JP2007087001A - Backup restoration device and backup restoration method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a backup restoration device and a backup restoration method for efficiently executing the backup/restoration of a device. <P>SOLUTION: Information is acquired from a plurality of devices(backup sources), and divided into common information which is common to each device and difference information to be used by one of devices so as to be backed up. Then, the information is restored in the device(restore destination) by using the difference information for the common information as additional information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a backup / restore apparatus and a backup / restore method, and more particularly, to a backup / restore apparatus and a backup / restore method for backing up information from a plurality of devices and restoring the information to a plurality of devices corresponding to these devices.

  Devices such as MFPs and facsimiles installed in offices are equipped with a lot of information that can be customized by users, such as confidential boxes, job flows, and address lists, as devices become more sophisticated. In this case, it is necessary to back up the setting information from the device before replacement and restore it to the device after replacement.

  As a method for backing up / restoring device information, for example, a copier is accessed from a PC (Personal Computer) or the like via a Web site to instruct transfer of setting information between copiers, A method of backing up setting information with a PC has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In addition, in a backup server that is connected to a plurality of PCs via a LAN (Local Area Network) and backs up the data of the PCs, the amount of backup data is backed up by backing up only one piece of information common to the plurality of PCs. A method for suppressing the above has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2004-80292 A JP 2000-215129 A

  By the way, when restoring the setting information, it is desired to reproduce the setting information between the device before replacement and the device after replacement.

  For example, if the device α has the setting information A, B, C, and D, and the device β has the setting information A, B, C, and E, the setting information A and B is stored in the device α ′ that is the replacement device of the device α. , C and D are preferably restored, and the setting information A, B, C and E is preferably restored to the device β ′ which is a device β replacement device.

  However, when restoring different setting information for each device, the setting information must be backed up for each device and restored to the corresponding switching machine, which is inefficient.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a backup / restore apparatus and a backup / restore method that can efficiently perform backup / restore of a device.

  The present invention provides a backup / restore apparatus that acquires setting information from a plurality of devices and performs backup restoration, an information acquisition unit that acquires setting information from the device, and setting information acquired from the device by the information acquisition unit. Setting information management means for distinguishing and managing common information common to devices and difference information excluding the common information, and backing up the setting information of a plurality of devices by storing the common information and the difference information It comprises setting information storage means and restore means for restoring to the device to be restored by adding the difference information corresponding to the device as additional information of the common information.

  According to the present invention, in a backup / restore method for acquiring setting information from a plurality of devices and performing backup restoration, the setting information is acquired from the device by the information acquisition unit, and the setting information acquired from the device by the information acquisition unit is acquired. The common information common to all the devices and the difference information excluding the common information are separately managed by the setting information management means, and the common information and the difference information are stored by the setting information storage means, thereby a plurality of the information The device setting information is backed up, and the difference information corresponding to the device is added to the device to be restored as additional information of the common information and restored by the restoring means.

  In the present invention, device information can be efficiently backed up and restored.

  The best mode for carrying out a backup / restoration apparatus and a backup / restoration method according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic conceptual diagram showing an example of a backup / restoration system configured using a backup / restoration apparatus according to the present invention.

  The backup list device 10 according to the present invention includes an information processing device such as a PC, and as shown in FIG. 1 (a), acquires and backs up setting information from the devices 20-1 and 20-2 before replacement, As shown in FIG. 1B, the setting information is restored to the devices 30-1 and 30-2 after replacement corresponding to the devices 20-1 and 20-2 before replacement.

  Note that the backup / restore apparatus and the device are connected via an arbitrary communication means (not shown) such as a LAN or a serial cable to transmit / receive setting information and the like.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the backup / restore apparatus in this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the backup / restore apparatus 10 compares the setting information acquisition processing unit 11 that performs processing for acquiring the setting information set in the device with the setting information acquired from a plurality of devices. A setting information management unit 12 that distinguishes and manages common information that is common between devices and difference information that is not common among devices, a setting information storage unit 13 that stores and backs up setting information, a display terminal such as a display, An operation / display unit 14 including an operation / input terminal such as a keyboard and a mouse, and a setting information setting processing unit 15 that performs processing for restoring setting information to the device are configured.

  Here, when storing the difference information, the setting information storage unit 13 can determine the device after replacement corresponding to the device before replacement in which the difference information is set, Corresponding information such as a user name is stored in association.

  The setting information setting processing unit 15 sets common information for all devices after replacement, and sets difference information for a device after replacement corresponding to the device before replacement. That is, when setting information is restored to a device after replacement corresponding to a device before replacement in which difference information exists, the difference information is restored as additional data of common information.

  The correspondence between the device before the replacement and the device after the replacement is automatically determined using correspondence information such as an IP address and a user name, a method in which an administrator operates the operation unit, and the like. Any method can be used.

  In addition to the correspondence between the device before replacement and the device after replacement, for example, the following conditions are used as conditions for determining whether or not to restore differential information when setting information is restored: You can also.

-When the model (manufacturer) is the same before and after the replacement of devices Restore the common setting information (confidential box number, user ID, etc.) to each device as common information.
Whether to restore setting information (difference information) that is not common can be arbitrarily set.
Under this condition, unnecessary information can be prevented from being restored, for example, when the difference information is operation information generated during operation.

・ If the model is different (manufacturer) Setting information with the same attribute value (confidential box number, confidential box name, confidential box owner, etc.) is restored to each device as common information.
Part.
Whether to restore setting information (difference information) that is not common can be arbitrarily set.
Under this condition, unnecessary information can be prevented from being restored, for example, when the difference information is operation information generated during operation.

・ When the operation start date and time and operation period (functions such as printing speed, color / monochrome, with fax, with scan, etc.) are different All information including difference information is common information.
This is because if the operation period is different, a model that reflects information and a model that is not considered can be considered.

  In addition, these conditions are an example and are not restricted to these, Moreover, these conditions may be used in combination or may be used independently.

  The backup / restore apparatus according to the present embodiment first acquires setting information from the device (backup source) before replacement by the information acquisition processing unit 11 and stores the setting information in the setting information storage unit 13.

  Next, when the information acquisition processing unit 11 acquires setting information from another device before replacement, information is displayed on the operation / display unit 14 as necessary, and the setting information management unit 12 already sets the information while accepting the operation. Compared with the setting information stored in the information storage unit 13, the setting information is stored in the setting information storage unit 13 so as to be managed separately from common information and difference information (backup).

  At this time, the common information and the difference information of the setting information may be separated and stored in the setting information storage unit 13, or the setting information is managed together with information that manages the common information and the difference information with links individually pointing to the setting information. It may be stored.

  Next, the common information and difference information stored in the setting information storage unit 13 are acquired by the setting information setting processing unit 15 via the setting information management unit 12, and the difference information is used as difference data of the common information after replacement. Process to set the setting information to the device (restore destination) of the device (restore).

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing when setting information is backed up in the backup / restore apparatus of this embodiment.

  First, when setting information is acquired from a device (step 100), it is determined whether common information, which is setting information set in common for each restore destination device, is backed up (step 101).

  If it is determined that the common information has not been backed up (NO in step 101), the setting information acquired in step 100 is used as the common information and backed up in association with the corresponding information for specifying the backup source device (step 102). Waiting for acquisition of setting information from another device (step 100).

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step 101 that there is common information (YES in step 101), the setting information acquired in step 100 is compared with the common information (step 103).

  Here, when it is determined that the setting information acquired in Step 100 matches the common information (Step 104), the correspondence information of the backup source device is updated in association with the common information (Step 105), and the setting information from other devices is updated. (Step 100).

  Further, when it is determined that there is setting information different from the common information in the setting information acquired in Step 100 (Step 106), the setting information is compared with difference information that is setting information to be set in some devices at the restore destination. (Step 107).

  If it is determined that there is difference information that matches the setting information (YES in step 107), the difference information is updated in association with the correspondence information of the backup source device (step 108), and settings from other devices are set. Waiting for information acquisition (step 100).

  If it is determined that there is no difference information that matches the setting information (NO in step 107), the setting information is backed up as difference information in association with the correspondence information of the backup source device (step 109), and other devices (Step 100).

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step 103 that there is common information not included in the setting information acquired in step 100 (step 110), the common information is separated and the common information is updated (step 111). The information is set as difference information, the backup is performed in association with the correspondence information of the backup source device associated with the common information (step 109), and the acquisition of setting information from another device is awaited (step 100).

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing when setting information is restored in the backup / restore apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  First, correspondence information indicating the relationship with the device before replacement is obtained from the restoration destination device (step 200), and it is determined whether there is difference information to be set for the device (step 201).

  If it is determined that there is no difference information to be set for the device (NO in step 201), the common information is restored to the device (step 202).

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step 201 that there is difference information to be set for the device (YES in step 201), the difference information is restored to the device as additional data of common information (step 203).

  In step 201, it may be determined whether or not difference information is set in the device using the above-described conditions.

  Also, if you cannot restore the backed up configuration information, such as the setting that was in the device before the replacement is not in the device after the replacement, or if you do not want to restore the backed up configuration information, Instead, setting information to be set may be prepared in advance as difference information.

  Further, when the data format or the like is changed / extended before and after the device replacement, difference conversion data may be prepared in advance and automatically converted to correspond to the data format of the new device.

  In addition, when separating information, since the administrator etc. confirms the difference information and the progress of the work, information related to this is displayed on the operation / display unit, and the administrator actually confirms it. In this case, the administrator may actually perform operations such as confirmation and conversion instruction / input.

  In this embodiment, the restoration is performed after the device is replaced. However, the common part is acquired in advance, and the restoration is performed by writing in advance in a storage device such as hardware or memory of the image forming apparatus at the time of shipment from the factory. After the device replacement, only the difference information may be restored.

  Furthermore, the common information may be configured to determine common information by acquiring and comparing information from the first plurality of devices without acquiring and comparing from all devices to be backed up.

  In addition, the setting information for performing device backup and restoration is not limited to the setting information described in the above embodiment. For example, the device name, installation location, e-mail address, comment, timer time, port setting, IP setting of the device There are network settings such as addresses, device-related parameters such as image correction values.

  As described above, according to the present invention, backup data can be reduced by managing the backup data by distinguishing the common part and the non-common part.

  Further, by backing up the common information and the difference information separately, it is not necessary to back up all the device information as they are.

  Furthermore, the difference information is set only for the device that needs to be set, so that all the information need not be set for the device.

1 is a schematic conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a backup / restoration system configured using a backup / restore apparatus according to the present invention. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration of a backup / restore apparatus in Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of processing during backup in the backup / restore apparatus according to the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing at the time of restoration in the backup / restore apparatus in the first embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Backup restore apparatus 11 ... Setting information acquisition process part 12 ... Setting information management part 13 ... Setting information storage part 14 ... Operation / display part 15 ... Setting information setting process part 20-1, 20-2 ... Pre-replacement device 30- 1, 30-2 ... Device after replacement

Claims (2)

In a backup / restore device that obtains setting information from multiple devices and performs backup restoration,
Information acquisition means for acquiring setting information from the device;
Setting information management means for managing the setting information acquired from the device by the information acquisition means separately from common information common to all devices, and difference information excluding the common information;
Setting information storage means for backing up setting information of a plurality of the devices by storing the common information and the difference information;
A backup / restore apparatus, comprising: a restore unit that restores a restore target device by adding the difference information corresponding to the device as additional information of the common information. In the backup restoration method that acquires the setting information from multiple devices and performs backup restoration,
Acquire setting information from the device by information acquisition means,
The setting information acquired from the device by the information acquisition unit is managed separately by the setting information management unit by common information common to all devices and difference information excluding the common information,
Backing up the setting information of the plurality of devices by storing the common information and the difference information in the setting information storage means,
A backup / restoration method, comprising: adding the difference information corresponding to a device to be restored as additional information of the common information to restore the device to be restored by restore means.

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