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PaperCut Health API

Interact with the PaperCut MF / NG health monitoring api
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Overview

The "Devices & Printers" → "Recent Jobs" operation in the custom n8n node for the PaperCut Health API retrieves a list of recent print or device jobs from a specified device or printer within a given time window. This is useful for monitoring recent activity, troubleshooting issues, or generating reports on usage for specific devices or printers.

Common scenarios:

  • IT administrators want to audit recent print jobs for a particular printer.
  • Helpdesk staff need to investigate failed or stuck jobs on a device.
  • Automated workflows that trigger alerts if certain job patterns are detected within the last N minutes.

Practical example:
A workflow could use this node to fetch all jobs from Printer ID 1234 in the past 15 minutes and then filter for errors or excessive usage.

Properties

Name Type Meaning
Type options Select whether to query a Device or a Printer.
Device or Printer ID number The unique identifier of the device or printer whose recent jobs you want to retrieve.
Minutes number Number of minutes to look back for recent jobs (maximum value: 240).

Output

The node outputs a JSON array where each item represents a recent job associated with the specified device or printer. The exact structure depends on the PaperCut Health API, but typically includes fields such as:

[
  {
    "jobId": 4567,
    "user": "jdoe",
    "status": "completed",
    "submittedAt": "2024-06-10T12:34:56Z",
    "pages": 5,
    // ...other job details
  }
]

If binary data is returned (unlikely for this operation), it would represent raw job logs or similar content.

Dependencies

  • External Service: Requires access to a running instance of the PaperCut MF / NG Health Monitoring API.
  • API Credentials: You must configure the paperCutHealthApi credentials in n8n, including:
    • domain: Base URL of your PaperCut server.
    • selfSigned: Whether to skip SSL certificate validation (for self-signed certs).
  • n8n Configuration: Ensure the node is properly authenticated and has network access to the PaperCut server.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

  • Invalid Device or Printer ID: If the provided ID does not exist, the API may return an error or empty result.
  • Minutes Exceeds Maximum: Supplying a value greater than 240 for "Minutes" may cause the request to fail or be capped by the API.
  • Authentication Errors: Incorrect or missing credentials will prevent successful API calls.
  • Network Issues: Firewalls or incorrect domain settings can block communication with the PaperCut server.

Error Messages:

  • "401 Unauthorized": Check your API credentials.
  • "404 Not Found": Verify the Device or Printer ID.
  • "400 Bad Request": Ensure all required parameters are set and within allowed ranges.

Links and References

Discussion