Patent ID: 7538901

Claim:
An image-forming apparatus, in which hardware resources for use in the forming of images are provided, and in which one or more processes are run based on programs having instructions for the forming of the images, said apparatus comprising: an off-line unit configured to put, in response to a notice indicating updating of one of the programs, said one or more processes in an off-line state, in which restriction is placed on the running of said one or more processes; a memory area releasing unit configured to release one or more memory areas used by said one or more processes that are put in the off-line state; and a data laying-out unit configured to lay out data in said one or more memory areas released by said memory area releasing unit, wherein the data laid out by said data laying-out unit is an updating program for updating at least one of the programs, and said data laying-out unit obtains the updating program through data communication.