Patent ID: 7079266

Claim:
In a printshop having resources for performing various tasks to process print jobs, a method for optimizing the performance of the printshop, the method comprising the steps of: partitioning the printshop into virtual autonomous cells, representing physical autonomous cells capable of receiving and processing print jobs; dividing the resources of the printshop between the virtual autonomous cells, wherein each virtual autonomous cell contains representations of sufficient resources to complete at least one class of print job, and wherein the virtual autonomous cells each contain a combination of resources, at least two of the resources of the combination of resources being necessary to complete the at least one class of print job; assigning each print job to a selected one of the virtual autonomous cells when the selected one of the virtual autonomous cells contains representations of a combination of resources capable of independently completing the print job; and mapping the print job onto a new mapping of the existing virtual autonomous cells when no existing virtual autonomous cell contains representations of a combination of resources capable of independently completing the print job.