EP1553524B1 - Preparation and execution of services for a data processing unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for preparing the execution of a number of services to be performed from a number of available services for a postage meter by a remote data center, wherein in a first setting step the sequence of the services to be performed is determined. It further relates to a corresponding data processing system.

In a variety of applications, services for a computing device are provided and executed by a remote data center. This can be any services that influence the state of the data processing unit. Thus, it is known, for example in connection with franking machines, to load postage from a remote data center into the franking machine, which can then use it for franking. In this case, the data center generally reads data on the use of the franking machine from the franking machine as a further service. Furthermore, the data center can influence the functionality and the functional scope of the franking machines via corresponding services. For example, new software versions, new postage tables and other information for the user of the franking machine can be loaded into the franking machine by the data center. Finally, the franking machine can be locked by the data center for further use.

The loading of postage into the franking machine as one of the available services is usually carried out on request of the franking machine, which contacts the data center for this purpose. As part of this communication, other services are then usually carried out, which are currently to be performed for each franking machine. This happens in part automatically, without there being a requirement of the franking machines themselves. The sequence of services to be performed and their interdependencies have generally been defined once during the establishment of the data center or franking machine.

This has the disadvantage that the predetermined with a relatively rigid system for the implementation of services, which only with great effort to changing conditions can be adjusted. In particular, the sequence of services to be carried out can only be changed with comparatively great effort.

Comparable methods for preparing to perform a number of services to be performed are, for example, from EP 0 986 028 A2 , of the US 4,933,849 as well as the EP 1 037 172 A2 known.

The present invention is therefore based on the object to provide a method or data processing system of the type mentioned, which does not have the disadvantages mentioned above, or at least to a lesser extent and in particular allows flexible implementation of services.

The present invention solves this problem starting from a method according to the preamble of claim 1 by the features stated in the characterizing part of claim 1. It solves this problem further starting from a data processing system according to the preamble of claim 10 by the features stated in the characterizing part of claim 10.

The present invention is based on the technical teaching that a flexible, easily adaptable to changing boundary conditions preparation and implementation of services is achieved if the determination of the sequence of services to be performed in the first setting step triggered by an incoming in the data center request for a first service done by the franking machine. This makes it possible to influence at any time points on the sequence of services to be performed.

As a rule, an order is hereby defined for the requested first service and further services to be performed as being performed, according to which they are processed. It is understood that the requested first service may also be denied. Instead, one or more other services may be performed. This may, for example, be the blocking of the franking machine for further operation if information is present in the data center based on the results of a previously performed service or from other sources that the franking machine may have been manipulated.

In this case, in a first checking step of the first setting step, the fulfillment of at least one first setting rule is checked by the franking machine. The determination of the sequence of services to be performed then takes place in dependence on the fulfillment of the first determination rule by the franking machine. The determination rule can be any rule to be defined. By the definition rules it is possible, for example, to form any categories, groups, etc., of franking machines on the basis of common features of different franking machines. For such categories, groups, etc., services to be performed and not to be performed can be defined without this having to be done individually for each franking machine. As a result, corresponding adjustments in the specification of services to be carried out are particularly simple and inexpensive.

According to the invention, the first determination rule relates to the affiliation of the franking machine to a first specification category. Each classification category is then subject to a separate rule. About the determination categories, an arbitrarily fine subdivision of the franking machines and thus on the associated determination rules a gradation of the services to be performed is possible. Thus, services that are to be performed for all franking machines can be defined, while other services are only to be carried out for certain franking machine classes and groups. Finally, services can be defined which are only to be carried out for a single franking machine.

The allocation of the postage meter machine to a certain specification category can be made via any features of the postage meter machine. These features can be, for example, the type of franking machine, the model, the model version up to the individual serial number of the franking machine. Likewise, a gradation according to different software versions etc. is possible with which the franking machine is operated.

It is understood, however, that further fixing rules may be provided which are not tied to features of the franking machine. For example, it is possible to define scheduling rules. For example, such a time-setting rule can be fulfilled independently of certain features of the postage meter machine if the service request of the postage meter machine arrives at the data center at a specific point in time.

According to the invention, in a first predetermining step preceding the first checking step, for at least a part of the available services, a first specification is made as to whether the respective service is a service to be performed or a service to be performed when the first setting rule is fulfilled. Upon fulfillment of the first fixing rule by the franking machine, the selection of the be performed services in response to the first default made in the first step. By this first default step, a simple adaptation to changing circumstances is possible. This adaptation can be induced by any internal and external events or take into account such internal and external events.

The verification of the determination rules can be realized in any suitable manner. Preferably, in the first predetermining step, an examination matrix is predefined which at least allocates the first stipulation rule to at least a part of the available services in a matrix-like manner. At the intersection between the policy rule and the respective service, the audit matrix has a commitment value. This setting value is then representative of whether the service is a service to be performed or a service not to be performed by the postage meter upon fulfillment of the fixing rule.

The selection of the services to be performed in the first checking step can be done independently of the requested first service. However, the selection of the services to be carried out preferably takes place in the first checking step depending on the requested first service. As a result, a particularly fine gradation of service preparation or service implementation is possible.

The selection depending on the requested service may be done in any suitable manner. For example, different audit matrices may be provided for individual or groups of requested services. Depending on the requested service, the corresponding check matrix is then selected, on the basis of which the check of the determination rules then takes place.

The selected services can in principle be brought into a suitable order in any suitable manner. Thus, for example, it is possible simply to have them followed in the order of their selection as a service to be performed in the examination of the determination rules.

In further preferred embodiments, however, provision is made for a second specification to be made in the first specification step or in a second specification step for at least part of the available services. In this second predetermining step, the respective service is assigned a priority value for its execution. In a sorting step following the first checking step, the order of the selected services to be carried out is then determined as a function of the second specification. By simple Changing the priority values is advantageously a simple and flexible control of the order of the services to be performed possible.

The priority values can be subdivided arbitrarily fine, so that a simple unique sorting is possible. Likewise it can be provided that services with the same priority value are again subjected to a further sorting according to specific criteria. However, provision may also be made for services with the same priority value to simply follow one another in the order in which they are selected.

The second specification can be made at any point before the sorting step. It is particularly advantageous, if it takes place before the first test step, that it may then possibly already be taken into account in the standard test, whereby the effort for this is reduced.

It is understood that the requested service can always be reserved the first place. Preferably, however, it is provided that the position of the requested service is determined as a function of the priority value assigned for this service. This is particularly useful when constellations are possible in which the requested service can be performed only if previously other services would be performed. It also makes sense, if appropriate, to provide that instead of the requested service other services are to be performed.

The second specification of the priority values can take place in any suitable manner. Preferably, again here, similar to the method described above, an examination matrix is used. Therefore, it is preferably provided that in the first predetermining step a test matrix is assigned, which assigns at least the first stipulation rule to at least a part of the available services and has the priority value at the intersection between the stipulation rule and the respective service. In this case, provision may be made, in particular, for the priority value to also reflect whether a service is to be carried out at all or not. For this purpose, for example, a priority value "0" can be assigned for services not to be performed.

The present invention further relates to a method for carrying out at least one service for a franking machine by a remote data center, in which the preparation of the performance of the service is carried out with a method according to the invention for preparing the implementation described above. According to the invention, it is provided that the implementation of the services to be performed in a first setting step subsequent first service execution step in response to the sequence set in the first setting step.

It can be provided that the implementation of the services is rigid in the predetermined sequence. Preferably, however, it is provided that the performance of the services to be performed takes place in the service execution step as a function of the execution result of at least one service to be carried out. It can be determined that if a service fails, each of the subsequent services to be performed is not executed or the entire sequence is aborted. This variant can be implemented particularly simply in connection with the sorting of the services according to priority values, since in such a case services whose successful conclusion is a prerequisite for the performance of further services can be assigned a correspondingly high priority.

In further particularly advantageous variants of the method according to the invention, the sequence of services to be performed is performed in a second setting step subsequent to the first execution step as a function of the execution result of at least one service to be performed in the first execution step. This makes it possible to automatically influence the subsequent selection of services to be performed, depending on the success or failure of the performance of a service. In particular, in variants with the parameter matrix described above, an automatic change of the parameter matrix can take place depending on the success or failure in the performance of one or more services.

The present invention further relates to a data processing system comprising at least one postage meter machine and a remote data center connectable therewith, configured to perform a number of services to be performed for the postage meter machine from a number of available services in a predetermined sequence. According to the invention, the data center for determining the sequence of services to be carried out is triggered by a request of a first service arriving in the data center by the postage meter machine.

This data processing system is suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention. With it, the variants and advantages described above in connection with the inventive method can be realized to the same extent, so that reference is made in this regard to the above statements.

According to the invention, the data center has a defining unit with a first memory, at least a first setting rule being stored in the first memory and the determining unit for checking the fulfillment of at least the first setting rule by the franking machine and determining the sequence of the services to be performed as a function of the fulfillment the first fixing rule is formed by the franking machine. Preferably, the first determination rule is changeably stored in the first memory so that it can be modified at arbitrary times.

To carry out the above-described variants of the method according to the invention with the first specification by the first definition rule, the determination unit is then preferably designed to select the services to be performed as a function of the first specification.

To carry out the above-described variants of the method according to the invention with an examination matrix and setting values contained therein, this examination matrix is preferably stored in the first memory. The determination unit is then designed to select the services to be performed as a function of the respective setting value.

Preferably, the determining unit for selecting the services to be performed is formed as a function of the requested first service. In order to carry out the above-described variants of the method according to the invention with the second specification of the priority values, the determining unit is preferably designed for determining the order of the selected services to be performed as a function of the second specification.

In preferred variants of the data processing system according to the invention, the data center has a service implementation unit connected to the setting unit, which is designed to carry out the services to be performed as a function of the sequence defined by the setting unit. Preferably, the service execution unit is configured to perform the services to be performed in the service execution step in dependence on the performance of at least one service to be performed. Further preferably, the data center is designed to determine the sequence of the services to be performed in dependence on the execution result of at least one preceding service to be performed.

The present invention further relates to a data center for a data processing system according to the invention which has the features described above in connection with the data processing system according to the invention.

Figur 1

eine schematische Darstellung einer bevorzugten Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Datenverarbeitungssystems zur Durchführung einer bevorzugten Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens;

Figur 2

eine schematische Darstellung einer Prüfungsmatrix zur Verwendung bei der Ausführung aus Figur 1;

Figur 3

ein Ablaufdiagramm des mit dem Datenverarbeitungssystem aus Figur 1 durchgeführten Verfahrens;

Further preferred embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the subclaims or the following description of a preferred embodiment, which refers to the accompanying drawings. Show it

FIG. 1

a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment of the data processing system according to the invention for carrying out a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention;

FIG. 2

a schematic representation of a test matrix for use in the execution of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3

a flowchart of the with the data processing system FIG. 1 conducted procedure;

FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment of the data processing system 1 according to the invention for carrying out a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention.

The data processing system 1 comprises a data center 2 and a plurality of data processing units arranged in the form of franking machines, of which in FIG. 1 a first franking machine 3 and a second franking machine 4 are shown. The franking machines 3 and 4 can be connected via a suitable telecommunication connection to an interface device 2.1 of the data center 2 in order to communicate with the data center 2.

The franking machines 3 and 4 contact the data center 2 in order to request from the data center 2 the execution of one or more services for the respective franking machine 3 or 4. Such a service requested by the franking machine 3 or 4 may be, for example, the loading of postage from the data center 2 into the respective franking machine 3 or 4. It may also be the loading of other data in the respective franking machine 3 or 4, for example, the loading of new software, new postage tables, new cliché data, other information, such as advertising, etc. Furthermore, it may be the reading of certain data from the respective Postage meter 3 or 4 act, for example, the reading of the register statuses or other status data of the franking machine. Likewise, such a service can also be the remote maintenance of the respective franking machine 3 or 4. Ultimately, the term "service" for the purposes of the present application, any activity of the data center include over which either the state of the franking machine 3 or 4 is acted upon or at least the state of the respective franking machine 3 or 4 is detected or analyzed.

In this case, it is often the case that a service requested by the franking machine is linked to a series of further services to be performed. Thus, for security reasons, for example, it is a prerequisite for reloading postage into the franking machine that at least the current register statuses and possibly other status data of the franking machine are read out and analyzed for their integrity before new postage can be loaded.

Furthermore, it is often the case that, for example due to certain service contracts between the operator of the franking machine and the operator of the data center, requesting a service by the postage meter, regardless of the specific request further, unsolicited services are executed because they are pending execution , This can be, for example, the automatic loading of new software, new postage tables, etc. in the franking machine.

To carry out the available services D1 to DR, the data center 2 has a service implementation unit 2.2. This service implementation unit 2.2 has a first processing unit 2.3 which accesses service modules associated with it for performing the respective service, of which in FIG. 1 the service modules 2.4 to 2.6 are shown.

The service execution unit 2.2 carries out the services to be performed in a sequence predetermined by a selection data record. The service implementation unit 2.2 receives this selection data record from an associated determination unit 2.7, which generates the selection data record triggered by the request for a service by one of the franking machines 3 or 4.

The selection data set is created using a test matrix whose function will be explained in more detail below. The exam matrix is selected from a number of available exam matrices depending on the requested service. The exam matrices - of which in FIG. 1 and 2 only exam matrices 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 are shown - are stored in a first memory 2.8 of the fixing unit 2.7.

The following is with reference to the FIGS. 1 to 3 the implementation of the method according to the invention for the preparation or implementation of services described in the context of the present application.

After the data center has been put into operation in a step 6.1, the test matrices 5.1 to 5.3 are introduced into the first memory 2.8 in a first predefined step 6.2. Each test matrix is assigned to one or more requested services. Thus, the verification matrix 5.1 is assigned to the requested service D1. The test matrix 5.2 is assigned to the requested services D2, D4 and D8. The audit matrix 5.3 is associated with the requested service DQ.

Each audit matrix allocates a number of policy rules R1 to RS to a number of services. In this case, the examination matrix 5.1 assigns the specification rules R1 to RS to all available services D1 to DR for the requested service D1. The check matrix 5.2 for the requested services D2, D4 and D8, on the other hand, assigns the setting rules R1 to RS to only a part of the available services. Finally, the audit matrix 5.3 for the requested service DQ assigns only a portion of the commitment rules to only a portion of the available services.

The respective stipulation rule relates to the affiliation of the requesting franking machine to a specific specification category. The specification categories are the membership of the requesting franking machine to a particular group of franking machines, which is defined on the basis of certain features of the franking machine. These features are identifiable based on information that is transmitted to the data center 2 with the request of the service. If the affiliation of the requesting franking machines to the respective specification category is determined, then the associated determination rule is fulfilled.

In the present example, the first determination rule R1 relates to the affiliation with all of the franking machines registered in the data center 2. The second determination rule R2 relates to the affiliation of the requesting franking machine 3 or 4 to a franking machine class 1. The further fixing rules R3 to RI-1 relate to the affiliation of the requesting franking machine to other postage meter classes 2 to N. These postage meter classes can be, for example, different types of devices , different Models, certain models with different equipment, for example, different software versions, etc. act. Rules RI to RS-1 apply to individual franking machines defined, for example, by their serial number.

As a rule, the affiliation of a requesting postage meter machine to a certain specification category can be readily determined on the basis of the serial number of the postage meter machine. It is therefore sufficient that the request contains this serial number. It is understood, however, that the requirement may also include any other features of the requesting meter, by means of which it may be classified in the categories of commitment.

It should be understood that the determination rules may also apply to rules that are not dependent on the requesting meter. Thus, the determination rule RS relates to a time rule, i. H. the respective rule RS is fulfilled when the current request for a service arrives at the data center at a certain point in time, for example in a specific time interval. Hereby, for example, temporary specials or the like can be detected. Furthermore, it is understood, of course, that certain rules may also provide for the combined testing of franking machine dependent and non-franking machine dependent criteria.

At the intersection between the respective determination rule and the respective service, a priority value P is stored. This represents a first specification and a second specification. The first specification is that a priority value P> 0 determines that the service in question is a service to be performed in the case of the fulfillment of the associated determination rule. If the priority value P = 0, it shall specify that the service in question is a service which does not have to be performed in the case of the fulfillment of the associated determination rule. The second requirement is that the numerical value assigned to the priority value represents a measure of the priority of the respective service when the associated determination rule is fulfilled. The higher the associated numerical value of P, the more senior the associated service.

The respective examination matrix is stored in the first memory in any suitable form. It is understood, however, that in other variants of the present invention, the first specification and the second specification may be made in other suitable ways. In particular, a separation of the first and second specifications may be provided. Furthermore, a separate second predetermining step may also be provided for the second specification.

The exam matrices can be modified at any time. This allows you to change, delete or add rules and / or services. Furthermore, of course, the individual priority values can be modified. The above modifications may depend on internal constraints, such as the successful performance of certain services. However, they can also depend on external boundary conditions or events, for example the notification of an external authority, which relates to the creditworthiness of the operator of the franking machine. Of course, the above modifications may also be at least partially automated. As a result, a simple and extremely flexible flow control of the services to be performed is possible, which can be easily adapted to changing conditions.

In a step 6.3 following the first specification step 6.2, it is checked whether there is a request for the execution of a service from a number of available services by one of the franking machines 3 or 4. If, for example, a request of the service D1 by the postage meter machine 3 occurs, this triggers the determination of the sequence of the services to be performed in a setting step 6.4.

In a step 6.5 of the setting step 6.4, the checking matrix 5.1 is first selected as a function of the requested service D1. This ensures that the selection of the services to be performed depends on the requested service. As a result, a shortening of the processing time can possibly be achieved since, depending on the requested service, it may not be necessary to record all available services or rules. However, it should be understood that in other variants of the present invention, such selection may also be absent depending on the requested service. In this case, then only a single examination matrix can be provided.

In a subsequent first checking step 6.6 of the setting step, the second processing unit 2.9 of the determining unit 2.7 checks sequentially all setting rules R1 to RS of the checking matrix 5.1 by accessing the first memory 2.8. In this case, those services to which a priority value P> 0 is assigned are included in the selection data record together with their assigned priority value. In other words, this results in a selection of the services to be performed as a function of the first specification previously made in the first predetermining step.

In a subsequent sorting step 6.7, the second processing unit 2.9 sorts the services included in the selection data record by accessing a sorting module 2.10 (fair copy) KA / sv 030864EP In other words, in the sorting step, the order of the selected services to be performed is determined in accordance with the second specification. Services with numerically equal priority values P are sorted on the basis of further sorting criteria stored in the sorting module 2.10, so that at the end of the sorting step 6.7 in the selection data record the order of the selected services to be performed is determined. If individual services have possibly been selected several times with different priority values, then the relevant service is only arranged once in the selection data record with the highest assigned priority value.

After the thus determined selection data record has been forwarded to the service implementation unit 2.2, in a first service execution step 6.8 the execution of the service record in the selection record at the foremost place, which is to be executed, takes place. For this purpose, the first processing unit 2.3 accesses the service module 2.4 to 2.6 associated with this service.

In a step 6.9, it is then checked whether the service to be performed has been carried out successfully. If this is the case, in a step 6.10 the signaling that the service has been carried out successfully takes place. In a step 6.11, the service is then marked as non-executable.

In a step 6.12 it is then checked whether there are more services marked as to be executed in the selection data record. If this is the case, it is jumped back to the first service execution step 6.8. If this is not the case, the first processing unit 2.3 of the service implementation unit 2.2, in a logging step 6.13, logs the result of the service execution in a second memory 2.11 connected to it.

If, on the other hand, it is determined in step 6.9 that the service to be carried out has not been carried out successfully, the first processing unit 2.3 checks in a step 6.14 the consequences of such an unsuccessful execution of the relevant service. For this purpose, she accesses a result code module 2.12 connected to her, in which for each available service a result code is stored, which among other things defines the consequences of an unsuccessful execution of the relevant service.

If the result code again indicates that the execution of all other services is inadmissible if the performance of the relevant service fails, the logging step 13 is jumped immediately. If the result code indicates that the execution of the service concerned is inadmissible, the performance of individual further services is inadmissible is, the respective further services, if they are included in the selection data set, are marked as non-executable services in the selection data set in a step 6.15. Subsequently, jump to step 6.11.

In a default change step following the logging step 13, an automatic modification of the check matrices is then carried out as a function of the logged result of the implementation of the services to be performed by accessing the result codes of the result code module 2.12. This makes it possible to make automatic adjustments to the examination matrix. Thus, for example, a successfully performed one-time service can be automatically provided with the priority value P = 0, so that it is no longer selected in a subsequent second setting step.

In a step 6.15, it is then checked whether a stop signal for the termination of the operation of the data center 2 is present. If so, the operation ended in step 6.16. Otherwise, the operation is continued and jumped to step 6.3.

Claims (20)

1. Method for preparing implementation of a plurality of services to be implemented from among a plurality of available services for a franking machine (3, 4) by a remote data center (2), in which in a first determining step (6.4) the sequence of said services to be implemented is determined,
   characterized in that

   - determination of said sequence of said services to be implemented in said first determining step (6.4) ensues in response to a request for a first service received at said data center (2) from said franking machine (3, 4), wherein

   - in a first verification step (6.6) of said determining step (6.4), fulfillment of at least one first determining rule by said franking machine (3, 4) is verified and determination of said sequence of said services to be implemented ensues dependent on fulfillment of said determining rule by said franking machine (3, 4),

   - said first determining rule concerns affiliation of said franking machine (3, 4) with a first determining category,

   - in a first specification step (6.2) preceding said first verification step (6.6), for at least a part of said available services, a first specification ensues if the respective service, upon fulfillment of said first determining rule, is a service to be implemented or a service not to be implemented, and

   - upon fulfillment of said first determining rule by said franking machine (3, 4), in said first verification step (6.6), the selection of said services to be implemented ensues as a function of said first specification made in said first specification step (6.2).
2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said first determining rule concerns affiliation of said franking machine (3, 4) with said first determining category and a criterion independent of said franking machine (3, 4).
3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in said first verification step (6.6), a verification matrix is specified which associates at least said first determining rule with at least some of said available services and which exhibits a determining value at an intersection between said determining rule and the respective service, said determining value representing whether said service is a service to be implemented or a service not to be implemented upon fulfillment of said determining rule by said franking machine (3, 4).
4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that selection of said services in said first verification step (6.6) ensues as a function of said requested first service.
5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

   - in said first specification step (6.2) or in a second specification step, for at least a part of said available services, a second specification ensues, in which a priority value for its implementation is assigned to the respective service, wherein, in particular, said second specification step precedes said first specification step (6.2), and,

   - in a sorting step (6.7) following said first verification step (6.6), said sequence of said selected services to be implemented is specified as a function of said second specification.
6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that, in said first specification step (6.2), a verification matrix (5.1, 5.2, 5.3) is specified which associates at least said first determining rule with at least some of said available services and which exhibits said priority value at an intersection between said determining rule and the respective service.
7. Method for implementing at least one service for a franking machine (3, 4) by a remote data center (2), wherein preparation of implementation of said service ensues using a method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in a service implementation step (6.8) following said first determining step (6.4), said implementation of said services to be implemented ensues as a function of said sequence specified in said first determining step (6.4).
8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that, in said service implementation step (6.8), implementation of said services to be implemented ensues as a function of an implementation result of one of said services to be implemented.
9. Method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, in a second determining step following said first implementation step (6.8), specification of said sequence of said services to be implemented ensues as a function of an implementation result of one of said services to be implemented.
10. Data processing system comprising at least one franking machine (3, 4) and a connectable remote data center (2) configured to implement, from among a plurality of available services, a plurality of services to be implemented for said franking machine (3, 4) in a specified sequence,
    characterized in that

    - said data center (2) is configured to determine said sequence of said services to be implemented in response to a request for a first service received at said data center (2) from said franking machine (3, 4), wherein

    - said data center (2) has a determination unit (2.7) with a first memory (2.8),

    - said first memory (2.8) stores at least one first determining rule,

    - said determination unit (2.7) is configured to verify fulfillment of at least one first determining rule by said franking machine (3, 4) and to determine said sequence of said services to be implemented dependent on fulfillment of said determining rule by said franking machine (3, 4),

    - said first determining rule concerns affiliation of said franking machine (3, 4) with a first determining category,

    - said first determining rule, for at least a part of said available services, specifies a first specification if the respective service, upon fulfillment of said first determining rule, is a service to be implemented or a service not to be implemented, and

    - said determination unit (2.7) is configured to select said services to be implemented as a function of said first specification.
11. Data processing system according to claim 10, characterized in that said first determining rule is stored in said first memory (2.8) in a modifiable manner.
12. Data processing system according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that said first determining rule concerns affiliation of said franking machine (3, 4) with said first determining category and a criterion independent of said franking machine (3, 4).
13. Data processing system according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that,

    - said first memory (2.8) stores a verification matrix (5.1, 5.2, 5.3) which associates at least said first determining rule with at least some of said available services and which exhibits a determining value at an intersection between said determining rule and the respective service, said determining value representing whether said service is a service to be implemented or a service not to be implemented upon fulfillment of said determining rule by said franking machine (3, 4).

    - said determination unit (2.7) is configured to select said services to be implemented as a function of said respective determining value.
14. Data processing system according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that said determination unit (2.7) is configured to select said services as a function of said requested first service.
15. Data processing system according to one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that

    - said first determining rule, for at least a part of said available services, specifies, as a second specification, a priority value for implementation of the respective service, and

    - said determination unit (2.7) is configured to specify said sequence of said selected services to be implemented as a function of said second specification.
16. Data processing system according to claim 15, characterized in that said first memory (2.8) stores a verification matrix (5.1, 5.2, 5.3) which associates at least said first determining rule with at least some of said available services and which exhibits said priority value at an intersection between said determining rule and the respective service.
17. Data processing system according to one of claims 10 to 16, characterized in that said data center (2) has service implementation unit (2.2) connected to said determination unit (2.7) and configured to implement said services to be implemented as a function of said sequence specified by said determination unit (2.7).
18. Data processing system according to one of claim 17, characterized in that said service implementation unit (2.2) is configured to implement said services to be implemented as a function of an implementation result of one of said services to be implemented.
19. Data processing system according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that said data center is configured to specify of said sequence of said services to be implemented as a function of an implementation result of at least one preceding service to be implemented.
20. Data center characterized in that it is configured as said remote data center (2) of said data processing system according to one of claims 10 to 19.

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