Patent ID: 8305603

Claim:
A job processing apparatus which has a rewritable storage unit for storing software and executes a job by using the software, comprising: a registration unit for registering a job; a specifying unit for specifying a type of software which is used to execute the job registered by said registration unit; a first determination unit for, based on a request to change software, determining whether the software to be changed is the type of the software specified by said specifying unit; and a second determination unit for determining whether there is another job processing apparatus which can execute the software to be changed, wherein, if said first determination unit determines that the software to be changed is the type of the software specified by said specifying unit and said second determination unit determines that there is not another job processing apparatus which can execute the software to be changed, the job processing apparatus restricts a change of the software according to the request, and wherein, if said first determination unit determines that the software to be changed is the type of the software specified by said specifying unit and said second determination unit determines that there is another job processing apparatus which can execute the software to be changed, the job processing apparatus performs the change of the software according to the request; a reconstruction unit for, when said second determination unit determines that the software to be changed exists in the job processing apparatus and another job processing apparatus, reconstructing information stored in a software information storage unit in order to execute the software to be changed in said another job processing apparatus; and a change holding unit for, when said second determination unit determines that the software to be changed exists in the job processing apparatus and does not exist in any other job processing apparatus, shifting the request to a holding state, wherein said change holding unit comprises: a first change unit for, when said first determination unit determines that the software to be changed is not used to execute the registered job or said second determination unit determines that the software to be changed exists in another job processing apparatus, changing the software in accordance with the request; and a second change unit for, when the registered job which uses the software to be changed does not exist, changing the software in accordance with the request which is shift to the holding state.