AX – D365FO – Enable network printing

This topic describes how to install and configure the Document Routing Agent (DRA). The DRA is a downloadable application that you can use to enable network printing scenarios. You can enable network printers for specific companies by using in-client administrative pages.

Preparing to install the Document Routing Agent

• Supported on Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2, or Microsoft Windows Server 2016.
• Access to network printing resources requires Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) authentication.
• When installing the DRA, make sure you are logged in as the Admin user.
• The Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) account that is used to configure the DRA must share the same domain as the Azure tenant.
• The DRA requires .NET 4.62 or later and Adobe Acrobat Reader on the client.
• Configure Adobe client print settings to prevent document scaling.

Network printers that are registered for applications can be used by all legal entities (also known as companies) that are defined in the environment. Network printer settings are company-specific. Therefore, administrators can restrict access, based on the user’s active company. For example, users in the active company might have access to all the network printers that are registered by the Document Routing Agent. However, users in another company won’t have access to those printers until access is explicitly enabled for that company.

Key concepts

This topic will help you with the following tasks:

• Identify the key components that are involved in the support for network printing in applications.
• Learn about the function of the Document Routing Agent.
• Configure the Document Routing Agent to work against an existing application.
• Use administration pages to manage access to network printers.

Install the Document Routing Agent

Applications use the Document Routing Agent to manage the spooling of documents to network printer devices. You can obtain the client by using direct links that are embedded in the web application. Use the following procedure to download the application to your local computer. You will then be able to access both local and network printers that are connected to your computer, from a single deployment.

1. Open the Manage network printers page (Organization administration > Setup > Network printers).
2. On the Options tab, in the Application group, click Download document routing agent installer.
3. Run the downloaded file to begin the installation process.
4. Complete the setup process.

After the application is installed, you can begin to register local printers as network printers for the applications.

Configure the Document Routing Agent

Use the following procedure to configure the client application so that it can communicate with the Azure services that host the documents that are in-flight.

1. Close all browser instances that are running the application. This resets the local Azure authentication tokens.
2. On your desktop, run the Document Routing Agent.
3. On the toolbar, click Settings.
4. Add the following settings:
   • Application ID – The ID that is unique to the application and should be entered automatically.
   • Finance and Operations URL – The base URL of the application.
   • Azure AD tenant – The domain name of the Azure AD.
5. Click OK.
6. Click Sign In to sign in to your account. NoteThe account must share the same domain as the Azure AD that is associated with the application. The Document Routing Agent is now ready to process documents.

After you’ve successfully signed in, the Printers button becomes available on the toolbar.

Register network printers

Before you complete this procedure, make sure that you’ve installed all the network printers on the local host computer. All the printer devices that are installed will be available for service registration. Be sure to select only the printers that you want to expose in the applications.

1. On the toolbar, click Printers.
2. Select the printers to make available in the applications.
3. Specify a default name for the printer.
4. Click OK.

After you’ve completed this procedure, the selected printer devices are registered in the application’s network printer catalog. System administrators can now enable the printers for access from within the application.

Administer network printers

Use client pages to manage access to the network printers that have been registered by one or more Document Routing Agents. Network printers are uniquely identified by their path. Therefore, printers are listed one time, even if they have been registered by more than one Document Routing Agent. Use the following procedure to activate the Application Object Server (AOS) network printers.

1. Open the Manage network printers page (Organization administration > Setup > Network printers).
2. Edit the existing entries that are mapped to each network printer. As part of your changes, edit the connection path.
3. To include a printer as an option in the Print Destinations field, set the Active field to Yes.

The network printers can now be used in the application