windows print server 2012r2. What are the benefits?

Question

Printers

There is a WIN 2012R2 server and DEPO thin clients with stripped-down linux (connected via RDP). Each workplace has its own (different) USB printer (they are forwarded via RDP to the server). The authorities want to monitor the status of printers (how many pages are printed, how often they print, etc., in order to exclude the printing of diplomas / term papers at workplaces and know when the toner is running out).
Will the print server role help provide this? or there are other more convenient ready-made solutions (paid or free)

Answer 1

Read why you need a print server on a windows server . As a rule, you can only enable logs on it, but it does not collect statistics, in my opinion there is no control either, if my memory serves me right.
What you want is usually shown in the add. software that comes with printers. You need "audit" or "control" of the press - google for these words. Usually this is a separate program, such as an agent, which is installed on a PC where the printer is locally connected, or on a print server and collects data from it. Also in such programs there is print control, you can set the number of pages for different users, print per month, etc.
Ideally, you need to install network printers, it is easier to collect from them. For example, the same kyocera has its own KYOCERA Net Viewer program, where all the statistics are shown.
For example, there is an audit program

Answer 2

In such a situation, you can record printing events from the event log on Windows - I have done this to record jobs on shared local printers - we also keep records of the volume of printing. The idea is this: every month on the first day at 10-00, a PowerShell script is launched, collects print events and puts everything into a .csv file, which can then be twisted in Excel as you like. In principle, you can add automation, but so far there is no particular need for this.