NETWORK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, NETWORK MANAGEMENT METHOD, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, DEVICE, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

Abstract

A network management system that is capable of managing each device in an information processing device efficiently even though on a network there are a plurality of the information processing apparatuses which search for devices to manage. A network management system comprises a multi-function printer (MFP) connected to a network, and a network management station that searches and manages the MFP. The MFP comprises a search source information recording unit that records information related to the network management station, which is a transmitter of a search packet, as search source information in response to receipt of the search packet, and a search source information transmitting unit that transmits the search source information to the network management station in response to request from the network management station. The network management station comprises a search source information acquisition requesting unit that requests acquisition of the search source information to the device, and a search source information obtaining unit that obtains the search source information transmitted from the MFP.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing the construction of a network management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the construction of a network management station;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the hardware construction of management object nodes, namely MFPs;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedures for carrying out a process of receiving a search packet in a network controller in the MFP;

FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of a search source list;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the procedures for carrying out a process for a search source list request packet among the procedures in the step S8 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the procedures for carrying out a response process to network management station information inquiry in the network management station;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedures for carrying out a process of obtaining a search source list in the network management station, and the procedure for carrying out a process of searching another network management station on the same network;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart, continued from FIG. 8, showing the procedures for carrying out a process of obtaining a search source list in the network management station, and the procedures for carrying out a process of searching another network management station on the same network;

FIG. 10 is a view showing an example of a managed object node list;

FIG. 11 is a view showing a network management station list;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the procedures for carrying out a process of receiving a request for the managed object node list as a process according to the other received packet in the step S25 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the procedures for carrying out a process of receiving a request for the managed object node list as a process according to the other received packet in the step S64 in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the procedures for carrying out a process of collecting information on the managed object nodes in the network management station;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart, continued from FIG. 14, showing the procedures for carrying out a process of collecting information on the managed object nodes in the network management station;

FIG. 16 is a view showing the flow of the entire process in the network management system;

FIG. 17 is a view showing the flow of the other entire process in the network management system;

FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the procedures for carrying out a process of receiving the search packet in the network controller in the managed object node, namely the MFP according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a table showing an example of the search source list held by the managed object node;

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the procedures for carrying out a process of receiving the search packet in the network controller in the managed object node, namely the MFP according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a flowchart, continued from FIG. 20, showing the procedures for carrying out a process of receiving the search packet in the network controller in the managed object node, namely the MFP;

FIG. 22 a table showing an example of the search source list held by the managed object node;

FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the procedures for carrying out a process of collecting information on the management object nodes in the network management station;

FIG. 24 is a flowchart, continued from FIG. 23, showing the procedures for carrying out a process of collecting information on the managed object nodes in the network management station;

FIG. 25 is a flowchart, continued from FIGS. 23 and 24, showing the procedures for carrying out a process of collecting information on the managed object nodes in the network management station; and

FIG. 26 is a flowchart, continued from FIGS. 23, 24 and 25, showing the procedures for carrying out a process of collecting information on the managed object nodes in the network management station.

Claims

1. A network management system comprising a device connected to a network, and an information processing apparatus that searches and manages said device, wherein said device comprises:a search source information recording unit that records information related to said information processing apparatus, which is a transmitter of a search packet, as search source information in response to receipt of the search packet; anda search source information transmitting unit that transmits the search source information to said information processing apparatus in response to request from said information processing apparatus, andsaid information processing apparatus comprises:a search source information acquisition requesting unit that requests acquisition of the search source information to said device; anda search source information obtaining unit that obtains the search source information transmitted from said device.

2. A network management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the search source information includes a network address.

3. A network management system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the search source information further includes hardware identification information, said device comprises a hardware identification information determining unit that determines whether or not the hardware identification information of the search source is recorded in the search source information when said device itself is searched by said information processing apparatus, andsaid search source information recording unit, when the hardware identification information of the search source is determined to be already recorded, records the network address used in said search in the search source information, deletes the recorded information of the previous search by the same hardware identification information from the search source information, and holds the recorded information related to said information processing apparatuses that are identical in a network address with each other and different in hardware identification information from each other, without deleting the recorded information from the search source information.

4. A network management system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the search source information further includes the type of the search manner, said device comprises a search manner determining unit that determines whether or not the type of the search manner included in the recorded information is the same as the type of the search manner in the present search when the hardware identification of the search source is already recorded in the search source information,wherein the recorded information is deleted from the search source information when the type of the search method is the same, and the recorded information is not deleted from the search source information when the type of the search method is different.

5. A network management system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said information processing apparatus comprises a confirmation request transmitting unit that transmits to one of said information processing apparatuses a request to confirm whether or not it is the same type of the information processing apparatus as its own,a network address recording unit that records a network address of the one of said information processing apparatuses which is confirmed to be the same type of said information processing apparatus as its own,a determination unit that determines whether or not a transmitter of said request is the same type of said information processing apparatus as its own when said request is received from another of said information-processing apparatuses, anda determination result transmitting unit that transmits a result of said determination to said another of said information processing apparatuses.

6. A network management method in a network management system comprising a device connected to a network, and an information processing apparatus that searches and manages said device, wherein said devicerecords information related to said the information-processing apparatus, which is a transmitter of a search packet, as search source information in response to receipt of the search packet; andtransmits the search source information to said information processing apparatus in response to request from said information-processing apparatus, andsaid information-processing apparatusrequests acquisition of the search source information to said device; andobtains the search source information transmitted from said device.

7. An information processing apparatus that searches and manages a device connected to a network, comprising: a search source information acquisition requesting unit that requests acquisition of the search source information to said device; anda search source information obtaining unit that obtains the search source information transmitted from said device.

8. A device that is connected to a network and searched by an information processing apparatus, comprising: a search source information recording unit that records information related to said information processing apparatus, which is a transmitter of a search packet, as search source information in response to receipt of the search packet; anda search source information transmitting unit that transmits the search source information to said information processing apparatus in response to request from said information processing apparatus,

9. A program for causing a computer to execute a network management method as claimed in claim 6.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing the program as claimed in claim 9.