Patent ID: 7287073

Claim:
An information processing apparatus which is connected to a first local managing apparatus which diagnoses an apparatus having a first-type function and a second local managing apparatus which diagnoses an apparatus having a second-type function that is different from the first-type function, comprising: judging means which judge, based on information selected by a user, whether a trouble which has occurred in a predetermined apparatus that has been reported to said information processing apparatus is a trouble related to the apparatus having the first-type function or a trouble related to the apparatus having the second-type function; determination means which determine that the first local managing apparatus shall diagnose the predetermined apparatus if the trouble which has occurred in the predetermined apparatus is judged to be a trouble related to the apparatus having the first-type function, and determine that the second local managing apparatus shall diagnose the predetermined apparatus if the trouble which has occurred in the predetermined apparatus is judged to be a trouble related to the apparatus having the second-type function, based on the judgment provided by said judging means, and said determining means determining that the first and second local managing apparatuses shall both diagnose the predetermined apparatus if said judging means cannot judge as to whether the trouble which has occurred in the predetermined apparatus is a trouble related to the apparatus having the first-type function or to the apparatus having the second-type function; diagnosis control means which causes one of the first local managing apparatus and the second local managing apparatus, or both the first and second local managing apparatuses, to preform diagnosis, based on a determination provided by said determination means; and wherein the apparatus of the first type is a peripheral device, and the apparatus of the second type is a computer device.