Patent ID: 7586633

Claim:
An image processing apparatus management system, comprising: an image processing apparatus communicably linked to a first computer network and having a printing function; a managing apparatus communicably linked to a second computer network and configured to manage the image processing apparatus; and a firewall configured to control data transmission between the first computer network and the second computer network, the firewall configured to allow reply data sent by the managing apparatus in the second computer network to reach the image processing apparatus in the first computer network, the reply data being in reply to report data sent to the managing apparatus from the image processing apparatus using at least one of a predetermined protocol having an immediacy, wherein the image processing apparatus has a determining unit configured to determine whether an aspect of the image processing apparatus is in at least one of a predetermined aspect, a generating unit configured to generate the report data including information concerning the image processing apparatus, when the determining unit determines that the aspect of the image processing apparatus is in the predetermined aspect, and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the report data to the managing apparatus via the firewall using the at least one of the predetermined protocol having the immediacy when the generating unit generates the report data, wherein when the managing apparatus receives the report data from the image processing apparatus, the managing apparatus is further configured to generate acknowledgement data including an indication of a reception of the report data, and to transmit the acknowledgement data including the indication of the reception of the report data as the reply data to the image processing apparatus via the firewall.