An image processing apparatus, comprising: a network connecting section to connect with a network; an interface section to connect with an outside image processing apparatus; a data transferring section to transfer data to connected said outside image processing apparatus via said interface section; a management information acquiring section to acquire management information of said outside image processing apparatus; a management information storing section to store the management information of said outside image processing apparatus, acquired by said management information acquiring section; a network controlling section (14-2, 14-3, 14-4) which receives an acquisition request of the management information of said outside image processing apparatus from a host apparatus on said network, acquires the management information from either of said management information storing section and said outside image processing apparatus according to a work situation of said outside image processing apparatus, and performs a response to said host apparatus; a resource managing section to manage the work situation of said outside image processing apparatus; wherein said network controlling section acquires a work information of said outside image processing apparatus from said resource managing section, and has a information source setting portion that, when said outside image processing apparatus is in working, sets said management information storing section into a reading source of the management information of said outside image processing apparatus; when said outside image processing apparatus is not in working, sets said outside image processing apparatus into said reading source of the management information. a network connecting section to connect with a network; an interface section to connect with an outside image processing apparatus; a data transferring section to transfer data to connected said outside image processing apparatus via said interface section; a management information acquiring section to acquire management information of said outside image processing apparatus; a management information storing section to store the management information of said outside image processing apparatus, acquired by said management information acquiring section; a network controlling section (14-2, 14-3, 14-4) which receives an acquisition request of the management information of said outside image processing apparatus from a host apparatus on said network, acquires the management information from either of said management information storing section and said outside image processing apparatus according to a work situation of said outside image processing apparatus, and performs a response to said host apparatus; a resource managing section to manage the work situation of said outside image processing apparatus; wherein said network controlling section acquires a work information of said outside image processing apparatus from said resource managing section, and has a information source setting portion that, when said outside image processing apparatus is in working, sets said management information storing section into a reading source of the management information of said outside image processing apparatus; when said outside image processing apparatus is not in working, sets said outside image processing apparatus into said reading source of the management information.