Automatic configuration of network devices in remote managed print service applications utilizing groups of historical device data

A method comprising:

• contacting printing devices connected to a computer network using a device management application (DMA) operating on a computerized device to obtain a device type, configuration parameters, and configuration settings of said configuration parameters from said printing devices;
• storing said device type, said configuration parameters, and said configuration settings for each of said printing devices in a nested hash table in a memory device of said computerized device;
• grouping said configuration settings by said device type in an extensible markup language (XML) tree that has leaf nodes for each configuration parameter of each different device type group of configuration settings;
• identifying most common configuration settings for each of said configuration parameters in said leaf nodes;
• mapping said most common configuration settings for said configuration parameters to configuration setup files for said printing devices within each said device type;
• and
• deploying said configuration setup files to said printing devices.

A system comprising:

• a computer network;
• printing devices connected to said computer network;
• a computerized device connected to said computer network, said computerized device having a memory device;
• and
• a device management application (DMA) operating on said computerized device,
• said DMA contacting said printing devices connected to said computer network to obtain a device type, configuration parameters, and configuration settings of said configuration parameters from said printing devices;
• said DMA storing said device type, said configuration parameters, and said configuration settings for each of said printing devices in a nested hash table in said memory device of said computerized device;
• said DMA grouping said configuration settings by said device type in an extensible markup language (XML) tree that has leaf nodes for each configuration parameter of each different device type group of configuration settings;
• said DMA identifying most common configuration settings for each of said configuration parameters in said leaf nodes;
• said DMA mapping said most common configuration settings for said configuration parameters to configuration setup files for said printing devices within each said device type;
• and
• said DMA deploying said configuration setup files to said printing devices.