Patent ID: 8291071

Claim:
A management server for managing a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to a network, the management server comprising: a storage unit; a management unit configured to manage an IP address, MAC address, and product number of an image forming apparatus under management, stored in the storage unit in an associated way, as registration information thereof; an acquisition unit configured to acquire an IP address, MAC address, and product number of an image forming apparatus together with operation information thereof via the network; a determination unit configured to determine, when the IP address and MAC address acquired by the acquisition unit are not registered in an associated way in the registration information managed by the management unit, whether the product number acquired by the acquisition unit is registered in the registration information managed by the management unit; and a storing unit configured to store, when the determination unit determines that the product number acquired by the acquisition unit is registered in the registration information managed by the management unit, the operation information acquired by the acquisition unit in the storage unit in association with an image forming apparatus specified by the registration information including the product number.