Management device, management method, and recording medium for synchronizing information from management devices

A first acquisition unit acquires an event notification from an MFP and updates first device-status information. A transmission unit transmits the event notification and first reference-destination information. A switching unit switches a first access to the first reference-destination information to a second access to second reference-destination information. A second acquisition unit issues an acquisition request at a first interval, issues an acquisition request at a second interval in response to the event notification, acquires the second device-status information, and update the first device-status information.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to and incorporates by reference the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-238726 filed in Japan on Sep. 17, 2008.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a management device, a management method, and a recording medium.

2. Description of the Related Art

There has been known a device remote management system as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2008-15799. The device remote management system performs maintenance management of a copying device that runs on a network (e.g., local area network (LAN)) inside a client site by using a central management device installed in a service center or the like of a manufacturer of the copying device.

In the device remote management system, generally, the central management device performs various managements such as maintenance management, troubleshooting management, and management for consumable supplies. Specifically, the managements are implemented by collecting various pieces of information such as maintenance information, operational status, and information as to whether any failure occurs in the copying device through a communication device connected to the network such as LAN, and analyzing the collected information.

There is also a device management system in which not the central management device installed in the service center of the manufacturer but a user itself performs maintenance management of a copying device by using a management device connected to a network inside the client site.

However, if an electronic device such as a copying device is managed by using both the management device installed in the service center of the manufacturer and the management device installed in the client site rather than by using either one of them, improvement of maintenance can be expected.

In this case, to prevent the electronic device as an object to be managed from being doubly-processed or occurrence of trouble due to difference between device statuses of the electronic device, it is necessary to synchronize between pieces of information such as the device statuses managed by both the management devices. However, it is not possible to always synchronize the both management devices in terms of prevention of an increase in the amount of network communication.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a management device that is configured to be connected to an electronic device and a first terminal through a first network and connected to a remote management device through a second network, a third network, and the first network. The remote management device is connected to a second terminal through the second network. The management device includes: a storage unit that stores therein management item information indicating a management item of the electronic device, first device-status information indicating a device status managed by the management device using the management item, management destination information indicating a management destination of the management item, first reference-destination information indicating a reference destination of the first device-status information, and second reference-destination information indicating a reference destination of second device-status information indicating a device status managed by the remote management device using the management item, all of which are associated with each other; a first acquisition unit that acquires an event notification of occurrence of an event that changes the device status managed by the management item from the electronic device, and updates the first device-status information; a transmission unit that transmits the event notification and the first reference-destination information to the first terminal and also transmits the event notification to the remote management device when the management destination information indicates the management device and the remote management device as management destinations; a switching unit that switches an access to the first reference-destination information to an access to the second reference-destination information upon accepting the access from the first terminal to the first reference-destination information before reference-inhibition instruction information indicating an instruction to inhibit reference to the first device-status information is acquired from the remote management device; and a second acquisition unit that issues an acquisition request to the remote management device at a first interval, issues an acquisition request to the remote management device at a second interval shorter than the first interval in response to the transmission from the transmission unit to the first terminal and the remote management device, acquires the reference-inhibition instruction information when the remote management device accepts the access from the second terminal to the second reference-destination information, and acquires the second device-status information updated in response to reception of recovery instruction information when the remote management device receives the recovery instruction information for recovering a device status from the first terminal, to thereby update the first device-status information.

Furthermore, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a management method implemented by a management system. The management system includes a management device connected to an electronic device and a first terminal through a first network and a remote management device connected to a second terminal through a second network and also connected to the first network through the second network and a third network. The management device includes a storage unit that stores therein management item information indicating a management item of the electronic device, first device-status information indicating a device status managed by the management device using the management item, management destination information indicating a management destination of the management item, first reference-destination information indicating a reference destination of the first device-status information, and second reference-destination information indicating a reference destination of second device-status information for a device status managed by the remote management device using the management item, all of which are associated with each other. The management method includes: acquiring an event notification of occurrence of an event that changes the device status managed by the management item from the electronic device, and updating the first device-status information; transmitting the event notification and the first reference-destination information to the first terminal and also transmitting the event notification to the remote management device when the management destination information indicates the management device and the remote management device as management destinations; switching an access to the first reference-destination information to an access to the second reference-destination information when the access from the first terminal to the first reference-destination information is accepted before reference-inhibition instruction information indicating an instruction to inhibit reference to the first device-status information is acquired from the remote management device; and issuing an acquisition request to the remote management device at a first interval, issuing an acquisition request to the remote management device at a second interval shorter than the first interval in response to the transmission from the transmission unit to the first terminal and the remote management device, acquiring the reference-inhibition instruction information, acquiring the second device-status information, and thereby updating the first device-status information. The remote management device includes a storage unit that stores therein management item information indicating a management item of the electronic device, the second device-status information, and the second reference-destination information, which are associated with each other. The management method further includes: receiving the event notification from the management device and updating the second device-status information; transmitting the event notification and the second reference-destination information to the second terminal; transmitting a device status indicated by the second device-status information to the first terminal in response to being switched to the access to the second reference-destination information by the management device; receiving recovery instruction information for recovering the device status from the first terminal and updating the second device-status information; and transmitting the second device-status information to the management device according to the acquisition request received therefrom, and also transmitting the reference-inhibition instruction information to the management device when an access from the second terminal to the second reference-destination information is accepted.

Moreover, according to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable recording medium that stores therein a management program causing a computer to execute a management method implemented by a management device that is connected to an electronic device and to a first terminal through a first network and is connected to a remote management device through a second network, a third network, and the first network, the remote management device being connected to a second terminal through the second network. The management device includes a storage unit that stores therein management item information indicating a management item of the electronic device, first device-status information indicating a device status managed by the management device using the management item, management destination information indicating a management destination of the management item, first reference-destination information indicating a reference destination of the first device-status information, and second reference-destination information indicating a reference destination of second device-status information for a device status managed by the remote management device using the management item, all of which are associated with each other. The management method includes: acquiring an event notification of occurrence of an event that changes the device status managed by the management item from the electronic device, and updating the first device-status information; transmitting the event notification and the first reference-destination information to the first terminal and also transmitting the event notification to the remote management device when the management destination information indicates the management device and the remote management device as management destinations; switching an access to the first reference-destination information to an access to the second reference-destination information when the access from the first terminal to the first reference-destination information is accepted before reference-inhibition instruction information indicating an instruction to inhibit reference to the first device-status information is acquired from the remote management device; and issuing an acquisition request to the remote management device at a first interval, issuing an acquisition request to the remote management device at a second interval shorter than the first interval in response to the transmission from the transmission unit to the first terminal and the remote management device, acquiring the reference-inhibition instruction information when the remote management device accepts the access from the second terminal to the second reference-destination information, and acquiring the second device-status information updated in response to reception of recovery instruction information when the remote management device receives the recovery instruction information for recovering the device status from the first terminal, to thereby update the first device-status information.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Exemplary embodiments of a management system, a management device, a management method, a management program, and a recording medium according to the present invention are explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1is a block diagram of a configuration example of a management system1according to an embodiment of the present invention. The management system1includes a management device10and a remote management device20. More specifically, the management device10is connected, through a first network90, to a first terminal30and electronic devices such as a multifunction product (MFP)50, a copying machine60, and a personal computer (PC)80directly connected with a printing machine70. The remote management device20is connected to a second terminal40through a second network94, and is also connected to the first network90through the second network94and a third network92.

The first network90and the second network94can be implemented by, for example, a local area network (LAN), and the third network92can be implemented by, for example, the Internet.

The management system1will be explained below using an example of managing the MFP50that stores a plurality of functions such as a scanner, a copier, a facsimile, and a printer in one housing. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and thus, it can be also applied to the copying machine60and the printing machine70or the like.

The management device10is connected to the first network90, which means the management device10is installed in the client site, and manages the electronic devices such as the MFP50, the copying machine60, and the printing machine70. The management device10includes a storage unit110, a first acquisition unit120, a transmission unit130, a switching unit140, a second acquisition unit150, a reference inhibition unit160, and a changing unit170.

The storage unit110stores therein management item information indicating management items of the MFP50, first device-status information indicating a device status managed by the management device10using any one of management items, management destination information indicating a management destination of the management item, first reference-destination information indicating a reference destination of the first device-status information, and second reference-destination information indicating a reference destination of second device-status information indicating a device status managed by the remote management device20using the management item, all of which are associated with each other.

FIG. 2is a diagram of an example of information stored in the storage unit110. In this example, the first device-status information includes attached-device information used for management of the device status. The storage unit110also stores therein type information indicating a type of the attached-device information and a method for acquiring attached-device information of the type indicated by the type information associated with each other, in addition to the management item information, the first device-status information, the management destination information, the first reference-destination information, and the second reference-destination information.

The management destination information indicates at least one of the management device10and the remote management device20, the first reference-destination information is a uniform resource locator (URL) indicating the management device10, and the second reference-destination information is a URL indicating the remote management device20.

The first acquisition unit120acquires an event notification of occurrence of an event that changes the device status managed by the management item from the MFP50, and updates the first device-status information. For example, the first acquisition unit120acquires an event notification of occurrence of “toner near-end” indicating that the MFP50is running low on toner, from the MFP50.

The first acquisition unit120also acquires the attached-device information of the type indicated by the type information, from the MFP50upon accepting an access from the first terminal30to the first reference-destination information before reference-inhibition instruction information is acquired from the remote management device20. For example, when the type information indicates one of the billing counters, the first acquisition unit120acquires the billing counter being attached-device information using a method associated with the type information.

It should be noted that the first acquisition unit120acquires the event notification and the attached-device information from the MFP50using a protocol according to the management item. For example, the first acquisition unit120acquires the event notification indicating the toner near-end using a simple network management protocol (SNMP), and acquires the billing counter using hypertext transfer protocol security (HTTPS) and a simple object access protocol (SOAP). As explained above, in the embodiment, the first acquisition unit120acquires the management information such as device status using only a required protocol according to the management item.

When the management destination information indicates the management device10and the remote management device20as management destinations, the transmission unit130transmits the event notification and the first reference-destination information to the first terminal30and also transmits the event notification to the remote management device20.

For example, the transmission unit130transmits the event notification and the first reference-destination information to the first terminal30by using the electronic mail as shown inFIG. 3. The transmission unit130also transmits the event notification to the remote management device20by using the protocol such as HTTPS.

The transmission unit130also transmits the attached-device information acquired by the first acquisition unit120to the remote management device20.

The switching unit140switches an access to the first reference-destination information to an access to the second reference-destination information upon accepting the access from the first terminal30to the first reference-destination information before the second acquisition unit150, as explained later, acquires the reference-inhibition instruction information indicating an instruction to inhibit reference to the first device-status information, from the remote management device20. If the second terminal40accesses the second reference-destination information, the second acquisition unit150acquires the reference-inhibition instruction information from the remote management device20.

The second acquisition unit150issues an acquisition request to the remote management device20at a first interval (for example, at one-hour interval), and issues an acquisition request to the remote management device20at a second interval (for example, at one-second interval) shorter than the first interval in response to the transmission from the transmission unit130to the first terminal30and the remote management device20. The second acquisition unit150thereby acquires the reference-inhibition instruction information, and also acquires the second device-status information to update the first device-status information. For example, the second acquisition unit150issues the acquisition request to the remote management device20through polling.

The reference inhibition unit160inhibits the first terminal30to refer to the first device-status information, or inhibits the first terminal30to access the first reference-destination information when the second acquisition unit150acquires the reference-inhibition instruction information indicating an instruction to inhibit reference to the first device-status information, from the remote management device20before the reference inhibition unit160accepts the access from the first terminal30to the first reference-destination information.

Thus, when a recovery process of the device status is already performed by the second terminal40, the recovery process of the device status to be performed by the first terminal30can be prevented from being doubly performed. In this case, a screen indicating that the second terminal40is performing the recovery process may be displayed on a display (not shown) of the first terminal30.

The changing unit170changes at least one of the management destination indicated by the management destination information, the reference destination indicated by the second reference-destination information, and the type indicated by the type information, according to the request from the first terminal30or from the remote management device20.

The changing unit170also changes access right to each device in association with change in at least any one of the management destination indicated by the management destination information, the reference destination indicated by the second reference-destination information, and the type indicated by the type information.

Thus, it is possible to prevent occurrence of any event such that the first terminal30cannot access the remote management device20or the second terminal40cannot access the management device10when the management destination indicated by the management destination information is changed.

The remote management device20is connected to the second network94or is installed in a service center of an electronic device manufacturer or of a service provider, and manages electronic devices such as the MFP50, the copying machine60, and the printing machine70through the management device10. The remote management device20includes a storage unit210, a reception unit220, a transmission unit230, a reference inhibition unit240, and a change request unit250.

The storage unit210stores therein the management item information, the second device-status information, and the second reference-destination information in association with each other. In the embodiment, the second device-status information includes attached-device information used to manage the device statuses.

The reception unit220receives information from the management device10, the first terminal30, and the second terminal40or the like. The reception unit220includes a first receiver222, a second receiver224, and a third receiver226.

The first receiver222receives the event notification from the management device10and updates the second device-status information, and also receives the attached-device information from the management device10and updates the second device-status information.

The second receiver224receives recovery instruction information for recovering the device status, from the first terminal30and updates the second device-status information. For example, the first terminal30performs a toner ordering process or the like in a second device-status reference screen as shown inFIG. 4, and the second receiver224receives toner ordering information (an example of the recovery instruction information) from the first terminal30.

The third receiver226accepts an access from the second terminal40to the second reference-destination information.

The transmission unit230transmits the information to the management device10, the first terminal30, and the second terminal40or the like. The transmission unit230includes a first transmitter232, a second transmitter234, and a third transmitter236.

The first transmitter232transmits the event notification and the second reference-destination information to the second terminal40. For example, the first transmitter232transmits the event notification and the second reference-destination information to the second terminal40by using electronic mail.

The second transmitter234transmits the device status indicated by the second device-status information to the first terminal30in response to being switched to the access to the second reference-destination information by the management device10, and causes the first terminal30to display the second device-status reference screen as shown inFIG. 4.

The second transmitter234also transmits the attached-device information such as billing counters included in the second device-status information to the first terminal30. Therefore, the second transmitter234can cause the first terminal30to display a billing-counter check screen as shown inFIG. 5.

The third transmitter236transmits the second device-status information to the management device10according to the acquisition request received therefrom, and also transmits the reference-inhibition instruction information to the management device10when the third receiver226accepts an access from the second terminal40to the second reference-destination information.

The reference inhibition unit240inhibits the second terminal40to refer to the second device-status information or inhibits the second terminal40to access the second reference-destination information in response to being switched to the access to the second reference-destination information by the switching unit140of the management device10.

Thus, when the first terminal30is already performing the recovery process for the device status, it is possible to prevent the second terminal40from doubly performing the recovery process for the device status. In this case, the screen indicating that the first terminal30is performing the recovery process may be displayed on the display (not shown) of the second terminal40.

The change request unit250requests the management device10to change at least one of the management destination indicated by the management destination information, the reference destination indicated by the second reference-destination information, and the type indicated by the type information.

The first terminal30is a terminal for manager connected to the first network90or installed in the client site, and issues an instruction to recovery of the device status and a request for change of the management destination to the management device10or to the remote management device20.

The second terminal40is a terminal for manager connected to the second network94or installed in the service center of an electronic device manufacturer or of a service provider or the like, and issues an instruction to recovery of the device status and a request for change of the management destination to the management device10or to the remote management device20.

In the management system according to the embodiment, to implement remote management by the remote management device20, each device has a function of transmitting and receiving a request for a process to a method of mutually implemented application and a response to the request through remote procedure call (RPC). A protocol such as SOAP, HTTP, and FTP can be used to implement RPC.

Further, in the management system according to the embodiment, the request from the remote management device20to the management device10is transmitted through an HTTP response after the acquisition request is performed by the management device10to the remote management device20using polling.

Next, an operation of the management system according to the embodiment is explained below with reference toFIG. 6.FIG. 6is a sequence diagram of an example of a process flow in the management system1when the toner near-end occurs in the MFP50(an example of an event to cause the device status to be changed).

First, the first acquisition unit120of the management device10acquires an event notification indicating that the toner near-end has occurred from the MFP50(Step S10). Then, the first acquisition unit120reads the first device-status information associated with the management item information indicating “no toner” (seeFIG. 2) from the storage unit110, and updates the device status indicated by the read first device-status information to “toner near-end” (Step S12).

Subsequently, the second acquisition unit150of the management device10reads the management destination information associated with the management item information indicating “no toner” from the storage unit110. When the read management destination information indicates the management device10and the remote management device20as management destinations, the second acquisition unit150issues the acquisition request to the remote management device20through the polling at an interval shorter than the previous interval. More specifically, the acquisition request is performed by shortening from the one-hour interval (one example of the first interval) at which the polling is performed until then (Step S14) to the one-second interval (one example of the second interval).

Then, the transmission unit130of the management device10transmits the event notification acquired by the first acquisition unit120to the remote management device20(Step S16). The transmission unit130reads the first reference-destination information associated with the management item information indicating “no toner” from the storage unit110, and transmits the read first reference-destination information and the event notification to the first terminal30by using the electronic mail as shown inFIG. 3(Step S22).

Next, the first receiver222of the remote management device20receives the event notification from the management device10, reads the second device-status information associated with the management item information indicating “no toner” from the storage unit210, and updates the device status indicated by the read second device-status information to “toner near-end” (Step S18).

Subsequently, the first transmitter232of the remote management device20reads the second reference-destination information associated with the management item information indicating “no toner” from the storage unit210, and transmits the read second reference-destination information and the event notification to the second terminal40(Step S20).

Then, when the first terminal30accesses the first reference-destination information before the second acquisition unit150of the management device10acquires the reference-inhibition instruction information indicating an instruction to inhibit reference to the first device-status information from the remote management device20(Step S24), the first acquisition unit120of the management device10reads the type information and the method associated with the management item information indicating “no toner” from the storage unit110. The first acquisition unit120acquires a billing counter indicated by the read type information being attached-device information for “no toner”, from the MFP50by using the read method (Steps S26, S28).

When the second terminal40accesses the second reference-destination information, the second acquisition unit150acquires the reference-inhibition instruction information from the remote management device20.

The switching unit140of the management device10reads the second reference-destination information associated with the management item information indicating “no toner” from the storage unit110, and switches the access to the first reference-destination information by the first terminal30to the access to the read second reference-destination information. The transmission unit130of the management device10transmits the billing counter acquired by the first acquisition unit120to the remote management device20(Step S30).

The first receiver222of the remote management device20receives the billing counter from the management device10. The first receiver222reads the attached-device information of the second device-status information associated with the management item information indicating “no toner” from the storage unit210, and updates the information indicated by the read attached-device information with the received billing counter.

Subsequently, the reference inhibition unit240of the remote management device20inhibits the second terminal40to refer to the second device-status information associated with the management item information indicating “no toner” or inhibits the second terminal40to access the second reference-destination information (Step S32).

The second transmitter234of the remote management device20transmits the second device-status information associated with the management item information indicating “no toner” to the first terminal30in response to being switched to the access to the second reference-destination information by the management device10(Step S34), and causes the first terminal30to display the second device-status reference screen as shown inFIG. 4(Step S36).

The first terminal30performs the toner ordering process in the second device-status reference screen, and the second receiver224of the remote management device20receives the toner ordering information (one example of recovery instruction information) (Step S38). The second receiver224reads the second device-status information associated with the management item information indicating “no toner” from the storage unit210, and updates the device status indicated by the read second device-status information to “waiting for toner ordering” (Step S40).

The second acquisition unit150of the management device10issues the acquisition request through the polling at the one-second interval (Step S42), and acquires the second device-status information associated with the management item information indicating “no toner” from the third transmitter236of the remote management device20(Step S44). The second acquisition unit150reads the first device-status information associated with the management item information indicating “no toner” from the storage unit110, and updates the device status indicated by the read first device-status information to “waiting for toner ordering” (Step S46).

The management device10reads the first device-status information associated with the management item information indicating “no toner” from the storage unit110, and transmits the read first device-status information to the MFP50(Step S48).

When receiving the first device-status information from the management device10, the MFP50updates the device-status information of the MFP50to “toner on order” (Step S50), and transmits the updated device-status information to the management device10(Step S52).

When receiving the updated device-status information from the MFP50, the management device10reads the first device-status information associated with the management item information indicating “no toner” from the storage unit110, and updates the device status indicated by the read first device-status information to “toner on order” (Step S54), and transmits the updated first device-status information to the remote management device20(Step S56).

When receiving the updated first device-status information from the management device10, the remote management device20reads the second device-status information associated with the management item information indicating “no toner” from the storage unit210, and updates the device status indicated by the read second device-status information to “toner on order” (Step S58)

The reference inhibition unit240of the remote management device20remove the inhibition of an access to the second reference-destination information performed by the second terminal40(Step S60).

It should be noted that the changing unit170of the management device10can change the management destination indicated by the management destination information by using, for example, management-destination change screens as shown inFIGS. 7 and 8displayed in the first terminal30.

For example, an electronic device of which management destination is to be changed is selected in the management-destination change screen shown inFIG. 7, and a management item of which management destination is to be changed and a management destination are selected in the management-destination change screen shown inFIG. 8. Then, a management-destination change request is transmitted from the first terminal30to the management device10. The changing unit170of the management device10changes the management destination information stored in the storage unit110according to the management-destination change request.

As explained above, in the management system according to the embodiment, when the management destination information indicates the management device10and the remote management device20as management destinations, an interval of polling to the remote management device20is shortened, and a latest device status of the MFP50is stored in the storage unit210of the remote management device20.

Thus, the management device10can acquire the latest device status of the MFP50from the remote management device20at shortened polling interval, so that it is possible to prevent occurrence of a time lag between the device status of the MFP50managed by the management device10and the device status of the MFP50managed by the remote management device20.

In the embodiment, the polling interval is shortened only when the event of changing the device status of the MFP50occurs, and thus the device statuses of the MFP50managed by the management device10and by the remote management device20can be synchronized with each other without causing the amount of network communication to increase more than necessary.

Each of the management device10, the remote management device20, the first terminal30, and the second terminal40according to the embodiment includes a control unit such as a central processing unit (CPU), a storage unit such as a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM), an external storage unit such as a hard disk drive (HDD) and a compact disk (CD) drive, and an input-output device, which is a hardware configuration using an ordinary computer.

A management program executed by the management device10according to the embodiment is provided by being recorded in a computer-readable recording medium such as a compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM), a flexible disk (FD), a compact disk recordable (CD-R), and a digital versatile disk (DVD) in a file with installable format or with executable format.

The management program executed by the management device10according to the embodiment may also be provided by being stored on the computer connected to the network such as the Internet and being downloaded through the network. The management program executed by the management device10may be provided or distributed through the network such as the Internet. Further, the management program according to the embodiment may be provided by being previously incorporated in the ROM or the like.

In addition, the management program executed by the management device10according to the embodiment is formed with modules including the units such as the first acquisition unit, the transmission unit, the switching unit, the second acquisition unit, the reference inhibition unit, and the changing unit. Therefore, as actual hardware, the CPU (processor) reads the management program from the recording medium and executes the read management program, and the units are thereby loaded on a main storage unit, to generate the first acquisition unit, the transmission unit, the switching unit, the second acquisition unit, the reference inhibition unit, and the changing unit on the main storage unit.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the device statuses managed by the both management devices can be synchronized with each other without an increase in the amount of network communication more than necessary.