Patent ID: 6947154

Claim:
A data processing apparatus capable of communicating data with devices connected to a network, comprising: acquisition means for acquiring resource information and status information concerning the devices connected to the network; storage means for storing the acquired information in memory; display control means for displaying, in combination on a display unit, icons that are capable of identifying the types of devices connected to the network based upon the stored resource information, and status of utilization of the devices that is based upon the stored status information; specifying means for specifying, from the display of icons, a device to be updated in order to select and update either one or both of the resource information and status information; and management means for managing organization of devices connected to the network; wherein said acquisition means acquires both the resource information and status information, or whichever information has been selected, of the device that has been specified, wherein said storage means updates the information in memory based upon the information that has been acquired, and wherein said management means manages groups, the groups being a first group comprising peripherals connected to computers, and a second group comprising the computers.