JPH07121469A - Distributed processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To utilize the service that a user requires by a simple operation in the distributed processing system corresponding to a client server system. CONSTITUTION:When a directory retrieval part 45 retrieves a directory data base 44 and reads the information on the server corresponding to the service request of a user when the service request from the user is reported. directory display part 46 displays the identification data corresponding to the server retrieved on a display screen in a prescribed form and waits for the selection of identification data by a user. When the user selects identification data, a user interface start part 47 starts the user interface according to the function of the server corresponding to the selected identification data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a distributed processing system compatible with client / server systems.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a distributed processing system corresponding to a client / server system, when a user wants to receive a service provided by each server, a user interface corresponding to the function of the server (for example, to send a print request). Tools, tools for storing files, etc.), it was necessary to explicitly specify which server to connect to when starting or using. Further, even in the case of designating with an icon on the display screen such as a workstation, it is necessary to bring necessary icons for a print server and a file server from a catalog in advance. On the other hand, when using a cataloging service such as a directory, a dedicated user interface is prepared, so a server can be specified by using this function.

[0003]

However, since the above user interface is created from the viewpoint of using the directory, it is weakly connected to the interface of other services, and it is necessary to use a separate user interface when actually using it. was there. In other words, you can search for information such as the machine name of the server you want to receive with the directory service, execute the user interface to receive the service next, and specify the server name that you searched earlier. I had to use the user interface. As described above, in the conventional user interface using the directory, it is necessary to move a plurality of unrelated user interfaces in order to receive the service provided by the server, and thus the operability is poor.

An object of the present invention is to provide a distributed processing system in which a service required by a user can be used with a simple operation.

[0005]

In order to solve the above problems, a distributed processing system according to the present invention provides a server information holding means for holding information about each server connected to a network and a service request from a user. Accordingly, a search unit that refers to the server information holding unit and searches for information about the server corresponding to the service request,
Display means for displaying the identifier of the server searched by the searching means on the display screen in a predetermined format, and when one of the identifiers on the display screen is selected by the user, the function of the server corresponding to the identifier is displayed. It is characterized by comprising a starting means for starting a corresponding user interface.

[0006]

When the service request is notified by the user, the search means searches the server information holding means, reads out information about the server corresponding to the user's service request, and passes it to the display means. The display unit displays the identifier corresponding to the retrieved server on the display screen in a predetermined format, and waits for the user to select the identifier. When the user selects an identifier, the activation means activates the user interface corresponding to the function of the server corresponding to the selected identifier. According to this, the user only has to select the desired identifier,
Since the user interface for receiving the service can be activated, the required service can be used with a simple operation.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the distributed processing system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of a distributed copying system, in which a document input section, a copy content instructing section, and a copy processing execution section, which are conventionally integrated as a copying machine, are realized in a distributed environment. In FIG. 2, A to F are end systems, which are distributed on the LAN 10.

The end system A is composed of a computer 11 and a printer 12, and functions as a copy processing execution unit 21. The end system B is composed of a computer 11 and a scanner 13, and includes a document input section 22 and a copy content instruction section 23.
Function as. End system C is computer 11
And functions as a document input section 22 and a copy content instruction section 23. The original input section 22 of the end system B
Has a function of inputting a paper original and an electronic original, but the original input section 22 of the end system C inputs only an electronic original. The end systems A, B, and C are machines on the service user side, and are surrounded by a broken line 31 for distinction.

The end system D is composed of a computer 11 and functions as a file server for managing electronic manuscripts. The end system E (print server) is composed of the computer 11 and functions as a copy processing execution unit 21, a document input unit 22, and a copy content instruction unit 23. The end system F is composed of a computer 11 and has a manuscript input section 2
2. Functions as the copy content instruction unit 23.

The end systems D, E and F are machines on the service supply side, and are surrounded by a broken line 32 for distinction. In each of the embodiments, the computer and the printer or the computer and the scanner are shown separately for convenience of explanation, but the computer may be built in the printer (or the scanner).

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of functional modules in the above system. A directory user interface 41, a printer user interface 42, and a file service user interface (not shown) are installed as machines on the service user side, and a directory service 43 and a directory database 44 are installed as machines on the service supply side. . The user uses the service on the service supply side by the machine on the service user side.

Information (addresses, names, types of installed services, etc.) of each server connected on the network is registered in the directory database 44 managed by the directory service 43. Data reading / writing is performed.

Directory user interface 41
Are realized by the illustrated blocks. Each block will be described below.

The directory search unit 45 accesses the directory database 44 through the directory service 43 and searches for information on the server corresponding to the user's service request. The retrieved information is passed to the directory display section 46.

The directory display unit 46 interprets the information about the server passed from the directory search unit 45, and displays the contents on the display screen for each hierarchy constituting the directory. The user sequentially selects objects such as icons displayed on the screen for browsing, and opens a window for designating a server. FIG. 3 shows a display example of a window for specifying a server. FIG. 3 schematically shows the relationship between the icon corresponding to the searched server (printer in this example) and the machine actually connected to the network. The user selects the server he wants to use while looking at the display screen of FIG. The server is selected by moving the mouse cursor over the desired printer icon and clicking the mouse button. When one of the icons is selected, the information on the object is passed to the user interface activation unit 47. FIG. 4 shows a state where the printer A is selected in FIG. 3, and the selected icon is highlighted.

The user interface activation unit 47 is
When one of the servers on the display screen is selected, the user interface designation database 48 is searched for a user interface corresponding to the service provided by the server. Then, pass the information (address etc.) of the corresponding service to that user interface,
to start.

The user interface designation database 48 is a local database attached to the directory user interface 41, and the name of the user interface (tool) corresponding to the function of the server is registered. User interface specification database 4
An example of the data registered in No. 8 is shown in FIG. / If the service specified by the user is a print service
usr / bin / X11 / MetaCopierTool is started, and in the case of file service, / usr / bin / X11 / FileTool is started.

Next, the printer user interface 42 will be described as an example of the user interface activated by the user interface activation unit 47.
The printer user interface 42 includes a document input unit 22 and a copy content instruction unit 23 in each of the illustrated blocks.

The electronic manuscript management unit 51 is composed of a file system or the like on a computer on which the manuscript input unit 22 operates, and is a hard disk connected to the computer.
An electronic original stored in a storage device such as a CD-ROM or a floppy disk is handled as data.

The image reading section 52 inputs a physical document such as paper as image information by driving an image reading device such as a scanner. The read document is the image processing unit 5
Passed to 3.

The image processing unit 53 performs predetermined image processing such as noise removal and data compression on the read image information as necessary. The processed image information is passed to the electronic manuscript management unit 51 when it is stored as an electronic manuscript, and the copy instruction activation unit 5 when the copying process is performed.
Passed to 4.

The copy instruction activation unit 54 activates the copy instruction input unit 55 corresponding to the designated copy processing execution unit 21. At this time, the copy instruction activation unit 54 passes the relevant document to the copy instruction input unit 55.

The copy instruction input unit 55 accepts a user's instruction for copying / printing via the user interface. This user interface can provide an environment in which the user interface can be used with the same feeling as the operation of the copying machine by the user interface similar to the operation panel of the conventional copying machine.

The copy instruction input section 55 is a copy instruction starting section 54.
The data corresponding to the original delivered from the user and the instruction regarding copying / printing from the user are sent to the job generating unit 56.

The job generating section 56 generates a job from an original and instructions regarding copying / printing. The form of the job includes a form in which an original is combined with an instruction, a form in which an instruction is combined as an attribute of an original, a form in which a logical name is made to correspond to a combination of instructions and is designated. The generated job is passed to the transfer original processing unit 57 as necessary,
Processing such as data compression is performed to reduce the amount of transferred data. The job is then sent to the job sending unit 58.

The job sending unit 58 sends the job to the designated copy processing executing unit 21 via the network.

The file service interface (not shown) provides the same function as the function provided by the electronic document management section 51 with respect to the electronic document stored in the file server provided on the LAN 10.

Next, in the distributed copying system described above, a processing procedure for activating a user interface corresponding to the function of the server designated by the user will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, when the user notifies the system of a service request, the directory user interface 41 for using the directory service 43 on the service supply side is activated (step 101). The directory search unit 45 of the directory user interface 41 accesses the directory database 44 through the directory service 43 and searches for information on the server corresponding to the user's service request (step 102). The directory display unit 46 interprets the information about the server searched by the directory search unit 45 and displays the contents of the directory on the display screen (step 103). The directory user interface 41 receives the designation of the object by the mouse, that is, the user input (step 104). Here, when an object is designated, it is judged whether the designated object is a service (step 10
5) If it is not a service, the hierarchy below the designated object is displayed (step 106). If the designated object is a service, the user interface activation unit 47 searches the user interface designation database 48 (step 107) and determines whether there is the same service as the designated object service (step 108). When the same service is found, the value (address) of the object is passed to the user interface that provides the service and the service is activated (step 109). If the same service is not found, the value of the designated object is displayed on the screen (step 110). In this case, the user specifies the server name that wants to receive the service based on the value of the object.

According to this, the user can easily find the server that wants to receive the service, and since the user interface for receiving the service is directly activated by the directory user interface, the distributed processing environment with excellent operability is provided. Can be obtained.

[0032]

As described above, in the distributed processing system according to the present invention, the server information is registered in the directory, the target server is selected from the directory according to the user's request, and the server Since the user interface corresponding to the function is activated, the user can use the required service only by performing a simple operation of selecting a server to receive the service.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional module configuration diagram in a distributed copying system.

FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of a distributed copying system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example of a window for specifying a server.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of a window for specifying a server.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of data registered in a database on the service user side.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the distributed copying system.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ... Computer, 12 ... Printer, 13 ... Scanner, 21 ... Copy processing execution section, 22 ... Original input section, 23 ...
Copy content instruction section, 41 ... Directory user interface, 42 ... Printer user interface, 43
... Directory service, 44 ... Directory database, 45 ... Directory search section, 46 ... Directory display section, 47 ... User interface starting section, 48 ...
User interface database, 51 ... Electronic manuscript management section, 52 ... Image reading section, 53 ... Image processing section, 54
... copy instruction starting section, 55 ... copy instruction input section, 56 ... job generating section, 57 ... transfer document processing section, 58 ... job sending section

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A distributed processing system compatible with a client / server system, comprising server information holding means for holding information about each server connected to a network, and said server information holding means in response to a service request from a user. Reference means for searching for information on the server corresponding to the service request, display means for displaying the identifier of the server searched by the search means on a display screen in a predetermined format, and identifiers on the display screen. A distributed processing system comprising: a start-up unit that starts a user interface according to the function of the server corresponding to the identifier when one is selected.