Mercury Managed Print Services 10/11.x Release History

Current Mercury Managed Print Services Release History

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MPS Version 11.11c

• Client: Clients that no longer report because no properties are known. Usually the table accMibPropertyDef is empty and all language columns are missing. A new import of the accMibPropertyDef.XML doesn't work. This was caused by an MSAccess flaw. At client start, the critical tables are now checked for an MSAccess DB. If one of these tables is empty, it is repaired with local existent XML files. In case these files are missing an online update of the PMD.ZIP is triggered. This revives already 'broken' clients after an update to 11.11c.
• Server: HP printers sometimes forgetfully report a supply serial as "0", so far this was ignored. To improve serial change detection now the reported serial other than "0" last before will be kept instead.

• Server: KFS devices now also have the supply serials if delivered by KFS.
• Web Client (Server): New reports "Page counter per month", "Page counter per quarter", "Page counter click volume per month". Notice: the available data is depends on settings at dealer's page advanced/Storage period of historical data. These reports require SQL Server as database.

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MPS Version 11.11b

• Web Client (Server): LDAP login was broken in v11.11a.
• Web Client (Server): Dealers saw order optimizations created by the administrator listed, but opening them resulted in 'not available'.
• Web Client (Server): Dealers may open order optimizations created by the administrator, but as read only.
• Web Client (Server): Adding network printers via printer list action menu wasn't working if a customer was having several clients.
• REST API: Hidden properties were returned as technicalSpecs.

• Web Client (Server): The events listed on event tab of printer pages can now be filtered by source, severity and search pattern for the event message.
• Web Client (Server): With report Capacity Utilisation now the evaluation column is exported to PDF and CSV also.

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MPS Version 11.11a

• Web Client (Server): When creating a new customer as a superadmin, the combo box to select the assigned dealer was missing and when saving a Fatal PHP Error appeared.
• Web Client (Server): On servers with HP SDS support enabled a dealer without SDS enabled received a wrong error message about a missing SDS account at login.
• Web Client (Server): User list for dealers without contract right caused PHP warnings and some columns were not shown correctly.
• Web Client (Server): Dealer/customer choice for order proposals did not work since PHP 8.
• Web Client (Server): Logging in with an access key and user name not matching, ended with an SQL error.
• Web Client (Server): With new report 'Total Cost of Ownership', if less pages have been printed than free pages have been granted, page costs were negative.
• Web Client (Server): Changing the number of delivery days in order optimizations did not enable the OK button.

• Web Client (Server): Info fields for printers are now editable for customers also.
• Web Client (Server): Printer groups based on network ranges are now available for customers also.
• Client: Manually triggering a data transfer via "Send data now" on the client now always transmits all Source Ids, even if no devices are known yet. With this submitters are known to the server with their client ID and printers can be can be created manually on the server (only if server, client and printers are in same network). This requires a client update!
• Server: For Kyocera printers with data retrieved from KFS so far eshop orders were not possible. This is now supported as long as the server has the PMD files present. To get these, the admin has to use Update online available printer and counter definitions in settings/advanced.

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MPS Version 11.11

• Server: Kyocera KFS support stopped working after cookie specification change from KFS 1.10 to KFS 2.0 by Kyocera.
• Web Client (Server): When logged in as a customer, the MCS data set via REST API was not set in deployment dialog "use customer data" in printerlist.
• Web Client (Server): Plossys report lost trays with printers with more than 5 trays.
• accDeploy: Removed path of jar in deployment protocol.
• accDeploy: Avoid exception with empty UUID.
• REST API: Do not return deployment parameter for dealers in GET, as only relevant for customers.

• Server: Control of F2P and secure print properties by server doesn't require combi mode anymore.
• Web Client (Server): Follow2Print and SecurePrint properties of printers with server side control can also be set by a customer.
• Web Client (Server): With printers now a freely usable memo field is avaliable.
• Web Client (Server): Introducing cost schemes to determine the total cost of ownership (TCO) for printers. For this purpose, cost templates are created that are assigned to the printers via a contract or directly.
• Web Client (Server): Introducing service operations. Date, labor costs, parts costs are recored for evaluation of the total cost of ownership (TCO).
• Web Client (Server): Introducing new report 'Total Cost of Ownership'. Based on cost schemes, service operations and the new fields for printers as purchase date and TCO runtime, this report calculates monthly costs, overall costs and effective click prices.
• REST API: Added new right for deployment to customers.
• REST API: New parameter f2pControl at GET/PUT/PATCH customers switches control of Follow2Print and SecurePrint properties by server or client.

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MPS Version 11.10a

• Server: accMailer process reported exceptions with mails not using attachment files, keeping them for retries although sending was successful before.
• Web Client (Server): New column 'Follow2Print App installed' was offered for display and shown although app deployment wasn't enabled.
• Web Client (Server): New column 'Follow2Print App installed' hasn't been sorted correctly.
• Web Client (Server): Applying printer app configuration parameters by using the button 'Use customer data' at initiating a deployment task, removes those parameters from list for editing that have been set.
• Web Client (Server): PHP error fixed when saving user data.
• Server: With English setup the checking for NET 4.8 didn't work.

• Web Client (Server): Some configuration parameters for printer apps now can also be set during deployment of service apps. Therefore a new setting is introduced for setting the MPS server address.
• Web Client (Server): App deployment for customers is now controlled by granting a new right.
• Web Client (Server): Printer announced for customers is now controlled by granting the right for printer deletion.

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MPS Version 11.10

• Web Client (Server): Suppress auto completion of browsers in dialog for setting passwords.
• Web Client (Server): Max. password length for passwords with deployment increased from 32 to 48.
• Web Client (Server): Missing text string with app deployment in English fixed.
• REST API: GET dfmserver/v2/jobs sometimes caused PHP warnings and an SQL error. Now also the server setting of currency is returned.

• Web Client (Server): User list page rewritten with datatable control.
• Web Client (Server): Setting budget, page limits, locked or unlocked for multiple accounting users via selection in user list page.
• Web Client (Server): With REST API enabled the configuration of Follow2Print apps during deployment may use customer data that was set via REST API earlier (see below).
• Web Client (Server): Printer list page got a new column 'Follow2Print App installed' and the columns have been rearranged. Therefore the update resets the column visibility to standard columns.
• REST API: GET dfmserver/v2/customers now supports setting of MCS account data with POST and PATCH to be used for app deployment of Follow2Print apps via MPS GUI.

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MPS Version 11.0a

• Web Client (Server): When creating a new accounting user, the notification tab was showed although irrelevant.
• Web Client (Server): Deployment logfile textarea wasn't read only.
• Web Client (Server): Plossys report now has additional column hardware class.
• Web Client (Server): Plossys report treat input tray type 4 as manual with Lexmark.
• Web Client (Server): Card reader password could not be set to empty.
• Server: Updated Lexmark deployment tool deploy.exe.
• Server: Updated Ricoh deployment tool deploy.jar.
• Server: accDeploy.log without debug enabled is growing less fast now.
• Lexmark deployment: Lexmark Apps V1.3.2.

• Web Client (Server): New counter widget showing the number of waiting deployment tasks.
• Web Client (Server): If the option "Printer announcements at client service allowed" is active in the settings, not only can printers be registered on the client via the GUI, but now printers that are deleted via the GUI are also deleted on the client via XML-RPC.
• Web Client (Server): Offer dashboard widget for deployment tasks when deployment is enabled.
• REST API: It's now possible to grant or revoke customer rights as dashboard, reports, eshop, customerThresholds, customerAlerts, deletePrinters, contractManagement via POST and PATCH. Also these rights are returned via GET.

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MPS Version 11.0

• Web Client (Server): Setting printers active/inactive on printer list was showing a message about adding/removing the follow2print status although this wasn't touched.
• Web Client (Server): Customers were able to modify the newly invented rights for printer deletion and contract management.
• Web Client (Server): On client list when entering an UUID with dashes as filter, the client was not found.
• Web Client (Server): Some granted rights were not saved when creating a new customer or dealer accounts.
• Web Client (Server): Autocompletion by browser disabled for access key creation.
• Web Client (Server): Avoid negative load values in 'counter overview' report.
• Web Client (Server): Avoid multiple manual trays in Plossys report.
• Web Client (Server): Line breaks in e-mail column of report 'user overview' caused blanks in data values when exported.
• Web Client (Server): web.config wasn't copied with new installations.
• Server: According to Asolvi (formerly Evatic) also device.LastActivedate and consumables.LastUpdatedAt must be initialized with the appropriate timestamp from the MPS XML file.
• Server: Sending automatic report mails with XML data embedded in mail body is now significantly faster and avoids server restart by BLS.
• Server: .NET Framework 4.8 is now required. Setup tests if this is installed and aborts with a notice if not.
• Client: Since switching the mail dispatch to the accMailer process, the date under "Last data transmission" was no longer updated.
• Client: Firewall rules needed for installations with GPI were not installed.
• Client: For use of the modern mailer process introduced with v10.0 now .NET Framework 4.8 is required. If not available, the old internal mailing code will be used. This is for backward compatibility and automatic updates only. It is not recommended for new installations.

• Support for app deployment of docuFORM apps for printers.
• Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 no longer supported.
• Now required on Server/recommended on client: .NET Framework 4.8.

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MPS Version 10.20d

• WebClient (Server): Deleteing of printers as a customer with right for deletion granted did not delete the printer when using the button on printer page.
• WebClient (Server): Reports panel users contained the overview for customers, but it was not displayed. Since this doesn't make sense either, the user panel is hidden for customers when empty.
• WebClient (Server): If there are no report options, an empty panel with the text "Scope" is no longer displayed, but the whole panel remains invisible.
• WebClient (Server): Showing a report directly if no options are available does not work anymore due to popup blockers of the browsers. These allow popup windows only through user actions like Button Click. Therefore the Show button has to wait for the user.
• WebClient (Server): Report "Average coverage" caused SQL error.
• WebClient (Server): The PLOSSYS report did not remove the manufacturer name from model name if the spelling of the vendor name was different e.g. EPSON/Epson.
• WebClient (Server): If logged in as an access key which was assigned a customer group, on client pages customers where shown with clients even if they were not members of the customer group.
• Setup: Changed text referring the YES button in restart warning.

• Server: Vendor support for Honeywell, Citizen, Datacard, Datamax, SATO was added
• WebClient (Server): New right for customers "Contract Management" . If a dealer grants this right to a customer, the customer may assign his printers to his contracts, design and price the contracts as he wishes. He has full access to it, just like the dealer.
• WebClient (Server): The reports "Capacity Utilisation", "HP firmware table for security test", "PLOSSYS import device table" and "Continuous Feed / Label Usage" may now be created based on contracts.
• WebClient (Server): Reports "Statistics/Print volume" and "Statistics/Devices usage by cost centers" now show an additional column with calculated cost according to page charges in contract pricing if page charges are set in the contract of the relevant devices. Contractually agreed free pages are not taken into account.

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MPS Version 10.20c

• Server: With Evatic (aka Asolvi) web services communication "old" unchanged meter readings were repeatedly transmitted with new time stamps, if a printer was offline for a longer time or does not exist anymore.
• Server: With notification data format csv-mini double quoting with text data was missing.
• WebClient (Server): With report Device Overview the columns Follow2Print and SecurePrint sometimes showed incorrect values.

• Server: An admin or dealer now can grant the permission to delete printers to a customer. If done, the customers theirselves can delete printers reported by their clients on the server. It has to be clear that the customer thus also deletes the full history of the printer and it's the dealer's decision to accept that.
• Server: A new automatic report for customers is introduced. This report is identical with the web GUI report Devices Overview, except HD SDS is reduced to yes/no and not giving error states.
• Server: Support for REST API /dfmserver/v2/jobs.
• WebClient (Server): Configuration of the new report mentioned above has been added to tab notifications for customers.
• REST API: New route /dfmserver/v2/jobs for embedded apps.

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MPS Version 10.20b

• Server: CSV attachments of mails could not be loaded correctly by 3rd party software if a text field contained " as a character. Now double quotes in data are doubled.
• REST API: /dfmserver/v2/devices/ parameter ciData/exceptionFleet didn't work correctly.
• REST API: /dfmserver/v2/devices/ parameters isLicensed and isActive did not set device obstacles correctly since last update.

• Server: With accounting active the accounting user and the system administrator now is notified by mail if the user exceeds their budget or page limitations.
• WebClient (Server): Report device properties has column Vendor added.
• Client: If a client is running on a system with more than one IP address, it is now possible to select the local IP that is reported to the server. This is important with printer announcement via GUI introduced with 10.20a.
• REST API: /dfmserver/v2/devices/ accepts new parameters notifications, itemDeliveryAddress, itemDeliveryNote and itemDeliveryInformation with POST and PATCH. With GET there are new includes notifications and itemDelivery.

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MPS Version 10.20a

• Server: Supply changes detected by serial number change, caused another event about a refused replacement due to not enough pages printed after next data transfer from client.
• Server: Events reporting a supply replacements - refused or done - had the processing time as raised date instead of the reading time of the level in question.
• Server: Since v10.0 maintenance tickets lost the ticket message when recorded in event history.
• Server: To speed up processing of client data checking for coverage alerts after processing of device data from client is omitted if no device has a coverage alert assigned.
• Server: If printer apps reported jobs for accounting without or with an empty job name SQL errors occurred and these jobs were not accounted properly.
• Server: workaround to prevent BLS from shutting down the server process during building of page counter mails.
• WebClient (Server): Changing order of firmware via drag&drop did not update the order properly.
• Client: Source Ids without any device known will not be processed for device and event mails anymore. This is reported in the logfile a "Source ID x device|event mail skipped. No devices known".
• REST API: GET /dfmserver/V2/devices returned with error if follow2Print was used with capital P as value for parameter properties or with parameter filter as "properties=follow2Print".
• REST API: DELETE /dfmserver/v2/devices/{deviceId} was refused with 403 also for printers with 0 print jobs assigned.

• WebClient (Server): For the report 'Consumables Range' now in addition to 'with a remaining range of x days' also 'or with a remaining capacity of <= y%' can be optionally defined. The result will show devices with at least one of both conditions fulfilled.
• WebClient (Server): The report devices firmware now shows the minimum required release if defined.
• WebClient (Server): It is now possible to announce network printers to the MPS client via GUI. This requires that the MPS client is reachable via network from the WebClient server. Thus even a customer can add a printer to monitoring by giving its address. This function is optional and controlled by a system wide setting, also the clients have to be updated to v10.20a.
• Server: So far supply leves of KFS devices have been shown on printer pages, but not on reports. This was caused by a missing assignment of PMD files. Since those devices were retrieved from KFS, no MPS client assigning a PMD file was involved. Now an MPS server will do that task. Therefore the automatic update of the automatic online update of printer and counter definitions has to be enabled at the server.
• Server: Support vor REST API POST /dfmserver/V2/device to announce created printers to MPS clients.
• REST API: POST dfmserver/V2/device added. Requires CIID Mode License.
• REST API: Parameter "include" now also supported with GET /dfmserver/v2/devices/{deviceId}

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MPS Version 10.20

• WebClient (Server): After update to 10.1 the customer number of customers wasn't saved.
• WebClient (Server): After update to 10.1 creating customers didn't save their relation to the dealer and later they could not be updated.
• WebClient (Server): Solved caching problem with Firefox displaying old data after saving changes.
• WebClient (Server): Update of user data with users having rights granted for threshold and/or alert definition always showed a confirmation to remove all assigned alerts and also removed them if agreed. This happened if contracts were not active and HP SDS support was disabled.
• Server: Update of counter or property definitions now also resets the relative hash codes of devices. This avoids a problem when clients sending XML data with newer definitions to a server using still older definitions, in this case the new values wouldn't appear on the server since the hash is not changing.
• Client: If data transfer was set to "XML-RPX & E-Mail" ther was a wrong error message about "E-mail ... could not be sent and will be dropped". The mail was sent, but the error message was wrong. (This requires update of clients!)
• Client: Up to now, when DNS was active, the host name was determined for the IP during the printer search. If afterwards however no IP to the hostname was not available over DNS, the printer was rejected with "is not a printer". Now the hostname is only kept as printer address if it can be resolved to an IP. Otherwise the printer address remains the IP. In this case a warning is now issued in the log (previously only debug) "OnPrinterIpFound (172.16.7.110): hostname lookup=lexmarkxc6152.ka.docuform.de, reverse IP lookup failed, hostname invalid, port=161, SNMP version=1, new printer". (This requires update of clients!).
• Device Announcement Tool: Changed 'in progess' to 'service busy, retry later' for better understanding.

• WebClient (Server): Firmware data can now be exported to CSV for mass editing and re-imported from CSV instead of doing these changes in the browser.
• Server: Messages about thresholds in events and notification mail, now also show the printer reported SNMP level and SNMP capacity as also the type of the saved value (held, interpolated, forced). Example: "The current capacity of marker black is 5% (interpolated, reported 450 of 8000).".
• Server: Dealers now may enable notification by e-mail if a printer address at their customers has changed.
• Server: Dealers now may enable/disable the so far always sent notification by e-mail when a printer's SNMP configured location or contact has changed.

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MPS Version 10.1

• Server: When importing users from CSV files, any number of user groups can now be imported.
• Server: Since the printer's IP address is saved separately, it was not reset to 0.0.0.0 when the Printers FQHN address was.
• Server: Deleting a user might have left orphan database records referencing the deleted user's Id or did not update contracts/printers by resetting rules owned by the deleted user when these rules were gone with the user.
• Server: A fix added on April, 8th (v10.0 SP4) for HP printers reporting a low supply condition falsified the supply index. This might have caused wrong supply orders/order propositions as e.g. black instead of an in fact low cyan. This was already solved with an v10.0 SP5.
• Server: The default minimum number of pages required for threshold or replacement triggering for waste supplies - if page range is unknown for the specific supply - has been changed to 1000. So far it was 500 as if it was a black marker.
• Web Client (Server): CSV import of manually managed printers sometimes failed, especially if the customer and dealer never had a printer before.
• Web Client (Server): Customers with rights granted to use their own threshold and/or alert rules were not able to assign these for printer groups.
• Web Client (Server): Using Firefox a logged in customer could change his user data which was updated after pressing OK, but reloading the page via menu Users did show the old data again.

• Server: Threshold notification mails now also show a part serial no. if available.
• Web Client (Server): Automatic counter and marker status notification now can be sent also monthly at any date from 1st to 28th.
• Web Client (Server): Printer groups covering a single customer can now be defined IP range based. By setting up one or more network ranges, all printers matching these ranges with their IP address will become members of the group, also newly reported printers automatically. They will leave the group automatically, if their IP address or the group's network range definitions won't match anymore.
• Web Client (Server): The Follow2Print and SecurePrint option of a printer could previously only be set at the client in the GUI but only if the client was running in Combi Mode or was a GPD client. Transferred to the server the data there was updated only if the server was running in was running in Combi Mode - Combi Client, same system. These options can now be set/reset by admins or device managers on printer page via checkboxes or on printer list page via menu command. If the server is running in Combi Mode, you can configure on Customer level which settings to use (client or server).

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MPS Version 10.0a (not officially released)

• Client: Local EPSON USB printers had the problem that a printer address has to be unique for every customer. Thus customers using USB printers at several locations at same USB port had the effect that the last client reported printer was the winner and other printers at same USB port but different location where set to 'unknown address'. This is now avoided by adding the printer serial to the USB port. Client and PMD update required!
• Server: SNMP supply type 18 - in RFC 3805 defined as cleanerUnit - is used by HP for waste toner and was treated as 'other' instead of 'waste' so far. This prevented pulling down the level by toner low events with the level configured in a threshold alert for waste toner. Since other brands are using type 18 for different supplies such as ozon filter, now also SNMP class is used to determine if waste or other. Now class 4 type 18 is waste, class 3 type 18 is other.
• accMailer: Using EvaticCC mode caused exceptions when sending these mails, due to non existent body file.
• accMailer: Mail tasks or Evatic tasks moved to error folder caused a wrong error message in log file about a missing zip file.
• accMailer: SMTP sessions closed by server due to long taking Evatic tasks did not stop sending remaining SMTP tasks.
• Web Client (Server): Browser hung due to an JS error when clicking on the number of printers on the user list page to open the printer list page for that user.
• Web Client (Server): Since v9.1 the configuration for SDS notification e-mail was missing on customer page.
• Web Client (Server): On order proposal page the selection wasn't reset when a filter was entered and the table content changed.

• Server: docuFORM is fixing HP firmware bugs. Some HP printer are reporting an invalid GroupIndex in the alert table, higher than available. For these alerts now the first word of the alert message is treated as name of the supply and will be used to find the real GroupIndex.
• Client: Label printers which offer information about the currently printed label format do not need manual label format selection on client GUI anymore (so far Zebra with LinkOS 6.6 MIB v3). Client and PMD update required!
• Web Client (Server): Label printers offering a lifetime label counter, show labels instead of pages for lifetime counter. Client and PMD update required!
• Server - LDAP Export: When defining the list of attributes to be searched, you can now optionally specify a constant value for each attribute, which will be output as a constant column value when exporting.

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MPS Version 10.00

• Lighthouse Accessibility Tests (Chrome integrated, https://web.dev/accessibility-scoring/) The Lighthouse Accessibility score is a weighted average of all accessibility audits. Weighting is based on axe user impact assessments. All pages reach a score of 100.
• Webhint Accessibility Tests (Firefox Addon, https://webhint.io/) Testing all the WCAG 2.1 Level A and Level AA rules included in axe-core. Alle pages without Warnings
• Aria Dev Tools (Firefox Addon, https://github.com/ziolko/aria-devtools). All pages checked and improved.

• Client: With Lexmark printers counting down the remaining pages during a toner low state as "Replace magenta cartridge, 225 estimated pages remain" SQL errors occured after a higher number (~100) of these events. Client Update required!
• Server: Improved coverage calculation. If a marker supply is a different color as black and a color sum counter is available, it will be used for calculation rather than the life time counter.
• Server: In subject of notification mails '-.-.-.-' was used instead of 'Local printer'.
• Server: E-mails produced by server now show mm/dd/yyyy as date format if the language for notification mails of the receiving user is set to english, otherwise dd.mm.yyyy. So far the format was depending on system language.
• Server: Server installations with a huge number of devices might have had problems at service start, due to long taking DB routines the service could have been stopped by BLS.
• Web Client (Server): Manually clearing maintenance events did not save who did it.
• Web Client (Server): With printer groups defined by customer subset and printer model on the printer pages of that model, the printer was assigned to that group even if the customer was not.
• Web Client (Server): Setting an inactive contract to active did not reset the end date.
• REST: Wrong message 'Name conflict' was displayed, if an invalid REST base URL has been configured.

• Client: Sending mails is now done by an external process and relieving the client service. Client Update required!
• Server: A new type of maintenance events "Remaining supply capacity". The event is triggered when the supply level falls below a certain level in % and is automatically cleared when the level is exceeded. Several supply levels can be triggered per printer. Apart from a notification e-mail and an entry in the event history, no further action is taken.
• Notification mails about maintenance events can now alternatively be sent to the SNMP contact stored in the printer, provided that it is a syntactically valid e-mail address.
• Server: LDAP Export, a command-line tool that can be used together with Windows scheduler to perfrom export of LDAP data automatically.
• Server: Consumable replacements are now recorded as event, also identifying the reason that triggered the detection (S/N change, manually initiated by username, level raised by %).
• Server: Sending mails is now done by an external process and relieving the server service.
• Server: Faster data synchronization after meter and level acquisition with the MPS Mobile App.
• Web Client (Server): Manually managed printers can now be imported from a CSV file via action menu on printer list page.
• Web Client (Server): Manually managed printers now also have the event history tab to see the maintenance events, but here only page or time intervals and tickets are supported.
• Web Client (Server): If a maintenance ticket oder event is manually cleared, it's now visible in event history who did it.