JP2010128958A - Device management apparatus, device management system, operation setting management method, operation setting management program, and recording medium recording the program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device management apparatus that can efficiently perform operation setting management when unexpected operations are set in a plurality of devices to be managed, a device management system, an operation setting management method, an operation setting management program, and a recording medium recording the program. <P>SOLUTION: The device management apparatus 100 monitors the state of devices 200 connected through a predetermined data transmission path 90, and manages the devices 200 based on device information. The apparatus 100 includes a setting means 245 for setting the operation of each device 200, an acquisition means 241 for acquiring the device information from the device 200, a confirmation means 246 for confirming the state of operation setting on the device 200 set by the setting means 245 based on the device information acquired by the acquisition means 241, and a recording means 242 for recording the confirmation result by the confirmation means 246 in a predetermined storage area. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a device management apparatus and a device management system that manage at least one device connected via a data transmission path such as a network, and in particular, the device management device sets operation settings for devices participating in the system. It relates to the technology to be performed.

  A system for monitoring the status of an image processing apparatus such as a multifunction peripheral or a printer via a predetermined data transmission path such as a network is already known, and a user can manage a plurality of managed devices (hereinafter “ It is possible to detect (know) an abnormality of the managed device without going to the “managed device” by itself.

In the above system configuration, the device management apparatus has a function of collectively performing various operation settings (various parameters such as operation conditions) of each managed device with respect to a plurality of managed devices ( Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-99949

  However, in the conventional device management apparatus as shown in the patent document, for example, a setting value (assumed operation setting value) that should have been set collectively in a plurality of devices to be managed is intended in a certain device to be managed. In the case where the value is changed to a value that is not set (an unexpected operation setting value), it is not sufficiently considered that a means for the administrator to grasp the change is necessary.

  Batch operation settings in the device management device perform effective device management for the device to be set, for example, by setting a short transition time to the energy saving mode to reduce device power consumption as an energy saving measure Above, it is necessary to keep the same setting state.

  For this reason, the administrator sets a setting value that is different from that for other devices, such as when individual settings are changed after batch setting or when incorrect settings are made during batch setting. It is necessary to grasp the device being used and reset it to the expected operation setting value.

  In such a situation, considering that there are many devices to be set up, the conventional device management device does not take into account means for grasping setting changes or incorrect settings. Cannot be performed efficiently, and the management work becomes complicated for the administrator.

  The present invention has been proposed in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to efficiently perform operation setting management when an unexpected operation setting is made in a plurality of managed devices. Device management apparatus, device management system, operation setting management method, operation setting management program, and recording medium on which the program is recorded.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a device management apparatus that monitors a state of a device connected via a predetermined data transmission path and manages the device based on device information includes: A setting unit configured to perform operation setting; an acquisition unit configured to acquire device information from the device; a confirmation unit configured to confirm an operation setting status of the device set by the setting unit based on the device information acquired by the acquiring unit; And a recording means for recording the confirmation result by the confirmation means in a predetermined storage area.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the device management apparatus according to the present invention, the acquisition unit periodically acquires device information from the device according to a predetermined time interval, and the confirmation unit includes the acquisition unit. When the device information is acquired, the operation setting status of the device is confirmed based on the acquired device information.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the device management apparatus according to the present invention, the confirmation unit includes a current operation setting value set in the device included in the device information acquired by the acquisition unit, The setting means compares the expected value, which is the operation setting value set for the device, and determines that the operation setting of the device has not been changed after the operation setting by the setting device if the values match each other. If it is a different value, it is determined that the operation setting of the device has been changed after the operation setting by the setting means.

  With such a configuration, the device management apparatus according to the present invention obtains the current operation setting value (acquired value) included in the acquired device information when acquiring device information from the management target device (performs polling processing). Based on the setting value (expected value) that is assumed in device management, it is determined whether a value that is different from the setting value (expected value) is set (presence of setting change or incorrect setting), and the result of the determination is the operation setting status of the managed device. Is recorded as management data.

  In order to achieve the above object, the device management apparatus according to the present invention has resetting means for resetting operation settings for the device, and the resetting means is based on a confirmation result by the confirmation unit. Then, reset the operation settings for the corresponding device.

  In order to achieve the above object, the device management apparatus according to the present invention includes information providing means for providing information based on the device information acquired by the acquiring means, and the information providing means In response to the information provision request, based on the device information and the confirmation result of the operation setting recorded by the recording unit, the request source is provided with information on which the operation setting status of the device designated at the time of request can be viewed .

  In order to achieve the above object, the device management apparatus according to the present invention includes an information providing unit that provides information based on the device information acquired by the acquiring unit, and the information providing unit includes the confirmation unit. When it is determined that the operation setting of the device has been changed, information on the operation setting status of the corresponding device is provided.

  In order to achieve the above object, the device management apparatus according to the present invention includes a resetting number determining unit that determines the resetting number of operation settings by the resetting unit, and the resetting number determining unit includes the resetting number determining unit, It is determined whether or not the number of times of resetting is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times set in advance, and when the number of times of resetting is equal to or greater than the predetermined number of times, the information providing means provides information to that effect.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the device management apparatus according to the present invention, the setting unit and the resetting unit execute the registered operation setting task and resetting task in the background, and set and reset the operation. I do.

  As a result, the device management apparatus according to the present invention periodically checks the operation setting status of the management target device, and records the latest confirmation result, so that unexpected operation settings are made in a plurality of management target devices. Even in such a case, the administrator can efficiently perform operation setting management.

  In order to achieve the above object, a device management system according to the present invention monitors a state of a device connected via a predetermined data transmission path by a device management apparatus and manages the device based on device information. A system for setting operation of the device; an acquisition unit for acquiring device information from the device; and a confirmation for confirming an operation setting status of the device based on the device information acquired by the acquisition unit And a recording means for recording a confirmation result by the confirmation means in a predetermined storage area.

  In order to achieve the above object, an operation setting management method according to the present invention monitors the state of a device connected via a predetermined data transmission path, and operates in a device management apparatus that manages the device based on device information. A setting management method, the setting procedure for setting the operation of the device, the acquisition procedure for acquiring device information from the device, and the device set by the setting procedure based on the device information acquired by the acquisition procedure A confirmation procedure for confirming the operation setting status, and a recording procedure for recording a confirmation result of the confirmation procedure in a predetermined storage area.

  By such a procedure, the operation setting management method according to the present invention is based on the current operation setting value (acquired value) included in the acquired device information when the device information is periodically acquired from the managed device. Judges whether or not a value different from the setting value expected in device management (expected value) is set (whether there is a setting change or incorrect setting), and manages the operation setting status of the managed device based on the result The operation setting management operation of recording as data to be performed is realized.

  As a result, the operation setting management method according to the present invention provides an environment in which an administrator can efficiently perform operation setting management even when unexpected operation settings are made in a plurality of managed devices. Can be provided.

  According to the present invention, the operation setting status of the management target device is periodically checked, and the latest confirmation result is recorded, so that unexpected operation settings are made in a plurality of management target devices. Operation setting management can be performed efficiently.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “embodiments”) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
<System configuration>
Now, the configuration of the device management system according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a device management system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the device management system 1 includes at least one managed device 200 such as an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) or LP (Laser Printer) and at least one client PC (Personal Computer) 300. (Hereinafter simply referred to as “PC”) and the device management apparatus 100 are connected to each other via a data transmission path 90 such as a network.

  With such a system configuration, the device management apparatus 100 monitors and manages the state of the management target device 200 using a device management function that operates in the device. In addition, the PC 300 is provided with various types of information regarding the state of the management target device 200.

<Hardware configuration>
Next, a hardware configuration of the device management apparatus 100 that performs device management in the device management system 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of the device management apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2, the device management apparatus 100 includes an input device 101, a display device 102, a drive device 103, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 104, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 105, a CPU 106, and an interface. The apparatus 107 and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 108 are connected to each other via a bus.

  The input device 101 includes a keyboard and a mouse, and is used to input each operation signal to the device management apparatus 100. The display device 102 is configured by a display or the like, and displays a processing result by the device management device 100 (for example, “various information related to a state acquired from the management target device 200”).

  The interface device 107 is an interface that connects the device management apparatus 100 to a data transmission path 90 such as a network. As described in the above system configuration, the device management apparatus 100 performs data communication with the management target device 200 and the PC 300 via the interface device 107.

  The HDD 108 controls the entire device management apparatus 100 and provides an information processing system (for example, an OS (Operating System) that is basic software such as “Windows (registered trademark)” and “UNIX (registered trademark)), Non-volatile storage of data and programs (such as “application program” and “application data”) that provide various functions (eg, “device management function” and “data communication function”) on the information processing system Is a sex storage device. The HDD 108 manages the stored programs and data by a predetermined file system or DB (Data Base).

  The program and data are provided to the device management apparatus 100 by a recording medium 103a such as a CD (Compact Disk), or downloaded from the data transmission path 90 such as a network via the interface apparatus 107. For example, when provided from the recording medium 103a, it is installed in the HDD 108 via the drive device 103 that can read the recording medium 103a.

  The ROM 105 is a nonvolatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that can retain internal data even when the power is turned off. The ROM 105 stores data such as a basic input / output system (BIOS) that is executed when the device management apparatus 100 is activated, and system settings and network-related settings of the device management apparatus 100.

  The RAM 104 is a volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that temporarily holds programs and data read from the various storage devices, and the CPU 106 executes a program read on the RAM 104 to execute a device management device. Various functions installed in the overall control 100 and the device management apparatus 100 are operated.

  With such a hardware configuration, the device management apparatus 100 executes, for example, a program for realizing a device management function read from the HDD 108 onto the RAM 104 by the CPU 106 to monitor the status of the management target device 200 and information to the PC 300. Or offer.

<Software configuration>
Now, a software configuration in the device management apparatus 100 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a software configuration example of the device management apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the device management apparatus 100 includes a software component group including an httpd (HyperText Transfer Protocol Daemon) 21, a WebPage generation unit 22, a FrontEnd unit 23, and a device management unit 24 ( Installed).

  httpd21 is a program on a Web server that is resident in the information processing system, accepts an operation request from a browser, and transmits content stored in the server in response to the request.

  The WebPage generation unit 22 and the FrontEnd unit 23 are software components included in the Web application, and the WebPage generation unit 22 generates a Web page to be displayed on the browser based on the request received by the httpd 21. The FrontEnd unit 23 acquires data necessary for generating a Web page by the WebPage generation unit 22 from a device management unit 24 described later, and processes the data into Web page generation data based on the acquired data.

  In order to realize the device management function, the device management unit 24 manages various data such as monitoring of the management target device 200, acquisition of device information, and management of the acquired information, and search and update according to a request. Perform various data operations.

  That is, when the device management unit 24 is a software component that realizes a device management function that operates on the device management apparatus 100, the httpd21, the WebPage generation unit 22, the FrontEnd unit 23, and the like are software for realizing an information providing function for the PC 300 Corresponds to parts.

<Operation setting management function>
From now on, among the device management functions realized by the software configuration, a function for managing operation settings of the management target device 200 (hereinafter referred to as “operation setting management function”) will be described in detail.

  In the device management apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, when device information is acquired from the management target device 200 (polling processing is performed), the device management device 100 is configured based on the current operation setting value (acquired value) included in the acquired device information. It is determined whether or not a value different from the setting value (expected value) assumed for management is set (whether there is a setting change or an incorrect setting), and the determination result manages the operation setting status of the managed device 200 It has an operation setting management function for recording it as data.

  For example, after the device management apparatus 100 collectively performs operation settings for setting the transition time to the energy saving mode to be shorter due to energy saving support, the user changes the transition time via the operation panel of the management target device 200. In such a case, in order for the device management apparatus 100 to know the change of the operation setting, it is necessary for the management target device 200 to notify that the change has been made. In other words, the management target device 200 must have a function of notifying the operation setting change.

  However, since the managed devices 200 include various devices from different manufacturers (vendors), it is not realistic that all managed devices 200 constitute a system environment having the notification function.

  In addition, when the administrator accesses each managed device 200 via the device management apparatus 100 and performs operation setting management such as confirming the operation setting status, if the number of devices to be confirmed is large, the administrator Therefore, the management work becomes complicated. Furthermore, since data communication is performed between the device management apparatus 100 and the management target device 200 when the operation setting is confirmed, a processing time is required in proportion to the number of devices.

  Therefore, in the device management apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment, the operation setting of each managed device 200 is confirmed and confirmed during device information acquisition processing that is periodically performed on the managed device 200, that is, polling processing. The result is recorded / updated as data for managing the operation setting status of the device management apparatus 200.

  Thereby, the operation setting confirmation is performed dynamically without bothering the administrator, and the administrator grasps the operation setting status of each managed device 200 based on the latest recorded / updated confirmation result. be able to. That is, even when unexpected operation settings are made in a plurality of devices to be managed, the administrator can efficiently perform operation setting management.

  Now, the configuration and operation of the operation setting management function will be described.

<Functional configuration>
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the operation setting management function according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The operation setting management function is mainly a function realized by the software component of the device management unit 24 described above in the description of the software configuration.

  4, the operation setting management function includes a device information acquisition unit 241, a device related information storage unit 242, a device related information provision unit 243, a task related information storage unit 244, a task execution unit 245, And a setting value confirmation unit 246, which are roughly divided into an operation setting confirmation function and an operation setting function.

  The operation setting confirmation function includes a device information acquisition unit 241, a device related information storage unit 242, a device related information provision unit 243, and a setting value confirmation unit 246. The operation setting function includes a task related information storage unit 244 and a task execution unit. H.245 is realized by the cooperative operation.

(Operation setting check function)
The device information acquisition unit 241 is a functional unit that acquires device information from each managed device 200 via a predetermined data transmission path such as a network.

  The device information acquisition unit 241 makes an information acquisition request to each management target device 200, and acquires information by responding to the request. The device information acquisition unit 241 repeatedly performs this process at regular time intervals. That is, polling processing is performed.

  The device information acquired at this time is, for example, MIB (Management Information Base) information that the management target device 200 has. The MIB information is information that a network device managed by SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) discloses in order to inform the outside of its own state. For example, in the case of an MFP, information on the device name and installed application is provided. And device status information such as toner end and cover open.

  In addition, the device information includes information (various parameter values) representing device operating conditions as device-specific information, and these values correspond to operation setting values.

  In this way, the device management apparatus 100 acquires the latest operation setting value from each managed device 200 by the device information acquisition unit 241.

  Next, the device-related information storage unit 242 stores various information collected from each managed device 200 including the device information acquired by the device information acquisition unit 241 as device-related information in a predetermined storage area. It is a functional part. That is, the device-related information storage unit 242 corresponds to a storage device (such as the HDD 108 or the RAM 104) included in the device management apparatus 100, and various information stored therein is updated by the device information acquisition unit 241 or the like.

  The device related information storage unit 242 stores various information (hereinafter referred to as “operation setting management information”) used when managing the operation setting status as shown in FIG. 5 as one of the device related information. Yes.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a data example of the operation setting management information 31 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the operation setting management information 31 is represented by “device ID” that is device identification information, “IP address” that is device access information, “model name” that is model identification information, and a predetermined code. Device-related information composed of “comment column” and the like, and operation setting-related information composed of “setting value” and “confirmation result” of each operation setting are associated with each managed device 200. Yes.

  The device-related information is updated (data is added / deleted) when the device management apparatus 100 detects an increase / decrease in the management target device 200 (connection of a new device or disconnection of a connected device).

  The operation setting related information is updated by the device information acquisition unit 241 and a setting value confirmation unit 246 described later. Specifically, for the operation-related information, the device information acquisition unit 241 acquires device information from all the management target devices 200, and the setting value confirmation unit 246 has not changed the operation setting value to an unexpected value. It is updated all at once after it is confirmed whether it is set by mistake.

  With such a configuration and data management, the device management apparatus 100 accesses the device-related information storage unit 242 and refers to the operation setting management information 31 based on the device identification information, so that the latest operation of each managed device 200 is performed. Acquire operation setting related information including setting values and confirmation results.

  The operation setting management information 31 has been described by taking data in the table format as an example. However, the operation setting management information 31 is not limited to this, and if the corresponding operation setting related information can be specified from the device identification information of the management target device 200. Any data format may be used.

  Next, the device-related information providing unit 243 is a functional unit that provides device-related information stored in the device-related information storage unit 242 via the WebPage generation unit 22 or the FrontEnd unit 23.

  Upon receiving the information provision request, the device-related information providing unit 243 extracts necessary information according to the information type received at the time of request from the device-related information stored in the device-related information storage unit 242, and the WebPage generation unit 22 or the front end unit 23. As a result, the WebPage generation unit 22 or the FrontEnd unit 23 generates data in a format corresponding to the information browsing environment of the request source (for example, “HTTP data”, etc.), transmits the generated data, and responds to the information provision request source To do.

  As described above, the device management apparatus 100 provides the information related to the operation setting status of each management target device 200 by the device related information providing unit 243, and the administrator displays the display device 102 included in the device management apparatus 100. Can be browsed through.

  The device-related information provision unit 243 receives an information provision request from a setting value confirmation unit 246, which will be described later, and supplies information necessary for information provision together with the provision destination information specified at the time of the request to the WebPage generation unit 22 or the FrontEnd unit. 23 may be passed to. In such a case, the information can be actively provided instead of the passive information provision as described above. That is, it is possible to provide information that allows the administrator to browse the operation setting status automatically.

  Next, the set value confirmation unit 246 is based on the device information acquired by the device information acquisition unit 241 and whether or not the currently set operation setting value has been changed to an unexpected value or is set erroneously. It is a functional unit that determines whether or not each of the management target devices 200 is in operation. That is, the set value confirmation unit 246 determines whether or not the set value has been changed after performing the operation setting.

  The setting value confirmation unit 246 sets the current operation setting value (acquired value) included in the device information acquired from the management target device 200 and the setting value (expected value) assumed in device management as the operation setting. A comparison is made for each setting item to determine whether a different value is set. Specifically, when a confirmation request from the device information acquisition unit 241 is received, the operation setting management information 31 stored in the device related information storage unit 242 is referred to, and the operation setting value of each setting item for each managed device 200 To get. Subsequently, the acquired operation setting value is referred to task related information stored in a task related information storage unit 244 described later, and the obtained expected values of the same setting items are compared. As a result, if the values match, it is determined that there is no setting change or setting error for the operation setting of the device to be checked. Judge that. The determination result is recorded in the device-related information storage unit 242 as the operation setting confirmation result, and the data related to the confirmation result of the operation setting management information 31 is updated.

  As described above, when the device management apparatus 100 acquires device information from the management target device 200 (performs the polling process) by the setting value confirmation unit 246, the device management apparatus 100 periodically checks the operation setting status of the management target device 200. The latest confirmation result can be recorded.

(Operation setting function)
The task related information storage unit 244 stores, in a predetermined storage area, task related information executed in accordance with predetermined scheduling, including a task of operation setting processing performed by the device management apparatus 100 for each managed device 200. It is a functional part to do. That is, the task related information storage unit 244 is also a storage device included in the device management apparatus 100 as in the case of the device related information storage unit 242, and the stored various information is updated by the setting value confirmation unit 246 and the like. .

  Also, the task related information storage unit 244 uses various information (hereinafter referred to as “operation setting task management information”) used when managing the task of the operation setting process as shown in FIG. 6 as one of the task related information. I remember it.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a data example of the operation setting task management information 41 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the operation setting task management information 41 is roughly divided into registered task information 41a shown in (A) and task execution device information 41b shown in (B).

  The registered task information 41a is “task ID” that is task identification information, “setting item” that represents a setting item for operation setting, and a value that is set by task execution, that is, a setting value that is assumed in device management. The operation setting setting item and the expected value are associated with the task identification information.

  The task execution device information 41b includes task identification information, device identification information, and device access information, and the device identification information and device access information are associated with the task identification information.

  The operation setting task management information 41 is updated (data is added / deleted) by a task management function of the device management apparatus 100 when a new task is registered or when an increase / decrease in the management target device 200 is detected.

  The operation setting task management information 41 is referred to by the set value confirmation unit 246 described above. Specifically, first, the task execution device information 41b is referred to based on the device identification information, and the task identification information of the operation setting task performed on the management target device 200 is specified. Subsequently, the registered task information 41a is referred to based on the specified task identification information, and setting items and setting values set by task execution are specified. Thereby, the set value confirmation unit 246 can acquire the expected value of the operation setting corresponding to each managed device 200 used at the time of confirmation.

  With such a configuration and data management, the device management apparatus 100 accesses the task related information storage unit 244 and refers to the registered task information 41a and the task execution device information 41b based on the device identification information and the task identification information. An operation setting task is executed for each managed device 200, and an operation setting value set by the task execution is acquired. Further, since the task setting information and the device identification information are managed in association with each other in the operation setting task management information 41, a batch operation setting is executed for a plurality of managed devices 200 based on these information. You can also

  The operation setting task management information 41 has been described by taking table format data as an example. However, the operation setting task management information 41 is not limited to this. Any data format may be used as long as it can be specified.

  Next, the task execution unit 245 is a functional unit that executes a registered task according to a predetermined schedule based on the task related information stored in the task related information storage unit 244.

  When the task execution unit 245 receives an execution request from a scheduler (not shown) of the device management apparatus 100, the task execution unit 245, based on the device identification information received at the time of the request, from the task related information stored in the task related information storage unit 244, The registered task to be executed is specified, and the task information (setting item and its setting value (expected value)) of the specified registration task is acquired. Subsequently, the task execution unit 245 executes operation setting for the management target device 200 based on the acquired task information. At this time, the task execution unit 245 executes the task in the background.

  As described above, the device management apparatus 100 can execute the operation setting of each management target device 200 by the task execution unit 245.

<Functional operation>
From here, the operation of each functional unit described above will be described. The operation setting management function functions when the above function units operate in cooperation with each other, and the software component of the device management unit 24 mounted (installed) in the device management apparatus 100 is stored by the CPU 106 (for example, “ROM 105”). This is realized by reading out from the RAM 104 to the RAM 104 and executing the following processing.

  FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of an operation setting / confirmation processing procedure (part 1) according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the operation setting management function executed by the device management apparatus 100 is roughly divided into three processes. The first is “operation setting”, the second is “information acquisition / setting confirmation”, and the third is “information provision”. In the following description of the processing procedure, the above three processes will be described in order.

(Operation setting)
The device management apparatus 100 registers a task for operation setting processing to be performed on the management target device 200, executes a registration task according to a predetermined schedule, and performs operation setting.

  When the device management apparatus 100 receives a registration request for an operation setting task from another function (for example, “task management function”) or an external terminal such as the PC 300, the device management apparatus 100 sends the received request to the WebPage generation unit 22 (or FrontEnd). To the device management unit 24 via the unit 23). At this time, at the time of registration request, the device management unit 24 receives the operation setting setting item, the setting value, and the device ID of the management target device 200 that is the target of the operation setting, records the device ID in the task related information storage unit 244, and records the operation setting. The task management information 41 is updated and task registration is performed (step S101). Further, when a plurality of device IDs are received at the time of task registration, the same operation setting task can be assigned to a plurality of managed devices 200 and registered.

  Next, the registered task is executed according to a predetermined schedule, and the operation setting of the management target device 200 is performed. The device management apparatus 100 first accesses the task related information storage unit 244 by the task execution unit 245 of the device management unit 24, refers to the operation setting task management information 41 based on the device ID, and sets the operation setting task to be executed. Task information is acquired (step S102).

  When the task management unit 100 acquires task information by the task execution unit 245, the device management apparatus 100 performs operation setting on the management target device 200 based on the setting items and setting values included in the task information (step S103). Further, when a plurality of pieces of task information are acquired based on a plurality of device IDs at the time of task execution, it is also possible to execute operation settings for a plurality of managed devices 200 in a batch.

  As described above, the device management apparatus 100 performs operation setting for each management target device 200 based on the task information of the registered operation setting task.

(Information acquisition / setting confirmation)
The device management apparatus 100 periodically acquires device information from the management target device 200 and confirms the operation setting of each management target device 200 at the timing.

  The device management apparatus 100 requests the device 200 to acquire device information according to a predetermined interval set by the device information acquisition unit 241 of the device management unit 24, and acquires information as a response to the request. (Polling process is performed) (step S201).

  The device information acquisition unit 241 records each acquired device information in the device related information storage unit 242 included in the device management unit 24, and updates the device related information (step S202). At this time, the device information acquisition unit 241 records the operation setting value of the management target device 200 included in the acquired device information in the device related information storage unit 242 as the current setting value, and sets each setting item of the operation setting management information 31. Update the corresponding data of the set value in.

  Subsequently, the device information acquisition unit 241 makes an operation setting confirmation request to the set value confirmation unit 246 included in the device management unit 24. At this time, the device information acquisition unit 241 sets the operation setting setting item, the current setting value (acquired value), and the device ID included in the device information of each managed device 200 acquired and recorded in advance to the setting value confirmation unit. 246 (step S203).

  When the setting value confirmation unit 246 receives the confirmation request, the setting value confirmation unit 246 accesses the task related information storage unit 244, refers to the operation setting management information 31 based on the received device ID and setting item, and corresponds to the expected value, that is, the operation setting. The value to be set in step (set value assumed in device management) is acquired (step S204).

  Subsequently, the set value confirmation unit 246 compares the current set value (acquired value) received at the time of the confirmation request in step S203 with the expected value obtained in step S204, and determines whether or not the values match each other. Determination is made (step S205).

  If the values match, it is determined that there is no setting change or setting error for the operation setting of the device to be checked. On the other hand, if the values are different, there is a setting change or setting error. Judge that. The set value confirmation unit 246 records these results as confirmation results in the device related information storage unit 242 together with operation setting setting items and device IDs, and the corresponding confirmation results in the setting items of the operation setting management information 31. Data is updated (step S206).

  As described above, the device management apparatus 100 determines that the current operation setting value set in the management target device 200 is the device information acquisition process (polling processing) that is periodically performed on each management target device 200. Check whether the value is not unexpected due to a setting change or setting error, and record the confirmation result together with the latest operation setting value.

  Note that the processing procedure (operation setting confirmation request) in step 203 may be performed every time device information is acquired from each managed device 200, but considering speeding up of processing, the device is started from all managed devices 200. It is preferable to obtain the information and update the device-related information. In such a case, the processing from step S204 to step S206 (operation setting confirmation processing) is performed for all the management target devices 200 in a lump. Yes.

(Information provided)
The device management apparatus 100 generates information provision data in a predetermined format based on the device related information including the latest operation setting management information 31, and transmits the generated data to the provision request source.

  When the device management apparatus 100 receives an operation setting status information providing request from an operation setting management function or an external terminal such as the PC 300, the device management apparatus 100 sends the received request to the device via the WebPage generation unit 22 (or the FrontEnd unit 23). The information is transferred to the device related information providing unit 243 included in the management unit 24 (step S301).

  When the device-related information providing unit 243 receives the provision request, the device-related information providing unit 243 accesses the device-related information storage unit 242, refers to the device-related information based on the device ID, and acquires the device information of each managed device 200 (Step S302). ). Subsequently, the device-related information providing unit 243 extracts necessary data according to the information type specified at the time of request from the acquired device information, and provides configuration data of the provided information (for example, “device including the device ID and the confirmation result”). List data ") is generated (step S303).

  Subsequently, the device-related information providing unit 243 passes the generated configuration data to the WebPage generation unit 22 (or the FrontEnd unit 23). At this time, the WebPage generation unit 22 (or the FrontEnd unit 23), based on the configuration data received from the device-related information providing unit 243, the browsing format (for example, “device list”) specified at the time of request and the browsing environment (for example, “ Display data (for example, “HTTP data”, “email data”, etc.) in a format corresponding to “PC” or “mobile terminal” is generated and transmitted to the information provider.

  In this way, the data transmitted to the information provider is displayed on the display device 102 provided in the received environment, for example, as shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example (No. 1) confirmation screen for the operation setting status according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The operation setting status confirmation screen W shown in FIG. 8 displays the operation setting statuses of the five managed devices 200 managed by the device management apparatus 100. Furthermore, among them, the management target device 200 whose operation setting is changed or incorrect is displayed in a mode different from other devices (underlined portion in the figure). That is, in the latest operation setting management information 31 after the execution of step S206, the management target device 200 whose corresponding data of the confirmation result is [NG] is another device whose corresponding data of the confirmation result is [OK]. And displayed in a different manner. As a result, even in a system environment that manages many managed devices 200, the operation setting status of each managed device 200 can be easily grasped by the administrator.

  As described above, the device management apparatus 100 can provide the latest operation setting status to the administrator, and the administrator can efficiently grasp the operation setting change in the management target device 200 and take action. .

  By the way, in the information provision process (step S301 to step S303) described above, an operation setting status is returned in response to the information provision request. In other words, passive information is provided to the administrator.

  Therefore, the functional operation for actively providing information on the operation setting status will be described below.

  FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating an operation setting / confirmation processing procedure example (2) according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the processing procedure shown in FIG. 9, the same processing procedures as those in FIG. 7 are omitted by using the same reference numerals, and only different processing procedures (step S 401 to step S 403) will be described.

(Information provided)
In the device management apparatus 100, when the setting value confirmation unit 246 included in the device management unit 24 finishes the operation setting confirmation processing (step S205) of the management target device 200, the operation setting management information 31 is updated to the latest data. (Step S206), the set value confirmation unit 246 makes a request for presentation of the operation setting confirmation information to the device related information providing unit 243 (Step S401).

  When the device-related information providing unit 243 receives the presentation request, the device-related information providing unit 243 accesses the device-related information storage unit 242, refers to the device-related information based on the device ID, and acquires the device information of each managed device 200 (Step S402). ). Subsequently, the device-related information providing unit 243 extracts data necessary for the operation setting confirmation information specified at the time of request from the acquired device information, and generates configuration data of the operation setting confirmation information (step S403).

  Subsequently, the device-related information providing unit 243 passes the generated configuration data to the WebPage generation unit 22 (or the FrontEnd unit 23). At this time, the WebPage generation unit 22 (or the FrontEnd unit 23), based on the configuration data received from the device-related information providing unit 243, the browsing format (for example, “device list”) specified at the time of request and the browsing environment (for example, “ Display data (for example, “HTTP data”, “email data”, etc.) in a format corresponding to “PC” or “mobile terminal” is generated and transmitted to the information provider.

  In this way, the data transmitted to the information provider is displayed on the display device 102 included in the received environment, for example, as shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example (part 2) of the operation setting status confirmation screen according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the operation setting status confirmation screen W shown in FIG. 10, the operation setting statuses of two managed devices 200 that are unexpected operation setting values among the plurality of managed devices 200 managed by the device management apparatus 100 are displayed. Are displayed together with additional information such as a confirmation date and a result comment. If all managed devices 200 have the expected operation setting values in the operation setting confirmation, the confirmation date and confirmation comment (for example, “The operation setting values of all managed devices match the expected values. ")" May be displayed as the confirmation screen W, or the confirmation screen W may not be displayed.

  As described above, the device management apparatus 100 can not only passively present the confirmation result of the operation setting status in response to a request from the administrator, but can also actively present the result. It is possible to prompt the user to reset the managed device 200 that has been set to an external operation.

<Summary>
As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the device management apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment acquires device information from the management target device 200 by the device information acquisition unit 241 (performs polling processing). ) When the set value confirmation unit 246 sets a value different from the set value (expected value) assumed in device management based on the current operation set value (acquired value) included in the device information (The presence / absence of setting change or incorrect setting) is recorded, the determination result is recorded in the device-related information storage unit 242, and the operation setting management information 31 for managing the operation setting status of the management target device 200 is updated.

  As a result, the device management apparatus 100 provides the administrator with the operation setting status of the device 200 to be managed based on the latest confirmation result included in the operation setting management information 31 by the device related information providing unit 243. At this time, the operation setting status is provided passively in response to an information provision request from the administrator, or actively presented after the operation setting confirmation processing by the setting value confirmation unit 246.

  As described above, in the device management system 1 according to the present invention, the device management apparatus 100 periodically confirms the operation setting status of the management target device 200 and records the latest confirmation results, thereby managing a plurality of management items. To provide an environment in which an administrator can easily grasp the operation setting status even when unexpected operation settings are made in the target device 200 and can efficiently perform operation setting management such as resetting. Can do.

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, the system that can provide the administrator with the operation setting status after confirming the operation setting of the management target device 200 has been described.

  In the present embodiment, a system that can perform resetting as necessary based on the check result after confirming the operation setting, and can reduce the labor related to the resetting by the administrator will be described.

  In the following description of the present embodiment, technical matters similar to those of the first embodiment are omitted for convenience with the same drawings and reference numerals, and only different matters are described.

<Operation setting function>
The operation setting management function according to the present embodiment is a function mainly realized by software components of the device management unit 24 (device management unit according to the first embodiment) illustrated in FIG.

<Functional configuration>
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the operation setting management function according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11, the operation setting management function according to this embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the following points.

(Operation setting check function)
In the present embodiment, in the operation setting confirmation function, the setting value confirmation unit 246 records an operation setting task for performing resetting processing based on the confirmation result after confirming the operation setting in the task related information storage unit 244, and manages the operation setting management. The information 31 is updated and a task (resetting task) for performing the resetting process is registered.

<Functional operation>
From here, the operation by the set value confirmation unit 246 described above will be described.

  FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example (part 1) of an operation setting / confirmation / resetting process procedure according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the operation setting management function executed by the device management apparatus 100 is roughly divided into three processes. The first is “operation setting”, the second is “information acquisition / setting confirmation”, and the third is “operation reset”. The operation setting process and the information acquisition / setting confirmation process shown in steps S101 to S206 shown in FIG. 12 are the same as the processing procedure (functional operation according to the first embodiment) shown in FIGS. Therefore, in the following description of the processing procedure, only different operation resetting processing will be described.

(Reset operation)
The device management apparatus 100 registers a task of resetting processing to be performed on the management target device 200.

  The device management apparatus 100 compares and determines the current operation setting value (acquired value) and a value assumed in device management (expected value) by the setting value confirmation unit 246 included in the device management unit 24 (step S206). ). The setting value confirmation unit 246 reconfigures the setting item different from the expected value when the comparison values are different from each other in the comparison determination and the setting value confirmation unit 246 determines that the setting change or setting error has occurred in the operation setting confirmation of the management target device 200. The task is recorded in the task related information storage unit 244 of the device management unit 24, the operation setting management information 31 is updated, and a task for performing resetting processing (resetting task) is registered. At this time, the set value confirmation unit 246 records the reset item, the set value, and the device ID of the management target device 200 to be reset in the task related information storage unit 244, and updates the operation setting management information 31. (Step S501). In the reset task registration, the same reset task can be assigned to a plurality of managed devices 200 and registered by specifying a plurality of device IDs.

  As a result, in the device management apparatus 100, the task execution unit 245 included in the device management unit 24 executes the registered reset task according to a predetermined schedule, and the operation setting value is reset for the corresponding managed device 200. Set up. That is, Step S102 and Step S103 are executed for the registered reset task.

  When the resetting task is registered in this way, for example, a notification screen W as shown in FIG. 13 is displayed on the display device 102 included in the device management apparatus 100. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a reset execution notification screen according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the reset execution notification screen W illustrated in FIG. 13, resetting is performed on two managed devices 200 that have unexpected operation setting values among a plurality of managed devices 200 managed by the device management apparatus 100. Is displayed together with additional information such as the confirmation date and reset item in the operation setting.

  As described above, the device management apparatus 100 can dynamically execute the resetting process according to the confirmation result of the operation setting and notify the administrator to that effect, thereby reducing the labor involved in the administrator resetting. can do.

  By the way, in the operation resetting process (step S501) described above, the resetting is dynamically executed based on the confirmation result of the operation setting, and notification that the resetting is performed is given. In such a case, the concern is that when the resetting is not performed normally for some reason, the administrator cannot know the result (the status of the resetting failure) There is a possibility that device management may be performed as it is.

  Therefore, a functional operation that actively provides information on the reset execution status will be described below.

  FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram illustrating an operation setting / confirmation / re-setting process procedure example (2) according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the processing procedure shown in FIG. 14, the same processing procedures as those in FIG. 12 are omitted using the same reference numerals, and only different processing procedures (steps S <b> 601 to S <b> 605) will be described.

(Information provided)
The device management apparatus 100 generates information provision data in a predetermined format based on the device related information including the latest operation setting management information 31, and transmits the generated data to the provision request source.

  When the device management apparatus 100 finishes the registration of the reset task by the setting value confirmation unit 246 of the device management unit 24 (step S601), the setting value confirmation unit 246 displays the device ID and the reset item at the time of task registration. Based on this, the number of reset times of the same setting item for the same device is determined. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the current reset count is equal to or greater than a preset reset count threshold (N times) (step S602).

  When the setting value confirmation unit 246 determines that the value of the number of times of resetting is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the setting value confirmation unit 246 requests the device related information providing unit 243 to present resetting execution status confirmation information (step S603).

  Upon receiving the presentation request, the device-related information providing unit 243 accesses the device-related information storage unit 242, refers to the device-related information based on the device ID, and acquires the device information of each managed device 200 (Step S604). ). Subsequently, the device-related information providing unit 243 extracts data necessary for the reset execution status confirmation information specified at the time of request from the acquired device information, and generates configuration data of the reset execution status confirmation information (step S605).

  Subsequently, the device-related information providing unit 243 passes the generated configuration data to the WebPage generation unit 22 (or the FrontEnd unit 23). At this time, the WebPage generation unit 22 (or the FrontEnd unit 23), based on the configuration data received from the device-related information providing unit 243, the browsing format (for example, “device list”) specified at the time of request and the browsing environment (for example, “ Display data (for example, “HTTP data”, “email data”, etc.) in a format corresponding to “PC” or “mobile terminal” is generated and transmitted to the information provider.

  When the resetting task is registered in this way, a confirmation screen W as shown in FIG. 15 is displayed on the display device 102 included in the device management apparatus 100, for example. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a confirmation screen for resetting execution status according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the reconfiguration execution status confirmation screen W shown in FIG. 15, among the plurality of management target devices 200 managed by the device management apparatus 100, the two management target devices 200 that have unexpected operation setting values are reset. The fact that the resetting error has occurred a predetermined number of times or more in one managed device 200 is displayed together with additional information such as the resetting item that caused the error.

  As described above, the device management apparatus 100 dynamically executes the resetting process according to the confirmation result of the operation setting, and further notifies the administrator when the resetting fails. It is possible to prompt the administrator to investigate the cause and reset the managed device 200 in which the reset error has occurred.

<Summary>
As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the device management apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment acquires device information from the management target device 200 by the device information acquisition unit 241 (performs polling processing). ) When the set value confirmation unit 246 sets a value different from the set value (expected value) assumed in device management based on the current operation set value (acquired value) included in the device information (The presence / absence of setting change or incorrect setting) is recorded, the determination result is recorded in the device-related information storage unit 242, and the operation setting management information 31 for managing the operation setting status of the management target device 200 is updated.

  As a result, when the setting value confirmation unit 246 determines that resetting is necessary in the operation setting based on the latest confirmation result included in the operation setting management information 31, the device management apparatus 100 (current operation setting value) Is different from the expected value), the operation setting task for performing the resetting process is recorded in the task related information storage unit 244, the operation setting management information 31 is updated, and the task for performing the resetting process (resetting task) sign up. Thereby, the task execution unit 245 executes the registered reset task in accordance with a predetermined schedule, and resets the operation setting value for the corresponding managed device 200.

  Further, when registering the reset task, the set value confirmation unit 246 determines whether or not the reset count is equal to or greater than a predetermined count (threshold value) determined in advance, and determines that the reset count is equal to or greater than the predetermined count In addition, this is provided to the administrator as confirmation information of the reset execution status.

  As described above, in the device management system 1 according to the present invention, the device management apparatus 100 dynamically executes the resetting process according to the operation setting status of the management target device 200, so that a plurality of management target devices are obtained. Even if an unexpected operation setting is made in 200, the resetting operation that the administrator has to perform can be automated, and the effort related to the resetting can be reduced, and the operation setting management can be performed efficiently. An environment can be provided.

  Up to this point, the present invention has been described based on each of the above embodiments. However, the “operation setting management function” of the device management apparatus 100 according to each of the above embodiments is the processing procedure described with reference to the drawings. Is executed by the CPU 106 as a program coded in a programming language suitable for the operating environment (platform). Therefore, the program can be stored in the computer-readable recording medium 103a.

  Further, the program is stored in a recording medium 103a such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a CD, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), etc., so that the device management apparatus can be read via the drive device 103 that can read the recording medium 103a. 100 can be installed. In addition, since the device management apparatus 100 includes the interface device 107, the program can be downloaded and installed using a telecommunication line such as the Internet.

  Finally, the present invention is not limited to the requirements shown here, such as combinations of other elements with the shapes and configurations described in the above embodiments. With respect to these points, the present invention can be changed within a range that does not detract from the gist of the present invention, and can be appropriately determined according to the application form.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the apparatus management system which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the hardware structural example of the apparatus management apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the software structural example of the apparatus management apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the operation setting management function which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of data of the operation setting management information which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of data of the operation setting task management information which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram which shows the operation procedure example (the 1) of the operation setting and confirmation which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a confirmation screen of the operation setting condition which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention (the 1). It is a sequence diagram which shows the operation procedure example (the 2) of the operation setting and confirmation which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a confirmation screen of the operation setting condition which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention (the 2). It is a figure which shows the structural example of the operation setting management function which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram which shows the process sequence example (the 1) of the operation | movement setting / confirmation / re-setting which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a notification screen of the reset execution which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram which shows the process sequence example (the 2) of the operation setting / confirmation / re-setting which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a confirmation screen of the reset execution status which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Device management system 21 httpd
22 WebPage generation unit 23 FrontEnd unit 24 Device management unit 241 Device information acquisition unit 242 Device related information storage unit 243 Device related information provision unit 244 Task related information storage unit 245 Task execution unit 246 Setting value confirmation unit 31 Operation setting management information 41 Operation Setting task management information 90 Data transmission path 100 Device management device 101 Input device 102 Display device 103 Drive device (a: recording medium)
104 RAM (volatile semiconductor memory)
105 ROM (nonvolatile semiconductor memory)
106 CPU (Central Processing Unit)
107 Interface device (NIC: Network I / F Card)
108 HDD (nonvolatile storage device)
200 Device to be managed (image processing device)
300 Client PC (information processing device)

Claims (12)

A device management apparatus that monitors the state of a device connected via a predetermined data transmission path and manages the device based on device information,
Setting means for setting operation of the device;
Obtaining means for obtaining device information from the device;
Confirmation means for confirming the operation setting status of the equipment set by the setting means based on the equipment information obtained by the obtaining means;
A device for recording the result of confirmation by the confirmation device in a predetermined storage area. The acquisition means includes
Obtain device information periodically from the device according to a predetermined time interval,
The confirmation means includes
The device management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the acquisition unit acquires the device information, the operation setting status of the device is confirmed based on the acquired device information. The confirmation means includes
The current operation setting value set in the device included in the device information acquired by the acquisition unit is compared with an expected value that is the operation setting value set in the device by the setting unit,
If the values match each other, determine that the operation setting of the device has not been changed after the operation setting by the setting means,
3. The device management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the values are different from each other, it is determined that the operation setting of the device has been changed after the operation setting by the setting unit. The device management device
Having resetting means for resetting operation settings for the device;
The resetting means includes
The device management apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein operation setting is reset for a corresponding device based on a confirmation result by the confirmation unit. The device management device
Comprising information providing means for providing information based on the device information obtained by the obtaining means;
The information providing means includes
In response to a request for information on the operation setting status,
The request source is provided with information enabling browsing of the operation setting status of the device specified at the time of request based on the device information and the confirmation result of the operation setting recorded by the recording unit. The device management apparatus according to any one of 1 to 4. The device management device
Comprising information providing means for providing information based on the device information obtained by the obtaining means;
The information providing means includes
When it is determined by the checking means that the operation setting of the device has been changed,
The device management apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the device management apparatus provides information that allows browsing of an operation setting status of the corresponding device. The device management device
Resetting number determination means for determining the number of resetting operation settings by the resetting means,
The resetting number determining means includes
Determining whether the number of reset times is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times set in advance;
When the predetermined number of times is reached,
The device management apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the information providing means provides information notifying that effect. The setting means and the resetting means are:
8. The device management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the registered operation setting task and reset task are executed in the background to perform operation setting and resetting. A device management system for monitoring a state of a device connected via a predetermined data transmission path by a device management apparatus and managing the device based on device information,
Setting means for setting operation of the device;
Obtaining means for obtaining device information from the device;
Confirmation means for confirming the operation setting status of the equipment based on the equipment information obtained by the obtaining means;
And a recording means for recording the result of confirmation by the confirmation means in a predetermined storage area. An operation setting management method in a device management apparatus that monitors a state of a device connected via a predetermined data transmission path and manages the device based on device information,
A setting procedure for setting the operation of the device;
An acquisition procedure for acquiring device information from the device;
Based on the device information acquired by the acquisition procedure, a confirmation procedure for confirming the operation setting status of the device set by the setting procedure;
And a recording procedure for recording the confirmation result of the confirmation procedure in a predetermined storage area. An operation setting management program in a device management apparatus that monitors the state of a device connected via a predetermined data transmission path and manages the device based on device information,
Computer
Setting means for setting operation of the device;
Obtaining means for obtaining device information from the device;
Confirmation means for confirming the operation setting status of the equipment set by the setting means based on the equipment information obtained by the obtaining means;
An operation setting management program that functions as a recording unit that records a result of confirmation by the confirmation unit in a predetermined storage area.   A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 11 is recorded.

Images