to isolate print servers and printers, and restrict access to the Cirrato server management interface (port 5005) to authorized administrators only.
- 🔒 Firewall Configuration: Ensure that firewalls are correctly configured to allow only necessary traffic on Cirrato's operational ports (5000, 5001, 5005, 161, 9100/ 515), blocking any unauthorized access attempts.
- 🔒 Regular Software Updates: Keep your Cirrato server and client software updated to the latest versions to benefit from security patches and performance improvements.
- 🔒 Centralized Control: Leverage Cirrato's single point of control to enforce consistent print policies and access controls across your entire printer fleet, enhancing overall print environment security.
🎧 Official Support & Help Center
For software and key requests, email [email protected]. For license requests, contact [email protected]. For general support, EMEA and APAC users should email [email protected], while US users can reach out to [email protected].
Answers to Key Questions About Cirrato Printing
Q: What happens if the Cirrato server goes offline?
If your Cirrato server becomes unavailable, direct printing operations can continue uninterrupted. For users employing pull printing, they can still release jobs from previously used queues. All print statistics are securely stored locally on the client devices and are automatically uploaded to the server once it returns online, ensuring no data loss.
Q: Is Cirrato still actively developed or available for new purchases?
As of January 2020, Cirrato products have been functionally stabilized. LRS continues to provide maintenance and support for existing customers but no longer sells Cirrato software to new clients outside the Nordic countries. Current users are encouraged to consider migrating to LRS's newer output management platforms.
Q: Can I print from mobile devices with Cirrato?
Yes, Cirrato supports mobile printing through the Cirrato Mobile Release app, available for iOS. This application allows users to securely release pull print jobs from their mobile devices to any Cirrato-connected printer.
Q: How does Cirrato reduce the need for multiple print servers?
Cirrato streamlines your print infrastructure by utilizing a single central server to manage all printers across your organization. This approach eliminates the need for numerous local print servers, reducing hardware costs, administrative burden, and network complexity.
Q: How does Cirrato manage printer drivers?
Cirrato provides centralized management for printer drivers and queues. Administrators can easily upload and deploy printer drivers to the Cirrato server using specialized tools like CirratoPak, ensuring consistent driver availability and simplifying updates across the network.
Q: What kind of licensing does Cirrato offer?
Cirrato's licensing is typically based per printer, accompanied by yearly support. Options include a basic Pull Print license and per-device licenses for embedded pull print solutions. A comprehensive subscription model is also available for an all-inclusive monthly fee.
Wrap Up
Cirrato provides a proven solution for organizations seeking to simplify and secure their printing infrastructure through centralized management. While LRS has strategically shifted its focus to newer platforms, the company remains committed to supporting its existing Cirrato customer base. By understanding Cirrato's architecture, leveraging its core features, and adhering to best practices for security and troubleshooting, organizations can continue to benefit from efficient and reliable print operations. For any further assistance or to discuss migration options, reaching out to LRS support channels is recommended.