Patent ID: 7574440

Claim:
An information processing apparatus comprising: a data storage unit for storing data files; a memory for spreading data files, stored in the data storage unit, as necessary; a user management unit, preventing simultaneous multiple logon by a plurality of users by prohibiting, after one user has performed a logon procedure to log on to said apparatus, logon procedures by other users until a logoff procedure concerning said logged-on user is performed; a spreading/storing unit, executing, based on an operation of said logged-on user, a file spreading process of spreading a predetermined data file, stored in the data storage unit, onto the memory, and a file storing process of storing a predetermined data file, spread on the memory, into the data storage unit; a program executing unit, executing, based on an operation of said logged-on user, a predetermined application program and a process of preparing a new data file on the memory or a renewing process on an existing data file spread on the memory; a saving unit, executing, when said logged-on user executes the logoff procedure, a saving object recognizing process of recognizing, from among data files stored in the data storage unit, all or a predetermined portion of data files prepared or renewed based on tasks by said logged-on user as a saving object file or files, a saving process of copying and thereby saving the saving object file or files into an external storage device via a network regardless of an amount of available memory space in the data storage unit, a deleting process of deleting the saving object file or files stored in the data storage unit, a management information preparing process of preparing management information necessary for copying and restoring the saving object file or files, saved in the external storage device, into the data storage unit, and a management information storing process of storing the prepared management information into an external storage location; and a restoring unit, executing, as necessary after a specific logged-off user executes another logon procedure, a restoring process of referencing the management information and thereby copying and restoring the saving object file or files, saved in the external storage device, into the data storage unit, such that the saving object file or files prepared or renewed based on tasks by said specific user are present in the data storage unit only when said specific user is logged on.