Patent ID: 8179540

Claim:
An image forming apparatus connected to a management server that manages plural image forming apparatuses, the image forming apparatus holding counter information obtained by integrating a consumption of a consumable that depends on usage of service provided by the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus comprising: a registration unit configured to register a log, including information regarding a history of usage of the service, in job log information with a synchronization flag set off, the synchronization flag being used for synchronization with outputting of the counter information; a flag setting unit configured to set on the synchronization flag for the log in the job log information, for which the synchronization flag is set off, when the counter information is output; a reception unit configured to receive, from the management server, an acquisition request for acquiring the counter information or the job log information; a counter outputting unit configured to output, in response to the acquisition request received, the counter information to the management server after the synchronization flag for the log having the synchronization flag set off has been set on by the flag setting unit; and a log outputting unit configured to output, in response to the acquisition request received, the job log information to the management server after the counter information has been output by the counter outputting unit, wherein the job log information is managed by using a ring buffer, and wherein the synchronization flag for the log in the job log information is set on by the flag setting unit without receiving the externally-sent acquisition request by the image forming apparatus such that the log, which is already registered and has the synchronization flag set off, is not overwritten with a log newly registered by the registration unit, and the counter information and the job log information are output to the management server by the counter outputting unit and the log outputting unit.