Patent ID: 8065683

Claim:
A tracking apparatus controlled by a computer, the tracking apparatus comprising: a collecting unit, the computer making the collecting unit collect, from each of a plurality of work systems, data regarding an execution of a work performed in each of the work systems and including identification information of a subject of the work and information about the time of execution of the work; a first storing unit, the computer making the first storing unit store therein the data collected by the collecting unit; an extracting unit, the computer making the extracting unit extract, from the data stored in the first storing unit, data that includes identical identification information; an output unit, the computer making the output unit output the extracted data in time sequence based on the information about the time of execution of work included in each of the extracted data; and a control unit, the computer making the control unit cause each of the collecting unit, the first storing unit, the extracting unit, and the output unit to start a process at a start time that is set in advance for each of the collecting unit, the first storing unit, the extracting unit, and the output unit, wherein the collecting unit, the first storing unit, the extracting unit, and the output unit perform their respective processes under control of the control unit; the tracking apparatus further comprising: an alert-data collecting unit, the computer making the alert-data collecting unit collect, from the data stored in the first storing unit, alert data that indicates abnormality in a process performed by any one of the work systems; a second storing unit, the computer making the second storing unit store therein the alert data stored in the first storing unit; wherein the control unit causes each of the second storing unit and the alert-data collecting unit to start a process at a start time that is set in advance for each of the second storing unit and the alert data collecting unit; and an acquiring unit that acquires information on an operational state of a process performed under control of the control unit, wherein the control unit causes a process with a low priority to be terminated based on information on priority of processes performed by the collecting unit, the first storing unit, the extracting unit, the second storing unit, and the alert-data collecting unit, and the acquired information on the operational state.