Patent ID: 8380817

Claim:
An information processing system comprising: a plurality of information processing apparatuses connected to a network, the information processing apparatuses being mutually linked to operate as a virtual information processing apparatus, the virtual information processing apparatus configured to execute an executable function; at least one processor; and at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: (i) generate and transmit a software cell of a status request command to at least a first one of the plurality of information processing apparatuses; (ii) receive apparatus information of at least the first one of the information processing apparatuses; (iii) determine a system state of the virtual information processing apparatus based, at least in part, on the apparatus information of the first one of the information processing apparatuses, the system state indicating: (a) any surplus processing capability of the virtual information processing apparatus, and (b) a configuration of the information processing apparatuses connected to the network; and (iv) when the system state of the virtual information processing apparatus satisfies predetermined start conditions: (a) cause the executable function to be executed; (b) cause executable function utilization history information to be generated when the executable function is executed; and (c) cause the generated executable function utilization history information to be stored; and, (v) when the system state of the virtual information processing apparatus does not satisfy predetermined start conditions, at least one information processing apparatus transmits a notification of a change in apparatus information when the apparatus information changes.