Patent ID: 8244860

Claim:
A communication method between service modules in a system in which service modules operating on a plurality of information processing apparatuses connected with a network operate in collaboration with each other, the system including a monitoring apparatus that is provided with a monitor module monitoring a connection between service modules in the system and that has connection management information including identifier information for uniquely identifying an information processing apparatus in which a service module is operating in the system, and connection information including external connection information for the service module to perform communication using an external network between the information processing apparatuses and internal connection information for the service module to perform communication using an internal network of the information processing apparatus, the method comprising steps of: acquiring, with a connection management information acquisition unit of the information processing apparatus, the connection management information from the monitor module; acquiring, with a connection information acquisition unit of the information processing apparatus, connection information of a communication destination service module from the acquired connection management information; comparing, with a comparison unit of the information processing apparatus, the identifier information of the information processing apparatus in which the service module is operating and identifier information of an information processing apparatus in which the communication destination service module is operating; and deciding, with a decision unit of the information processing apparatus, which of the internal connection information and the external connection information included in the connection management information to use based on a result obtained in the comparing step, wherein a decision is made in the deciding step to use the internal connection information to perform a communication with the communication destination service module using the internal network, if a determination is made in the comparing step that the identifier information of the information processing apparatus in which the service module is operating matches the identifier information of the information processing apparatus in which the communication destination service module is operating, and a decision is made in the deciding step to use the external connection information to perform the communication with the communication destination service module using the external network, if a determination is made in the comparing step that the identifier information of the information processing apparatus in which the service module is operating does not match the identifier information of the information processing apparatus in which the communication destination service module is operating.