Patent ID: 7752288

Claim:
An information processing apparatus capable of changing setting contents including at least one setting item in response to a setting request from at least one client terminal connecting to said information processing apparatus through a network or an input unit of said information processing apparatus, comprising: a plurality of setting device managing parts, each setting device managing part having an occupied state, in which the setting item cannot be referred to or changed, and a settable state, in which the setting item can be referred to or changed, and setting an authority of an operator for referring to or changing the setting item for each management subject in the settable state; and a main device managing part managing the occupied state and the settable state of each setting device managing part, and transferring the settable state from one setting device managing part to another setting device managing part such that the plurality of setting device managing parts cannot transit to the settable state at the same time, the main device managing part managing authorization information verifying the authority of the operator for referring to or changing at least a part of the setting item based on a username and password entered by the operator, managing the occupied state or the settable state of each setting device managing part based on the authorization information and a session ID obtained from the another setting device managing part, which corresponds to a setting request from the operator, and transferring the settable state to the another setting device managing part while maintaining the occupied state for all other setting device managing parts during a duration of a lock time specified by the operator.