Patent ID: 7231438

Claim:
A data processing apparatus that communicates data through a network to each of a plurality of computers and a plurality of peripheral devices connected to the network, comprising: display means for displaying the plurality of computers and the plurality of peripheral devices as symbol information, respectively, on a display screen; first discriminating means for discriminating, from the plurality of computers, at least one computer that has a server function; second discriminating means for discriminating, from the at least one computer that has the server function discriminated by said first discriminating means, at least one computer that has a license server function; third discriminating means for discriminating, from the at least one computer that has the license server function discriminated by said second discriminating means, a license management server computer that is used by said data processing apparatus and has a license server function for issuing a predetermined license to said data processing apparatus; and first control means for controlling said display means to display as a visual symbol the license management server computer discriminated by said third discriminating means such that the license management server computer is distinguished from computers that are not discriminated by said third discriminating means; fourth discriminating means for discriminating, from the plurality of computers, a server device having an image input server function which may be used by said data processing apparatus; second control means for controlling the server device discriminated by said fourth discriminating means such that the server device may be identified from other devices on the display screen; selecting means for selecting a symbol on the display screen; and service supplying means for supplying a common service to each of a plurality of licensee computers to which the predetermined license has been issued from the license management server computer, when the license management server computer and the server device have been selected by said selecting means.