JP6965012B2 - Distribution system, distribution system control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a distribution system that distributes settings to network devices, a method of controlling the distribution system, and a program.

In recent years, it has become possible for a network device management device in a remote location to distribute various types of information that can be set in a network device by using a notification protocol such as a Web service. In particular, for network devices such as image forming devices that have both copy and facsimile functions, detailed information that could previously be set and displayed only on the operation panel can be set using Web services. It is becoming. This information includes printing-related settings, basic network settings such as IP addresses and subnet masks, as well as address books and security policies. Also, when these settings are delivered to a network device, you can make a copy of the delivered settings and the settings on the network device before delivery, save them separately, and refer to them later or redistribute the settings. It is becoming possible to do so.

Patent Document 1 describes a technique for collectively transferring settings to a plurality of network devices. In Patent Document 1, the current settings of the network device are acquired and saved before the settings are transferred, and when a problem occurs in the network device after the settings are transferred, the saved settings are used for the network. It is possible to restore the state of the device.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-173679

For example, when the same setting is distributed to a plurality of network devices, if a copy of the setting is made for each distribution, a plurality of copies will be created for the same setting. The data size of the setting can be large. For this reason, creating an unnecessary copy has a problem that the storage cost for storing the settings is increased.

In the case of network devices, there is a case where a work called pre-installation is performed, in which software settings and configurations of newly purchased network devices are changed and then delivered to the customer. The settings may be updated at the start of the pre-installation of this network device, for example, making a copy of the settings each time it is updated also increases the storage cost.

An object of the present invention is to consider the above problems and provide a mechanism for reducing the storage cost for holding the settings of the network device that occurs in the pre-installation of the network device.

The distribution system of the present invention is a distribution system that distributes the setting information of the network device to the network device, and performs an update means for updating the setting information and a distribution process of the setting information to the network device. In this case, a creating means for creating a snapshot of the setting information to be the target of the distribution process and information related to the snapshot for the setting information and holding the snapshot in the holding unit, and a snapshot of the setting information as the distribution process. The creation means has a distribution means for delivering When a snapshot is created from the information and there is related information of the snapshot corresponding to the setting information, the snapshot is not created from the setting information and the setting information is updated by the updating means, the setting is performed. It is characterized in that the related information of the snapshot corresponding to the information is deleted from the holding unit.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the storage cost required for holding the settings of the network device.

The figure which illustrates the structure of the network system of this Example The figure which illustrates the configuration of the network device setting which concerns on this Example The figure which illustrates the structure of the setting snapshot which concerns on this Example The figure which illustrates the software structure of the Web server of Example 1. Diagram that illustrates the configuration of the setting edit screen on the setting editor PC It is a figure which illustrates the software structure of a network device. Diagram illustrating the configuration of the installation start screen in a network device The figure which illustrates the setting management table which concerns on this Example The figure which illustrates the snapshot management table which concerns on this Example Flowchart exemplifying the update process of network device settings A flowchart illustrating the pre-installation process of the first embodiment. The figure which illustrates the software structure of the Web server of Example 2. The figure which illustrates the installation link management table which concerns on Example 2. A flowchart illustrating the pre-installation process of the second embodiment. Flow chart illustrating the pre-installation process of Example 3 The figure which illustrates the difference setting management table which concerns on Example 5. The figure which illustrates the difference snapshot management table which concerns on Example 5. Hardware configuration diagram of Web server, etc. according to this embodiment Hardware configuration diagram of the network device according to this embodiment A flowchart illustrating the update process of the network device setting according to the sixth embodiment. A flowchart illustrating the pre-installation process of the network device according to the sixth embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the pre-installation of the network device will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In a network device, there is a case where a work called "pre-installation" is performed to deliver the software to the customer after changing the software settings and configurations of the newly purchased network device. When requesting the pre-installation work, the setting editor who creates and edits the settings used in the pre-installation informs the installation worker who carries out the pre-installation work with the setting ID issued when the settings are created. do. By inputting the setting ID received by the installation worker who received the setting ID on the network device and starting the pre-installation, the setting is applied by the function installed in the network device. It is possible not only to create one setting for each network device, but also to pre-install multiple network devices with one setting. That is, it is possible to apply one setting to a plurality of network devices.

In this embodiment, the settings applied to the network device in the pre-installation are left as evidence. Hereafter, making a copy (duplicate) of the settings and saving it separately in order to leave evidence is called "creating a snapshot". The created copy is called a "snapshot".

The setting editor can edit the settings after the installation request, before the pre-installation work is started, and even during the pre-installation work. Therefore, even if you take a snapshot when you edit the settings, it may be different from the settings actually used in the pre-installation of the network device, and the snapshot cannot be treated as evidence. For example, if the settings are edited after the pre-installation work has started, the snapshot created when the settings were edited may differ from the settings applied to the network device by the pre-installation work. Also, when applying one setting to multiple network devices, even if the setting of the same setting ID is applied to the network device, the applied setting may be the same depending on the editing timing and the pre-installation timing. Not exclusively.

Therefore, in this embodiment, when the installation worker starts the pre-installation of the network device, a snapshot of the settings is taken, the pre-installation is performed using the snapshot, and the network device and the snapshot are linked. I do. This links the network device with a snapshot of the settings that were actually used for the pre-installation, and the snapshot can be treated as evidence.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a network system showing an embodiment of the present invention.
The setting distribution system 100 receives and processes requests from the setting editor PC 110 and the network device 111.

The setting editor PC 110 is assumed to be a PC (personal computer) operated by the user, a tablet computer, an application server that provides services to the user, and the like. The setting editor PC 110 has a function of editing the settings applied to the network device 111. However, the setting distribution system 100 may have a setting editing function and provide a user interface (UI) to the setting editor PC 110. The setting editor PC 110 connects to the setting distribution system 100 via the network 112.

The network device 111 functions as client software and transmits an instruction from the user of the network device 111 to the setting distribution system 100. Further, the network device 111 has a function of applying the setting information distributed from the setting distribution system 100 to itself. The network device 111 connects to the setting distribution system 100 via the network 113.

The setting distribution system 100 includes a Web server 101, a DB (database management server) 102, and a file server 103. The Web server 101 processes the request received from the setting editor PC 110 and the network device 111. Various data and the like for providing the service are stored in the DB 102. The file server 103 stores setting data and the like to be distributed to network devices and various data and the like for providing services.

The setting distribution system 100 may be composed of one device or a plurality of devices. For example, at least two of the functions of the Web server 101, the DB 102, and the file server 103 may be provided by one device. Further, the setting distribution system 100 may be configured by a cloud server or the like. For example, the setting distribution system 100 can be constructed by using a public cloud service or the like.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the case where the setting applied to the network device is left as evidence in the pre-installation will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. The configuration may be such that the settings distributed from the setting distribution system and applied to the network device are left as evidence.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the network device setting 201 according to the present embodiment.
The network device setting 201 is a file in which various setting information applied to the network device 111 is described.

The network device setting 201 includes, for example, the firmware version of the network device 111, the IP address of the network device 111, the email address of the user of the network device 111, and the like.

The setting items held by the network device setting 201 may differ depending on the model of the network device 111, the firmware application to be installed, and the like. Further, the network device setting 201 is not limited to the text format data, and may include data in various formats such as binary format data. Of the network device settings 201, the setting data applied to the network device 111 is saved in the file server 103. Further, the ID and the like of the setting data of the network device setting 201 are stored in the DB 102.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the setting snapshot 301 according to the present embodiment.
The setting snapshot 301 is a copy of the entire state of the network device setting 201 at a certain point in time. The save destination of the setting snapshot 301 is the same as that of the network device setting 201 described above.

Hereinafter, the hardware configuration of each device included in the network system of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an information processing device capable of configuring a Web server 101, a DB 102, a file server 103, and a setting editor PC 110.
This information processing device includes a CPU 3000, a main storage device 3001, a secondary storage device 3002, a user interface 3003, an external interface 3004, and the like.

The CPU 3000 is a unit that executes a predetermined program and instructs various controls of the information processing apparatus. The main storage device 3001 is a work memory used by the CPU 3000 when executing a program, and is realized by a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like.

The secondary storage device 3002 is realized by a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The secondary storage device 3002 stores various programs including application programs and an OS (Operating System) and various data. Various programs stored in the secondary storage device 3002 are loaded into the main storage device 3001 when the CPU 3000 executes the program.

The user interface 3003 is a unit having a function of accepting user's operation input and a function of notifying the user. For example, the user interface 3003 can receive a signal according to a user's operation by using a keyboard, a mouse, or the like. In addition, the user interface 3003 can output a notification to the user using a display or the like.
The external interface 3004 connects to a network and enables communication with other devices.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the network device 111. Here, a multifunction device will be described as an example of the network device 111, but the network device 111 is not limited to the multifunction device, and the network device 111 includes various information processing devices. For example, image processing devices such as printers and scanners, personal computers, network cameras, navigation systems, and various network home appliances such as air conditioners and televisions are also included in the network device 111 of this embodiment.

The network device 111 of this embodiment is roughly classified into an image processing unit 2000, a printing unit 2006, a reading unit 2007, and the like.

The image processing unit 2000 includes a CPU 2001, a main storage device 2002, a secondary storage device 2003, a user interface 2004, an external interface 2005, and the like.
The CPU 2001 executes a predetermined program and instructs various controls of the network device 111.

The main storage device 2002 is a work memory used by the CPU 2001 when executing a program, and is realized by a RAM or the like. The secondary storage device 2003 is realized by a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD or SSD. The secondary storage device 2003 stores various programs such as application programs and OSs, various setting information, and the like. Various programs stored in the secondary storage device 2003 are loaded into the main storage device 2002 when the CPU 2001 executes the programs.

The user interface 2004 is a unit having a function of receiving a user's operation input, and is realized by a panel capable of touch operation, an operation panel having a hard key, or the like.

The external interface 2005 is, for example, a network interface, and is capable of receiving data from an external device and transmitting data to the external device. For example, the external interface 2005 provides various management information of the network device 111 recorded in the secondary storage device 2003 to the outside via a protocol such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) or SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). , Can be obtained from the outside. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the external interface 2005 communicates with the setting distribution system 100 in order to exchange information.

The print unit 2006 is a hardware mechanism that forms an image when a function such as printing or copying is executed on the network device 111. The reading unit 2007 is a hardware mechanism that converts originals such as characters and photographs into electronic data when functions such as scanning and copying are executed on the network device 111.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a software configuration of the Web server 101 of the first embodiment.
The Web server 101 includes functional units such as a setting update unit 401, a setting distribution unit 402, a snapshot creation unit 403, and an installation history management unit 404. These functional units are realized by the CPU 3000 of the Web server 101 reading the program stored in the secondary storage device 3002 into the main storage device 3001 and executing the program as needed.

The setting update unit 401 saves the network device setting 201 received from the setting editor PC 110 in the DB 102 and the file server 103. For example, the setting update unit 401 saves management attribute information such as a path on the file server 103 in the network device setting 201 in the DB 102, and saves the setting data itself in the file server 103. The setting data itself of the network device setting 201 can also be saved in the DB 102.

The setting distribution unit 402 distributes the setting snapshot 301 to the network device 111 in response to a request from the network device 111. As the setting snapshot 301 to be delivered, the one created by requesting the snapshot creation unit 403 is used. In this embodiment, the created setting snapshot 301 is used, but the setting distribution unit 402 may distribute the network device setting 201 to the network device 111.

The snapshot creation unit 403 creates the setting snapshot 301, which is a snapshot of the network device setting 201, in response to the request from the setting distribution unit 402. If the requested snapshot of network device setting 201 already exists, the existing setting snapshot 301 is returned to the setting distribution unit 402 without creating the snapshot. The method of determining whether or not there is a snapshot of the requested network device setting 201 will be described later.

The installation history management unit 404 maps the snapshot ID of the setting snapshot 301 used in the previous installation of the network device 111 with the network device ID of the network device 111 and records it in the DB 102. As the network device ID of the network device 111, for example, the serial number of the network device is used. By mapping and managing the network device ID and the snapshot ID in this way, the setting snapshot 301 used in the pre-installation of the network device can be specified and can be used as evidence of the pre-installation.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the setting editing screen 501 on the setting editor PC 110. The setting edit screen 501 is displayed on the user interface 3003 of the setting editor PC 110 in response to a predetermined operation by the setting editor or the like.

The user of the setting editor PC110 can edit the setting value for each network device setting 201 and save the setting during and when the setting editing is completed. When a save instruction (press the save button 502) is given on the setting edit screen 501, the setting update unit 401 of the setting distribution system 100 that receives the request from the setting editor PC 110 displays the setting editing screen 501 of the setting editor PC 110. The settings edited in the editing area 503 are saved in the DB 102 and the file server 103. In this way, the network device setting 201 stored in the setting distribution system 100 can be updated from the setting editor PC 110 via the setting update unit 401.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a software configuration of the network device 111.
The network device 111 has functional units such as a setting acquisition unit 601 and a setting application unit 602. These functional units are realized by the CPU 2001 of the network device 111 reading the program stored in the secondary storage device 2003 into the main storage device 2002 and executing the program as needed.

The setting acquisition unit 601 acquires the setting snapshot 301 from the setting distribution unit 402 of the setting distribution system 100. The setting snapshot 301 to be acquired is created from the network device setting 201 specified by the method shown in FIG. 7 described later. The setting acquisition unit 601 transmits the network device ID of the network device 111 to the setting distribution system 100 when acquiring the setting snapshot 301.

The setting application unit 602 applies the setting snapshot 301 acquired by the setting acquisition unit 601 to the network device 111.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the installation start screen 701 in the network device 111. The installation start screen 701 is displayed on the user interface 2004 of the network device 111 in response to a predetermined operation by the installation worker or the like.

On the installation start screen 701, specify the setting ID of the network device setting 201 with the setting ID input unit 702, and then instruct the installation start (press the setting start button 703), so that the setting acquisition unit 601 snaps the settings. Start taking shot 301.

In this embodiment, since the setting ID of the network device setting 201 is assumed to be input by the UI owned by the network device, a number is assumed for convenience, but a character string other than the number is assumed. This embodiment can also be realized by using. Further, the setting ID may be specified by reading the barcode or the like corresponding to the setting ID by the reading unit 2007 or the like.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a setting management table 801 according to this embodiment.
The setting management table 801 is held by the DB 102.
The setting management table 801 holds the setting ID of the network device setting 201, the file path of the network device setting 201 on the file server 103, and the snapshot ID of the setting snapshot 301 associated with the network device setting 201.

The state in which the setting ID and the snapshot ID are recorded on the setting management table 801 is referred to as "there is a setting link" in the network device setting 201 having the setting ID. Further, the state in which the setting ID is recorded and the snapshot ID is not recorded on the setting management table 801 is referred to as "there is no setting link" in the network device setting 201 having the setting ID. Recording a snapshot ID without a setting link in the network device setting 201 is called "creating a setting link" in the network device setting 201. Further, deleting the snapshot ID in the state where the network device setting 201 has the setting link is referred to as "deleting the setting link" of the network device setting 201.

When updating the network device setting 201, the setting update unit 401 refers to the setting ID and the snapshot ID on the setting management table 801 and deletes the setting link if the network device setting 201 to be updated has a setting link. do. As a result, the snapshot ID is deleted from the setting management table 801. Further, the setting update unit 401 saves the network device setting 201 to be updated in the location specified by the file path of the setting management table 801 (on the file server 103 in this embodiment).

The snapshot creation unit 403 refers to the setting ID and the snapshot ID on the setting management table 801 in response to the snapshot creation request, and determines whether or not there is a setting link for the network device setting 201 used in the previous installation. .. If there is no setting link, the setting snapshot 301 of the network device setting 201 is created, and the setting link of the network device setting 201 is created by using the snapshot ID of the setting snapshot 301. As a result, the snapshot ID is recorded in the setting management table 801.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the snapshot management table 901 according to this embodiment.
The snapshot management table 901 is held by DB 102.
The snapshot management table 901 holds the snapshot ID of the configuration snapshot 301 and the file path of the configuration snapshot 301 on the file server 103.

The setting distribution unit 402 refers to the snapshot ID and the file path of the snapshot management table 901, and acquires the file path from the snapshot ID of the snapshot 301. Then, the setting distribution unit 402 acquires the setting snapshot 301 from the location specified by the file path on the file server 103 and distributes it to the network device 111.

The snapshot creation unit 403 generates a snapshot ID and a file path, and records them in the snapshot management table 901. Further, the snapshot creation unit 403 creates the setting snapshot 301 of the network device setting 201, and saves the setting snapshot 301 in the file path on the file server 103. The series of processes from the generation of the snapshot ID to the storage on the file server 103 described above is called "creating a snapshot".

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the update process of the network device setting 201. The process shown in this flowchart is realized by the CPU 3000 of the Web server 101 reading the program stored in the secondary storage device 3002 into the main storage device 3001 as needed and executing the program.

The CPU 3000 of the Web server 101 starts the setting update process of the network device setting 201 received from the setting editor PC 110 in response to the request of the setting editor PC 110 (S1001). At the time of the above request, the setting editor PC 110 transmits the setting data and the setting ID of the network device setting 201 to the Web server 101.

First, in S1002, the setting update unit 401 refers to the setting management table 801 using the setting ID of the network device setting 201 requested to be updated, and has a setting link in the network device setting 201 requested to be updated. Judge whether or not. Then, when it is determined that there is a setting link (Yes in S1002), the setting update unit 401 proceeds to S1003.
In S1003, the setting update unit 401 deletes the link and proceeds to process in S1004.

On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no setting link (No in S1002), the setting update unit 401 proceeds to S1004.

In S1004, the setting update unit 401 acquires the corresponding file path from the record in which the setting ID of the network device setting 201 in the setting management table 801 is recorded. Then, the setting update unit 401 saves the network device setting 201 in the file path on the file server 103. Then, the setting update process is terminated.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the pre-installation process of the network device 111 according to the first embodiment. The processes shown in S1102 to S1106 of this flowchart are realized by the CPU 3000 of the Web server 101 reading the program stored in the secondary storage device 3002 into the main storage device 3001 and executing the program as needed. Further, the process shown in S1107 is realized by the CPU 2001 of the network device 111 reading the program stored in the secondary storage device 2003 into the main storage device 2002 and executing the program as needed.

The CPU 3000 of the Web server 101 starts the pre-installation process in response to the request for the pre-installation process from the network device 111 (S1101). At the time of this request, the network device 111 transmits the network device ID of the network device 111 and the setting ID of the network device setting 201 to the setting distribution system 100.

In S1102, the snapshot creation unit 403 refers to the setting management table 801 using the setting ID, and determines whether or not there is a setting link in the network device setting 201 indicated by the setting ID. Then, when it is determined that there is a setting link (Yes in S1102), the snapshot creation unit 403 shifts the process to S1105.

On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no setting link (No in S1102), the snapshot creation unit 403 proceeds to S1 1 03.
In S1103, the snapshot creation unit 403 creates the setting snapshot 301 according to the method described in the description of FIG.
Next, in S1104, the snapshot creation unit 403 creates a setting link of the network device setting 201 according to the method described in the explanation of FIG. 8, and shifts the process to S1105.

In S1105, the installation history management unit 404 records in the DB 102 information for associating the network device ID with the snapshot ID indicated by the setting link. That is, the installation history management unit 404 records and manages the relationship between the snapshot of the setting information of the distribution target and the network device to be the distribution destination.

Next, in S1106, the setting distribution unit 402 acquires the corresponding setting snapshot 301 from the snapshot ID according to the method described in FIG. 9, and distributes the setting snapshot 301 to the network device 111. ..

In response to the distribution of the setting snapshot 301 in S1106, the setting acquisition unit 601 of the network device 111 acquires the setting snapshot 301. Then, in S1107, the setting application unit 602 applies the setting snapshot 301 distributed by the setting distribution unit 402 and acquired by the setting acquisition unit 601 to the network device 111.

If an error occurs in either the distribution process of S1106 or the application process of S1107 and the settings distributed from the setting distribution system 100 are not applied to the network device 111, the settings are recorded in DB 102 in S1105. The information for associating the network device ID and the snapshot ID may be deleted.

As shown above, the necessity of snapshot creation can be suppressed to the minimum necessary by determining the necessity of snapshot creation based on the presence or absence of the setting link of the network device setting 201.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the pre-installation of the network device is started, it is determined whether the setting has been updated since it was last used in the pre-installation, and snaps only when the setting is updated. Configure to create a shot. That is, when the setting distribution system of this embodiment distributes the setting to the network device, a snapshot that is a copy of the setting is created and saved, and the snapshot and the network to be the distribution destination are created. The association with the device is recorded, and the snapshot is distributed to the network device to be the distribution destination. Further, the setting distribution system of this embodiment creates a snapshot from the setting when the snapshot corresponding to the latest updated setting does not exist, and the snapshot corresponding to the latest setting exists. In this case, the configuration is such that a snapshot is not created from the setting.

With such a configuration, the creation of snapshots can be suppressed to the minimum necessary (useless snapshot creation can be suppressed), and as a result, the storage cost incurred in the pre-installation can be suppressed. In particular, when performing pre-installation of multiple network devices using one setting (that is, when distributing and applying one setting to multiple network devices), the storage cost is lower than before. It is possible to reduce it.

The network device setting 201 may be composed of two types of settings, a setting common to each model of the network device and an individual setting different for each network device. Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described.

The settings common to each network device model are called "network device common settings", and the individual settings that differ for each network device are called "network device individual settings". Further, the setting snapshot 301 corresponding to the "network device common setting" is referred to as a "common setting snapshot", and the setting snapshot 301 corresponding to the "network device individual setting" is referred to as an "individual setting snapshot".

The network device common setting and the network device individual setting have the same configuration as the network device setting 201 of the first embodiment except for the difference described later. That is, the network device common setting and the network device individual setting are registered and managed in the setting management table 801, respectively. Further, the common setting snapshot and the individual setting snapshot have the same configuration as the setting snapshot 301 of the first embodiment except for the difference described later. That is, the common setting snapshot and the individual setting snapshot are registered and managed in the snapshot management table 901, respectively.

As a difference, the network device individual setting has a setting ID of the network device common setting. Further, the setting ID of the network device setting 201 specified on the installation start screen 701 (FIG. 7) of the network device 111 is the setting ID of the individual network device setting. In addition, the individual setting snapshot has the setting ID of the network device common setting.

When the network device setting 201 is composed of two types of settings, unnecessary snapshots will be created unless the determination of snapshot creation is made for each network device common setting and network device individual setting. As a result, pre-installed storage costs may increase.

Therefore, in the second embodiment, when the network device setting 201 is composed of two types of settings, a configuration is described in which snapshot creation is suppressed to the minimum necessary and the storage cost generated in the pre-installation is reduced.
First, the difference from the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the software configuration of the Web server 101 of the second embodiment, and the same components as those in FIG. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals.
The Web server 101 of the second embodiment includes a function unit of the installation link management unit 1201 in addition to the setting update unit 401, the setting distribution unit 402, the snapshot creation unit 403, and the installation history management unit 404. These functional units are realized by the CPU 3000 of the Web server 101 reading the program stored in the secondary storage device 3002 into the main storage device 3001 and executing the program as needed.

The installation link management unit 1201 refers to the installation link management table 1301 shown in FIG. 13 described later, and determines whether or not there is an installation link described later. The method of determining whether or not there is an installation link will be described later. In addition, the installation link management unit 1201 updates the installation link management table 1301 and creates an installation link. The method of creating the installation link will be described later.

When the installation link management unit 1201 refers to and updates the installation link management table 1301, the common setting snapshot ID which is the snapshot ID of the common setting snapshot and the individual setting snapshot which is the snapshot ID of the individual setting snapshot Use ID. Further, the installation link management unit 1201 refers to the installation link management table 1301 and acquires the common setting snapshot ID and the individual setting snapshot ID corresponding to the installation link ID by using the installation link ID described later.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the installation link management table 1301 according to the second embodiment.
The installation link management table 1301 is held by DB 102.
The installation link management table 1301 holds a common setting snapshot ID, an individual setting snapshot ID, and an installation link ID described later.

The state in which the common setting snapshot ID and the individual setting snapshot ID are recorded on the installation link management table 1301 is referred to as "the common setting snapshot and the individual setting snapshot have the installation link". The installation link has an installation link ID. Generating the installation link ID and recording the common setting snapshot ID, the individual setting snapshot ID, and the installation link ID in the table is called "creating the installation link of the common setting snapshot and the individual setting snapshot". ..

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a pre-installation process of the network device 111 using the network device common setting and the network device individual setting according to the second embodiment. The processes shown in S1402 to S1411 of this flowchart are realized by the CPU 3000 of the Web server 101 reading the program stored in the secondary storage device 3002 into the main storage device 3001 and executing the program as needed. Further, the process shown in S1412 is realized by the CPU 2001 of the network device 111 reading the program stored in the secondary storage device 2003 into the main storage device 2002 and executing the program as needed.

The CPU 3000 of the Web server 101 starts the pre-installation process in response to the request of the network device 111 (S1401). At the time of this request, the network device 111 transmits the network device ID of the network device 111 and the setting ID of the individual network device setting to the setting distribution system 100.

In S1402, the snapshot creation unit 403 refers to the setting management table 801 and determines whether or not there is a setting link in the network device individual setting. Then, when it is determined that there is a setting link (Yes in S1402), the snapshot creation unit 403 shifts the process to S1405.

On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no setting link (No in S1402), the snapshot creation unit 403 proceeds to S1403.
In S1403, the snapshot creation unit 403 creates an individual setting snapshot according to the method described in the description of FIG. Next, in S1404, the snapshot creation unit 403 creates a setting link in the network device individual setting according to the method described in the explanation of FIG. 8, and shifts the process to S1405.

In S1405, the snapshot creation unit 403 acquires the setting ID of the network device common setting of the network device individual setting. Further, the snapshot creation unit 403 refers to the setting management table 801 using the setting ID, and determines whether or not there is a setting link in the network device common setting. Then, when it is determined that there is a setting link (Yes in S1405), the snapshot creation unit 403 shifts the process to S1408.

On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no setting link (No in S1405), the snapshot creation unit 403 proceeds to S1406.
In S1406, the snapshot creation unit 403 creates a common setting snapshot according to the method described in the description of FIG. Next, in S1407, the snapshot creation unit 403 creates a setting link in the network device common setting according to the method described in FIG. 8, and shifts the process to S1408.

In S1408, the installation link management unit 1201 determines whether or not there is an installation link in the network device common setting and the network device individual setting according to the method described in the explanation of FIG. Then, when it is determined that there is an installation link (Yes in S1408), the installation link management unit 1201 shifts the process to S1410.

On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no installation link (No in S1408), the installation link management unit 1201 proceeds to S1409.
In S1409, the installation link management unit 1201 creates an installation link in the network device common setting and the network device individual setting according to the method described in FIG. 13, and shifts the process to S1410.

In S1410, the installation history management unit 404 records in the DB 102 information for associating the network device ID with the installation link ID of the installation link.
Next, in S1411, the installation link management unit 1201 acquires the common setting snapshot ID and the individual setting snapshot ID from the installation link management table 1301 using the installation link ID. Further, the setting distribution unit 402 acquires the corresponding individual setting snapshot from the individual setting snapshot ID and distributes it to the network device 111 according to the method described in the description of FIG. Further, according to the method described in the description of FIG. 9, the corresponding common setting snapshot is acquired from the common setting snapshot ID and distributed to the network device 111.

In response to the distribution of the individual setting snapshot and the common setting snapshot in S1411, the setting acquisition unit 601 of the network device 111 acquires the individual setting snapshot and the common setting snapshot. Then, in S1412, the setting application unit 602 applies the common setting snapshot and the individual setting snapshot distributed by the setting distribution unit 402 and acquired by the setting acquisition unit 601 to the network device 111.

In this embodiment, a case where the network device setting 201 is composed of two types of settings, a setting common to each model of the network device and an individual setting different to each network device, has been described as an example. However, the network device setting 201 may be composed of three or more types of settings. For example, at least one of the common setting and the individual setting may be composed of a plurality of types, and as a result, the network device setting 201 may be composed of three or more types of settings.

As shown above, a mechanism is provided to determine the necessity of creating a snapshot for each type of setting. As a result, even when the network device setting 201 is composed of a plurality of types, it is possible to minimize the creation of snapshots and reduce the storage cost.

When the setting distribution system 100 is constructed by using a public cloud service or the like, the file server 103 has eventual consistency as a characteristic of the public cloud service or the like. Therefore, after updating the data, there may be a slight time lag until the update is surely reflected. In the case of this embodiment, after the snapshot creation unit 403 creates the setting snapshot 301, the following problems occur when the setting snapshot 301 is distributed to the network device 111. When delivering the snapshot 301, the process of creating the setting snapshot 301 may not be completed completely, and the setting snapshot 301 may not be delivered.

Therefore, in the third embodiment, a configuration that solves the above-mentioned problems by executing a process of exchanging the setting snapshot 301 and the network device setting 201 after creating the setting snapshot 301 will be described.

In this embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment will be mainly described with reference to FIG. Since each step shown in FIG. 15 is the same as that shown in FIG. 11 except for S1506, description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a pre-installation process of the network device 111 including the replacement of the network device setting 201 and the setting snapshot 301 according to the third embodiment. The processes shown in S1502 to S1507 of this flowchart are realized by the CPU 3000 of the Web server 101 reading the program stored in the secondary storage device 3002 into the main storage device 3001 and executing the program as needed. Further, the process shown in S1508 is realized by the CPU 2001 of the network device 111 reading the program stored in the secondary storage device 2003 into the main storage device 2002 and executing the program as needed.

First, since S1501 to S1505 are the same as S1101 to S1105 in FIG. 11, description thereof will be omitted.
Next, in S1506, the snapshot creation unit 403 executes the following replacement process for the network device setting 201 and the setting snapshot 301. The snapshot creation unit 403 acquires the file path of the network device setting 201 from the setting management table 801 and the file path of the setting snapshot 301 from the snapshot management table 901. Further, the snapshot creation unit 403 overwrites the file path of the setting snapshot 301 of the snapshot management table 901 with the file path of the network device setting 201 acquired above. Further, the snapshot creation unit 403 overwrites the file path of the network device setting 201 in the setting management table 801 with the file path of the setting snapshot 301 acquired above.
Further, since S1507 to S1508 are the same as S1106 to S1107 in FIG. 11, the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown above, after creating the snapshot, swap the settings and the snapshot. At this time, the replacement is executed by rewriting the record on the DB 102, instead of replacing by setting or copying the snapshot. These make it possible to ensure that the snapshot can be taken when the snapshot is delivered to the device.

The setting distribution unit 402 may be configured to determine whether to create the setting snapshot 301 by using the update date and time of the network device setting 201 and the creation date and time of the setting snapshot 301. Hereinafter, the difference between the fourth embodiment and the first embodiment will be described.

An item for recording the last update date and time of network device setting 201 is added to the setting management table 801 (not shown). In addition, an item for recording the creation date and time of the setting snapshot 301 is added to the snapshot management table 901 (not shown). In addition, an item for recording the setting ID of the network device setting 201, which is the source of creating the setting snapshot 301, is added to the snapshot management table 901 (not shown).

When updating the network device setting 201, the setting update unit 401 also records the last update date and time of the network device setting 201 in the setting management table 801. When the snapshot creation unit 403 creates the set snapshot 301, the snapshot creation unit 403 also records the creation date and time of the set snapshot 301 in the snapshot management table 901. In addition, the snapshot creation unit 403 also records the setting ID of the network device setting 201 from which the setting snapshot 301 is created in the snapshot management table 901.

The snapshot creation unit 403 acquires the last update date and time of the target network device setting 201 from the setting management table 801 when determining whether to create the setting snapshot 301. Then, the snapshot creation unit 403 refers to the snapshot management table 901 and acquires a list of the setting snapshot 301 created from the network device setting 201. The snapshot creation unit 403 determines that the setting snapshot 301 needs to be created when the last update date and time and the snapshot 301 creation date and time do not match in this list.

As shown above, it is possible to determine the snapshot creation by a method other than the presence or absence of the link to the setting snapshot 301 in the network device setting 201.

The configuration snapshot 301 need not include all the data, as long as it can restore the state of the network device configuration 201 at a certain point in time. Therefore, the setting snapshot 301 may be configured by the difference information from the snapshot 301 created last time (that is, the difference information between the setting before the update and the setting after the update). Note that the setting snapshot 301 created for the first time includes all the data of the network device setting 201 because there is no difference from the snapshot 301 created last time. The fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating the difference setting management table 1601 according to the fifth embodiment.
The difference setting management table 1601 adds an item for recording the snapshot ID of the latest setting snapshot 301 of the network device setting 201 to the setting management table 801. This item is referred to as the "latest snapshot ID" of network device setting 201.

When the setting snapshot 301 is created, the snapshot creation unit 403 updates the latest snapshot ID by the snapshot ID of the created setting snapshot 301 in addition to the process described in the first embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating the difference snapshot management table 1701 according to the fifth embodiment.
The differential snapshot management table 1701 adds an item to the snapshot management table 901 to record the snapshot ID of the previous generation setting snapshot 301 created for the same network device setting 201. be. This item is called the "previous generation snapshot ID" of the setting snapshot 301. That is, the differential snapshot management table 1701 associates the latest generation configuration snapshot with the previous generation configuration snapshot.

When creating the setting snapshot 301 of the network device setting 201, the snapshot creation unit 403 executes the following process in addition to the process described in the first embodiment. The snapshot creation unit 403 acquires the latest snapshot ID of the network device setting 201 recorded in the difference setting management table 1601. Then, when writing the snapshot ID and the file path of the created setting snapshot 301 to the differential snapshot management table 1701, the latest acquired snapshot ID is written to the previous generation snapshot ID.

The acquisition of the latest snapshot ID from the difference setting management table 1601 is executed before the latest snapshot ID is updated by the process shown in FIG. If the latest snapshot ID of the network device setting 201 is not recorded, the previous generation snapshot ID of the differential snapshot management table 1701 is not recorded.

When the setting distribution unit 402 acquires the setting snapshot 301 from the snapshot ID and distributes it to the network device 111, the setting distribution unit 402 executes the following process to restore the network device setting 201 from the plurality of setting snapshot 301. Refer to the differential snapshot management table 1701 and acquire the previous generation snapshot ID and file path corresponding to the snapshot ID. If the previous generation snapshot ID is recorded, the above process is executed again using it as the snapshot ID. If the previous generation snapshot ID is not recorded, the repetition of the above-mentioned process ends. A series of configuration snapshots 301 is acquired from the file server 103 using the series of file paths acquired by repeating the above process. Then, the acquired series of setting snapshots 301 are combined to restore the network device setting 201, and the restored network device setting 201 is distributed to the network device 111.

As shown above, it is also possible to configure the setting snapshot 301 by the difference information from the snapshot 301 created last time.

In the pre-installation of the network device 111, there are few cases where the network device setting 201 used in the pre-installation is edited again and used in another pre-installation. Therefore, in many cases, the contents of the network device setting 201 and the setting snapshot 301 are the same. In this way, since the same data is retained in duplicate, waste occurs in terms of storage cost. In order to solve this problem, in the sixth embodiment, in the process of setting update and setting distribution, it is configured to determine whether to create the setting snapshot 301 depending on whether or not the network device setting 201 was used in the past installation. do. Hereinafter, the difference between the sixth embodiment and the first embodiment will be described.

When updating the network device setting 201, the setting update unit 401 of the sixth embodiment refers to the setting management table 801 and determines whether or not there is a history used in the installation. As for the history used in the installation, if "there is a setting link", it is judged that there is a history, and if "there is no setting link", it is judged that there is no history. When there is a history, it is called "there is an installation / use history", and when there is no history, it is called "there is no installation / use history". The installation usage history corresponds to the distribution history to the network device. That is, the network device setting for which the installation usage history exists corresponds to the setting that has been previously distributed in the previous installation or the like. On the other hand, network device settings for which there is no installation usage history correspond to settings that have not yet been distributed due to previous installation or the like.

When updating the settings, if the network device setting 201 has an installation usage history (in the case of a setting that has been delivered before), the setting update unit 401 deletes the setting link of the network device setting 201. The process of deleting the setting link is called "deleting the installation usage history". Further, the setting update unit 401 saves the updated network device setting 201 in the location indicated by the file path of the network device setting 201 on the setting management table 801. Details will be shown in the setting distribution unit 402 described later, but in this case, the location indicated by the file path is different from the location where the network device settings before the update are saved. That is, when the installation usage history exists in the network device setting 201 to be updated, the setting update unit 401 deletes the installation usage history and updates it to a location different from the network device setting before the update. You will save the network device settings. In this way, overwriting of the delivered network device settings is prevented.

When there is no installation usage history (when the setting has not been delivered yet), the setting update unit 401 updates the network device setting to the location indicated by the file path of the network device setting 201 on the setting management table 801. Overwrite and save 201.

The setting distribution unit 402 distributes the network device setting 201 to the network device 111 in response to the request from the network device 111. When the network device setting 201 has an installation usage history, the setting distribution unit 402 acquires a file path from the snapshot management table 901 using the snapshot ID indicated by the installation usage history, that is, held by the setting link. .. Then, the setting snapshot 301 is acquired from the location specified by the file path on the file server 103 and distributed to the network device 111. That is, when the network device setting to be distributed has a distribution history, the setting distribution unit 402 distributes the network device setting specified from the distribution history.

If there is no installation usage history in the network device setting 201, the setting distribution unit 402 sets the file path of the network device setting 201 recorded in the setting management table 801 and the newly issued snapshot ID in the snapshot management table 901. Record a new one. Then, the setting distribution unit 402 acquires the setting snapshot 301 from the location specified by the file path on the file server 103 and distributes it to the network device 111. Further, the setting distribution unit 402 newly issues a file path, overwrites it as the file path of the network device setting 201 on the setting management table 801 and records it. Further, the setting distribution unit 402 records the newly issued snapshot ID as the snapshot ID on the setting management table 801. That is, when the network device setting to be distributed does not have a distribution history, the setting distribution unit 402 distributes the network device setting stored in the file path of the setting management table 801. Further, the setting distribution unit 402 newly creates a new save destination (file path) in case the network device setting is updated, and updates the file path of the setting management table 801 with the file path. ..

In this way, when the network device setting to be distributed does not have a distribution history, the setting distribution unit 402 distributes the network device setting 201 instead of creating a new snapshot. As a result, it is possible to prevent the network device setting 201 and the setting snapshot 301 having the same contents from being held in duplicate, and to suppress the occurrence of waste in storage cost. At the time of distribution, the setting distribution unit 402 determines a new save destination of the updated network device setting 201 and updates the setting management table 801 in preparation for updating the network device setting 201. As a result, the evidence of the distributed network device settings can be prevented from being lost by overwriting by updating. Therefore, when the setting update unit 401 updates, if the installation usage history exists in the network device setting 201 to be updated, the updated network device setting is set in a place different from the network device setting before the update. Can be saved.
The series of processes for updating the records on the snapshot management table 901 and the setting management table 801 are referred to as "creating an installation usage history".

FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating the update process of the network device setting 201 according to the sixth embodiment. The processes shown in S2002 to S2004 of this flowchart are realized by the CPU 3000 of the Web server 101 reading the program stored in the secondary storage device 3002 into the main storage device 3001 and executing the program as needed.

The CPU 3000 of the Web server 101 starts the setting update process of the network device setting 201 received from the setting editor PC 110 in response to the request of the setting editor PC 110 (S2001). At the time of the above request, the setting editor PC 110 transmits the setting data and the setting ID of the network device setting 201 to the Web server 101.

First, in S2002, the setting update unit 401 refers to the setting management table 801 using the setting ID of the network device setting 201 requested to be updated, and the installation usage history is stored in the network device setting 201 requested to be updated. Determine if it exists. Then, when it is determined that there is an installation usage history (Yes in S2002), the setting update unit 401 proceeds to S2003. In S2003, the setting update unit 401 deletes the installation usage history and proceeds to S2004.

On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no installation / use history (No in S2002), the setting update unit 401 proceeds to S2004.

In S2004, the setting update unit 401 saves the network device setting 201 in the location indicated by the file path of the network device setting 201 on the setting management table 801. At this time, if the installation usage history exists, the setting update unit 401 saves the updated network device settings in a location different from the network device settings before the update. On the other hand, when the installation usage history does not exist, the setting update unit 401 overwrites the network device setting before the update with the updated network device setting.
After the processing of S2004, the setting update unit 401 ends the setting update processing.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating the pre-installation process of the network device setting 201 according to the sixth embodiment. The processes shown in S2102 to S2105 of this flowchart are realized by the CPU 3000 of the Web server 101 reading the program stored in the secondary storage device 3002 into the main storage device 3001 and executing the program as needed. Further, the process shown in S2106 is realized by the CPU 2001 of the network device 111 reading the program stored in the secondary storage device 2003 into the main storage device 2002 and executing the program as needed.

The CPU 3000 of the Web server 101 starts the pre-installation process in response to the request for the pre-installation process from the network device 111 (S2101). At the time of this request, the network device 111 transmits the network device ID of the network device 111 and the setting ID of the network device setting 201 to the setting distribution system 100.

In S2102, the setting distribution unit 402 refers to the setting management table 801 using the setting ID, and determines whether or not the network device setting 201 indicated by the setting ID has an installation usage history. Then, when it is determined that there is no installation / use history (No in S2102), the setting distribution unit 402 proceeds to S2103. In S2103, the setting distribution unit 402 creates an installation usage history in the network device setting 201. That is, the setting distribution unit 402 newly records the file path of the network device setting 201 recorded in the setting management table 801 and the newly issued snapshot ID in the snapshot management table 901. Further, the setting distribution unit 402 newly issues a file path, overwrites it as the file path of the network device setting 201 on the setting management table 801 and records it. Further, the setting distribution unit 402 records the newly issued snapshot ID as the snapshot ID of the network device setting 201 on the setting management table 801.
After the processing of S2103, the setting distribution unit 402 proceeds to processing to S2104.

On the other hand, if it is determined that there is an installation usage history (Yes in S2102), the setting distribution unit 402 proceeds to S2104.

In S2104, the setting distribution unit 402 acquires the corresponding setting snapshot 301 from the setting snapshot ID and distributes the setting snapshot 301 to the network device 111 according to the method described in the description of FIG.

Next, in S2105, the installation history management unit 404 records in the DB 102 information for associating the network device ID with the snapshot ID according to the method described in the description of FIG. Further, in S2106, the setting application unit 602 applies the setting snapshot 301 distributed by the setting distribution unit 402 to the network device 111.

If an error occurs in either the distribution process of S2104 or the application process of S2106 and the settings distributed from the setting distribution system 100 are not applied to the network device 111, the settings are recorded in DB 102 by S2105. The information for associating the network device ID and the snapshot ID may be deleted.

In the above explanation, when there is no distribution history, the setting distribution unit 402 creates a new save destination of the updated network device setting 201 and updates the setting management table 801 in preparation for updating the network device setting 201. The configuration to be placed is shown. However, the setting update unit 401 may perform the process of creating a new save destination of the updated network device setting 201 and updating the setting management table 801. Specifically, if there is no distribution history at the time of updating, the setting update unit 401 creates a new save destination of the updated network device setting 201, updates the setting management table 801 and updates the updated save destination. May be configured to save updated network device settings 201.

As shown above, according to the sixth embodiment, the processing in the setting update and the setting distribution is switched according to the presence / absence of the installation / use history of the network device setting 201. As a result, the frequency of creating the setting snapshot 301 can be suppressed as compared with the first embodiment in which the setting snapshot 301 is uniformly created at the time of the first setting distribution using the network device setting 201. As a result, it is possible to suppress the storage cost incurred in the pre-installation.

As shown above, according to each of the above embodiments, it is possible to reduce the storage cost for holding the network device settings that occurs in the pre-installation of the network device.

The structure and contents of the various data described above are not limited to this, and may be configured with various structures and contents depending on the intended use and purpose.
Although one embodiment has been described above, the present invention can take an embodiment as, for example, a system, an apparatus, a method, a program, a storage medium, or the like. Specifically, it may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices, or may be applied to a device composed of one device.
Further, all the configurations in which the above examples are combined are also included in the present invention.

(Other Examples)
The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device reads and executes the program. It can also be realized by the processing to be performed. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.
Further, the present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices or a device composed of one device.
The present invention is not limited to the above examples, and various modifications (including organic combinations of each example) are possible based on the gist of the present invention, and these are excluded from the scope of the present invention. is not it. That is, all the configurations in which each of the above-described examples and modifications thereof are combined are also included in the present invention.

100 setting distribution system
111 Network devices
401 Setting update section
402 Setting distribution unit
403 Snapshot creation department
404 Installation history management department

Claims (10)

A distribution system for distributing configuration information of the network device to the network device,
An update means for updating the setting information and
When performing process of distributing configuration information to the network device, a snapshot of the configuration information to be the delivery process, to create and related information of the snapshot for the setting information held in the holding portion Creation method and
It has a delivery means to deliver the network device as the distribution Shinsaki a snapshot of the setting information as the distribution process,
It said creation means, when related information of the snapshot corresponding to the target and name Ru configuration information of the distribution process is not in the holding unit creates a snapshot from the setting information, corresponding to the configuration information If there is related information of the snapshot to be performed, the snapshot is not created from the above setting information.
A distribution system characterized in that when the setting information is updated by the updating means, the snapshot-related information corresponding to the setting information is deleted from the holding unit. The setting information is composed of a plurality of types of setting information.
The creation means creates a snapshot for each type of setting information, and creates a snapshot.
It has an association means for associating each snapshot created for each type of setting information.
The distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the distribution means distributes each snapshot associated with the association means. The distribution system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of types of setting information include setting information common to a plurality of network devices and individual setting information for each network device. Setting distribution system according to claim 1, characterized in that said prior to delivery by the delivery means and a replacement means for replacing the snapshot configuration information to be distributed and said snapshot creation source configuration information. It said creation means, when creating the snapshot, wherein when there is a snapshot corresponding to the pre-update setting information by the update means, the difference between the setting information updated by said snapshot and said updating means Create the information as a snapshot and
It has an association means for associating the snapshot corresponding to the setting information before the update with the snapshot corresponding to the difference information.
The distribution means, the distribution system according to claim 1, characterized in that the association restoring the configuration information from each snapshot associated with means for distributing the configuration information described above restored. A distribution system that distributes the setting information of the network device to the network device.
A storage means for storing the setting information and
An update means for updating the setting information and
A distribution means for distributing setting information to the network device,
A storage destination of the setting information, the first management means for managing the information for specifying the destination of the setting information when the distributing the configuration information as a distribution history of the setting information,
It has a second management means for recording and managing the relationship between the storage destination of the distributed setting information and the network device as the distribution destination.
The distribution means distributes the setting information saved in the storage destination specified from the distribution history when the distribution history exists in the setting information to be distributed, and when the distribution history does not exist. Distributes the setting information to be distributed, which is stored in the storage destination managed by the first management means, and registers the distribution history in the first management means.
The update means, when delivered to the configuration information of the updated history does not exist, and Save the configuration information, storage of configuration information before the update and delete the distribution history in the case of the distribution history exists A distribution system characterized by storing updated setting information in a location different from the previous one. When the distribution history does not exist in the setting information to be distributed, the distribution means further stores a new storage destination of the setting information to be distributed managed by the first management means. Update first,
Wherein a different location than the destination before update configuration information, the distribution system according to claim 6, characterized in that the storage destination of the setting information updated by said distributing means. Said updating means, when said distribution history is present, remove the distribution history, to update the destination setting information to be updated to be managed in a new destination in the first management means, said updating The distribution system according to claim 6, wherein the updated setting information is stored in a new storage destination different from the storage destination of the setting information before the update. It is a control method of a distribution system that distributes setting information of the network device to the network device.
An update step to update the setting information and
When performing distribution processing configuration information for the network device, generating step wherein a snapshot of the setting information to be distributed process, to create and related information of the snapshot for the setting information held in the holding portion When,
Has a distribution steps to be distributed to the network device as the distribution Shinsaki a snapshot of the setting information as the distribution process,
In the creation step, when related information of the snapshot corresponding to the target and name Ru configuration information of the distribution process is not in the holding unit creates a snapshot from the setting information, corresponding to the setting information If there is snapshot related information , do not create a snapshot from the above setting information,
A method for controlling a distribution system, which comprises deleting the snapshot-related information corresponding to the setting information from the holding unit when the setting information is updated by the update step. A program for operating a computer as the means according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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