Patent ID: 7855796

Claim:
A print job distributing and holding system capable of distributing and holding, in a printing system in which plural printers for executing print processing on the basis of plural print jobs are connected via a network, the plural print jobs corresponding to the respective printers in the plural printers, wherein the print job distributing and holding system connects plural print job holding apparatuses corresponding to the plural printers, respectively, via the network to be capable of performing data communication with one another, and each of the print job holding apparatuses includes: a print job holding unit that holds a print job sent to the print job holding apparatus via the network; a data control unit that detects a data size of the print job sent to the print job holding apparatus, that compares the data size of the print job with a remaining storage capacity of a data storing unit of the print job holding apparatus, and that determines whether a predetermined condition is satisfied, the predetermined condition being based on whether the storage capacity of the data storing unit is insufficient for the data size of the print job; a print job holding entrusting unit that entrusts, when the predetermined condition is satisfied, another print job holding apparatus with holding of the print job sent to the print job holding apparatus via the network, the print job holding entrusting unit receiving operation state information from the another print job holding apparatus and evaluating operation states of the another print job holding apparatus based on a responsiveness of the another print job holding apparatus, a remaining storage capacity of the another print job holding apparatus, and a normality or abnormality of the another print job holding apparatus; a print job substitute holding unit that holds a print job, holding of which is entrusted by another print job holding apparatus, in association with information on the another print job holding apparatus that entrusts holding of the print job; an entrusted print job transmitting unit that transmits, in response to an acquisition request for the print job from the another print job holding apparatus, a print job held by the print job holding apparatus corresponding to the acquisition request to the another print job holding apparatus that requests acquisition of the print job; an acquisition request transmitting unit that transmits an acquisition request for the print job, holding of which is entrusted to the another print job holding apparatus, to the another print job holding apparatus; and a print job transmitting unit that transmits a print job corresponding to a print instruction given to a printer corresponding to the print job holding apparatus to the printer.