Patent ID: 7788364

Claim:
An apparatus for managing a plurality of network devices, comprising: a memory unit configured to store management information in which a virtual device performing processing by cooperation of functions of network devices, the network devices constituting the virtual device, and the functions implemented by the network devices are associated with each other; a designation unit configured to designate, in accordance with an instruction issued by a user, resource data to be distributed and a distribution destination device to which the resource data is to be distributed; a generation unit configured to, by referring to the management information stored in the memory unit, generate candidate device information including information on a network device and a virtual device relevant to the distribution destination device designated by the designation unit, wherein the candidate device information is used for indicating candidate devices to which the resource data may be distributed; a switching unit configured to, when a confirmation screen, on which the user confirms an actual distribution destination device for the resource data, is displayed based on the distribution destination device designated by the designation unit and the candidate device information generated by the generation unit, switch a display to be used for designating a distribution destination device from among the candidate devices, in accordance with an attribute of the resource data; and a distribution unit configured to distribute, to the distribution destination device designated by the designation unit and the distribution destination device designated on the confirmation screen, the resource data designated by the designation unit.