Device Scout

The Device Scout scans your network to discover devices and collect comprehensive device information. It then sends the information to HP Insights.

The Discover > Device Scout screen displays details of the Device Scout record. As scouts are created and deployed, you can view their details here, including the deployment state and registration date.

To customize the data you see, click the Columns button, select the data you wish to see and deselect the data you don't need to see. You can also filter, sort, and group the table as described in Using Tables.

Note: Normally, a site would need only one Device Scout. However, for a site with a large number of devices spread across different networks (e.g. geographically dispersed sites), it may be necessary to distribute Device Scouts across multiple servers.

Note: The Device Scout is not required for Secure Print Cloud Connector configuration.

For Secure Print Local Connector, the Device Scout performs the following functions:

  • It continually discovers and collects information from your network print devices and sends that information back to the HP Secure Print server.
  • For Printer Screen Release methods (username password and proximity card), the Device Scout is used to install and manage the MFP Secure Printer application on the integrated printer. It provides the interface for registering print users and authenticating users at the printers. It is also used to secure and unsecure printers.
  • For Mobile Release, the Device Scout is responsible for discovering network printers.

For Secure Print Direct, the Device Scout discovers printers compatible for Secure Print Direct.

After your network print devices are discovered, they are listed in the Secure > Secure Printers (for Secure Print) or Direct > Direct Printers (for Secure Print Direct).

Field Name Description
Scout Name The name given to the Device Scout.
Scout GUID The unique identifier for the Device Scout.
Registration Code The unique Registration Code for the Device Scout.
Registration Date The date and time the Device Scout was registered to the HP Secure Print server.
Last Heartbeat The date and time the Device Scout last sent its health status to the server. By default, the Device Scout sends its status to the server once per day.
Scout State
  • OK – This indicates that the machine has contacted the HP Secure Print server and is functioning correctly.
  • Uninstalled – This indicates that the Device Scout has been uninstalled and therefore is not collecting data.
  • Requires attention – This indicates that the Device Scout is running, but there's an outstanding issue. An error message provides more information about the state.
    • Note: If the scout monitoring task finds the scout service stopped and cannot restart the service, it will log to both the Scout logs and the Windows Event Log. If the Scout service successfully restarts, this will be communicated to HP Insights via the Scout health report, where the Scout status will be reported as 'Requires Attention'. This state means that the Scout had a problem requiring a restart at least once in the last 24 hours. The state will revert to 'OK' if there are no further problems for 24 hours.
Scout Version The version of the Device Scout software installed on the machine.
Scout Rules Version The SNMP rules version that the Device Scout uses to capture device information.
Secure Print Enabled Yes - The Device Scout is licensed for Secure Print. No - The Device Scout is not licensed for Secure Print.
Customer GUID The Unique identifier for the site.
Network Hostname The network name of the machine on which the Device Scout is installed.
Domain The machine’s domain name.
IPv4 Address The machine’s IP address.
Operating System The operating system in use on the machine.
Date and Time The date and time that the Device Scout software was uninstalled on the machine.

Action Buttons

Use the Create button to create a new Device Scout record.

  1. On the Discover > Device Scout screen, click the Create button to open the Create Device Scout dialog box.
  2. Enter a Device Scout Name and then click Save.

Use the Download button to download the Device Scout installation package.

  1. On the Discover > Device Scout screen, select a Scout to download.

  2. Enter the Site Encryption Key.
  3. Click the Download button to download the scout.

Use the Configure button to configure a Device Scout. You can configure only one scout at a time. Please refer to the Device Scout Configuration document for more information.

Use the Delete button to delete a Device Scout. Please refer to the Delete a Device Scout document for more information.

Use the Mark as Uninstalled to mark the device as uninstalled regardless of its status.