JPH10334028A - Spool method for client and server system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the push-back of output request while effectively utilizing the resources of a spool file by substitutively spooling that request through a substitutive server when the spool file is in overload state. SOLUTION: A virtual client spool system 1012 is provided with a spool file 1013 for holding a request from a client application 1014, and a virtual server spool system 1002 is provided with a spool file for holding an output request from the virtual client spool system 1012 or 1016. These spool files held independently for each computer are captured as one virtual spool file. Namely, when the spool file at a target server is in the overload state concerning the output request to a connector from the client to the server, that request is substitutively spooled by the substitutive server.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a spool system for outputting an output request to an output device, and more particularly to a spool system for requesting an output from a client to a server to a connection device in a computer system constituting a client-server system configuration. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional computer system, regardless of a single (stand-alone) type or a client-server type, a spool file is held in a computer to which an output device is connected. The output request to the output device is spooled only in the spool file of the target single host or target server.

[0003]

A problem with the conventional spool method as described above is that, in the prior art, the number of output requests from clients that can be held by the target server is held by the target server. This is because only the spool file held by the target server can be used as a spool file by the server itself.

As a remedy in the event of this problem, a measure taken in the prior art is to retry an output rejection from the server side by repetitive control in a fixed cycle. In this method, since the client side is not aware of the state of the server, the rescue means is performed depending on unreliable control performed by the client, that is, retry of the output request, and is performed at a fixed cycle. Is a random repetition, which is an overhead in processing on the client side.

On the other hand, a server cannot accept an output request from a client exceeding the capacity of a spool file held by the server itself. For example, even if there is a free space in the spool file on the server connected to the same network, the output request from the client is rejected, and the client needs to process the request again.

The present invention manages all spool files held by a client and a server connected to a network as one virtual spool file, thereby effectively utilizing the resources of the spool file, and An object of the present invention is to eliminate the pushback of an output request from a client due to overload and improve the reliability of spool control.

[0007]

According to the spool method of the present invention, when a spool file in a target server is overloaded in response to an output request from a client to a connection device to a server, the proxy server performs the request. It is characterized in that the request is spooled by proxy.

In the present invention, preferably, when both the spool files of the target server and the proxy server are overloaded, the spool is proxy-spooled in the client. Further, when the load on the spool file by the target server is reduced, the proxy spool from the proxy server or the client can be transferred to the target server.

More specifically, when both the spools of the target server and the proxy server are overloaded and there is no free space, the spool is spooled in the spoolable server or the client by means of the client as the proxy server.
The output request spooled to the proxy server is transmitted to the destination server by means of transferring the proxy spool from the proxy server to the target server when the spool file of the target server becomes empty.
Re-spooled in the destination server.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a virtual spool system in the client-server system of the present invention. The client-server system generally has a configuration in which a plurality of server computers and client computers are connected via a network. FIG. 1 shows a server computer 100
1, server computer 1005, client computer 101
1 and a client computer 1015 are connected by a network 1020.

The application 1014 of the client computer 1011 can output an output request to the output device 1004 of the server computer 1001 or the output device 1008 of the server computer 1005 according to the purpose.

Similarly, the application 1018 of the client computer 1015 is connected to the output device 1004 of the server computer 1001 and the output device 100 of the server computer 1005.
8 can be output.

The client virtual spool system 1012 on the client computer 1011 is connected to the server computer 1
001 on the server virtual spool system 1002,
In cooperation with the server virtual spool system 1006 on the server computer 1005, the client application 1
It is guaranteed that the output request from the output device 014 is output to the output device 1004 or the output device 1008 which is the target output device.

[0015] Client virtual spool system 101
2 includes a spool file 1013 for holding a request from the client application 1014, and the server virtual spool system 1002 for holding an output request from the client virtual spool system 1012 or the client virtual spool system 1016. A spool file 1003 is provided.

In the virtual spool system of the present invention, one spool file held independently for each of these computers is stored.
By assuming two virtual spool files, sharing of spool file resources is realized.

Next, the configuration of the server of the present system will be described.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the server virtual spool system 1002 on the server computer 1001.

The server virtual machine 1001 is connected to other clients and servers via a network 1020.

The network operating system 1021 of the server computer 1001
1 is an operating system that implements basic control on the PC 1 and, at the same time, implements cooperative control via communication with a client computer and a server computer connected via a network 1020. The server virtual spool system 1002 is a network operating system 1
021.

The server virtual spool system 1002
Communication management unit 1031, server spool control unit 1032,
A distribution management unit 1033, a server spool management unit 1034,
And an output processing unit 1035.

The communication management unit 1031 is an entrance for communication control of the server virtual spool system 1002, and requests transmitted from the client computer and the server computer are:
The communication management unit 1031 is notified via the network operating system 1020. The server spool control unit 1032 is activated every time a request from the client computer or the server computer received by the communication management unit 1031. The server spool control unit 1032 cooperates with the server spool management unit 1034, the distribution management unit 1033, and the output processing unit 1035 to output an output request from an application of the client computer to the target output device 1.
004 or output to the output device 1009.

The server spool management unit 1034 stores and retrieves an output job, which is an output request, from a spool file, and monitors a load state.

The distributed processing unit 1033 performs distributed management when the output job is proxy spooled to another server virtual spool system when the spool file 1003 is overloaded.

An output processing unit exists for each output device. FIG.
In the example, the output processing unit 1035 performs output control on the output device 1004, and the output processing unit 1036 performs output control on the output device 1009.

Output processing unit 1035, output processing unit 1036
Receives the output job queuing notification from the server spool control unit 1032, sequentially retrieves output jobs for the output devices 1004 and 1009 from the spool file 1003 and outputs them.

Next, the configuration of the client-side virtual spool system will be described.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the client virtual spool system on the client computer 1011.

The client computer 1011 is connected to another server computer via a network 1020. Like the server computer, it has the network operating system 1022 and the client computer 1011
The above basic control is realized. At the same time, the network 10
The cooperative control is realized through communication with the server computer connected at 20. The client virtual spool system 1012 is implemented based on a function provided by the network operating system 1022.

Client virtual spool system 101
2 comprises a client spool control unit 1041.

The client spool control 1041 receives an output request from the application 1014, temporarily stores the output job in the spool file 1013, and cooperates with the server virtual spool system to hold an output device for the output job. Send to destination server.

Hereinafter, each component of the server-side virtual spool system will be described.

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the distribution management unit of the server virtual spool system. In the virtual spool method, in a target server that mounts a target output device,
If the output job could not be spooled, request another server virtual spool system to perform proxy spooling of the output job. The distributed processing unit 1033 manages the relationship between the proxy spooled output job and the proxy server that has performed the proxy spooling.

The distribution management unit 1033 holds distribution management information 2010 for managing jobs spooled by proxy.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the distribution management information.
12, and the proxy server name 2013 as the proxy spool destination
A table consisting of the following items is constructed.

Next, the configuration of the server spool management unit will be described.

FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the server spool management unit 1032.

The server spool management section 1032 has management information for executing spooling of an output job. That is the server spool management information 2020. The server spool management information includes load management information 2030 for managing the load status in the spool file, queue management information 2040 that is queue information for managing output jobs, and queue individual information for managing individual output jobs. 2050
It is composed of

Hereinafter, the structure of each information will be described.

FIG. 7 is an example showing the structure of the load management information 2030.

The load management information 2030 contains the usable amount 20
31, the current usage amount 2032, the reservation amount 2033, the overload rush usage amount 2034, the overload release usage amount 2035, and the state 2036.

The usable amount 2031 indicates the total file size of the spool file.

The current usage amount 2032 indicates the accumulated value of the spool file amount of the output job at the present time.

The reserved amount 2033 indicates the amount of the file in a state from when the server virtual spool system receives the output request to when the storage of the output job in the spool file is completed. The overload rush usage amount 2034 indicates a spool file amount that triggers suppression of a spool request for the spool file. Similarly, overload release usage 20
Reference numeral 35 denotes a spool file amount that triggers the release of the spool inhibition state of the spool file. The relationship of overload rush usage 2034> overload release usage 2035 is established between the overload rush usage 2034 and the overload release usage 2035. The status 2036 indicates the load status of the spool file, and has an overload and non-overload status. When the output job is stored and taken out, it is determined by comparing with the above-mentioned overload rush usage amount 2034 and overload release usage amount 2035.

Next, the queue management information 2040 will be described.

FIG. 8 is an example showing the structure of the queue management information 2040 and the individual queue information 2050.

The queue management information 2040 manages individual queue information 2050 for managing an output job in a queue-like manner.

The queue management information 2040 includes an output device name 2041 indicating an output device and an individual queue 2 as an output job.
050 is associated with an individual queue address 2042 as a table.

Each row of the table exists for the number of output devices to be mounted. Also, it has one line dedicated to the proxy spool.

The individual queue information 2050 includes a job name 2051 indicating an output job name, a spool file name 2052 indicating a spool file name of a job, a file amount 2053 indicating a spool file amount, a state 2054 indicating a job state, and It consists of items of the next individual queue address 2055 to which the next output job is related. The individual queue information 2050 is sequentially chained in a queue shape for each output device.

Next, the configuration of the client spool control unit will be described.

FIG. 9 shows the client spool control unit 104.
1 is shown.

The client spool control unit 1041
The client spool management information 2060 for managing the information of the output job once spooled on the client side.

Client spool management information 2060
Is composed of items of a job name 2061 indicating a job name, a spool file name 2062 indicating a spool file name, a file amount 2063 indicating a file amount of the spool file, and a target server name 2064 as a transmission destination of the output job. A table as shown in FIG. 10 is configured.

Hereinafter, the processing procedure of each component of the client virtual spool system and the server virtual spool system will be described. First, the processing procedure of the client spool control unit 1012 will be described.

FIG. 11 shows the client spool control unit 1
It shows a flowchart of the processing procedure of 012.

The client spool control unit 1012
Processing is started upon receiving an output request from the application 1014 (processing 3000).

First, it is checked in the spool file 1013 held by the client whether the output job requested to be output can be spooled in its own spool file (process 3).
001).

If spooling is possible, the output job is spooled in the spool file 1013 and a normal spool acceptance is returned to the application 1014 (process 300).
2).

If there is no free space in the own spool file 1014, a spool rejection is returned to the application 1014 (step 3010).

When the application 1014 receives a spool normal response from the client virtual spool system, it is released from monitoring the output request and can shift control to the next process.

After storing the job information in the spool file 1013 of the output job, the job information is registered in the client spool management information 2060 (process 3003).

A job name 2061 and a job file amount 206
3 is transferred, a request is made to the target server to check whether spooling is possible, and a response from the target server is waited for (process 3004, process 3005).

When a response from the destination server is received,
A notification of a response is made to the waiting state of the process 3005 (process 3009).

From the response information from the target server, it is determined whether the output job can be spooled (step 3006).

If spooling is possible, an output job is transmitted to the target server, and information about the transmitted job is deleted from the client spool management information area 2060. According to the above procedure, the output request from the application 1014 is transmitted to the target server (processing 3007, processing 3008).

If the response from the target server is not spoolable, the output job is held in the client spool control unit, and the spool file 100 of the target server is stored.
3 is held until there is a free space (process 3006).

Spool file 1003 in destination server
If there is a free space available for spooling, a request to send an output job is sent from the target server (process 300).
9).

The transmission process of the output job when the spoolable notification is received is the same as that when the spoolable response is received (process 3006, process 3007, process 30).
08).

Next, the server virtual spool system 1002
The processing procedure of each component will be described with reference to a flowchart.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the communication management unit 1031.

The communication processing unit 1031 is notified of a communication event to the server virtual spool system 1002 via the network operating system 1021. The communication events to be notified include a spool request from the client at the time of the destination server, a proxy spool request at the time of the proxy server, and a transfer request of the proxy spool at the time of the target server (process 3100).

The communication processing unit 1031 activates the server spool control unit 1032, and entrusts subsequent spool processing to the server spool control unit 1032 (process 3101).

Next, the processing procedure of the server spool control unit 1032 will be described.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the server spool control unit.

The server spool control unit 1032 is started by the communication management unit 1031 (process 3101).

Thereafter, the communication processing unit 1031 looks at the communication event received, and sorts the processing into the processing corresponding to the requested event (processing 3201 and processing 3202).

The requested processing requests are the following three.

First, the client spool control unit 1
041, an output job output request from the target server, the second is a proxy spool request from the target server in the case of a proxy server, and the third is a proxy spool transfer from the target server when the proxy spool is performed. Request (process 321)
0, process 3240, process 3260).

Hereinafter, each of the processes 3210, 3240, and 3260 will be described in detail.

First, the output request processing will be described.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the output request processing 3210.

The server spool control unit 1032 requests the server spool management unit 1034 to investigate whether the output job can be spooled based on the job name 2061 and the file size 2063 notified from the client spool control unit 1041. (Step 3211).

The server spool management unit 1034 checks the result of the check to determine whether spooling is possible or not (process 3212).

If spooling is possible, the server name is transmitted to the client spool control unit 1041 as a spoolable server name as a response (step 321).
3).

Thereafter, the client spool control unit 104
Since an output job is transmitted from No. 1, it is received (process 3214).

When all the information of the output job has been received, the server spool management unit 1034 is requested to spool the output job (process 3215).

The output processing unit 1035 is notified as an event that there is a spooled job (process 3).
216).

It is determined whether there is an output job that has been subjected to proxy spooling, the load state of the spool file 1003 in the target server is confirmed, and a determination is made to transfer the proxy spooled job to the target server (process 3280).

If the server spool management unit 1034 notifies the server spool management unit 1034 that the output job cannot be spooled, it requests the distribution management unit 1033 to investigate the proxy server (process 3217).

Based on the result of the investigation from the distribution management unit 1033, if a proxy server capable of proxy spooling is found, the name of the proxy server that is the spool destination of the output job is transmitted to the client spool control unit 1041 (process 32).
18, processing 3219).

If the result of the check from the distribution management unit 1033 indicates that there is no proxy server, the server sends the client spool control unit 1041 a message indicating that the output job cannot be spooled (steps 3218 and 3220).

In this case, the client spool control unit suspends the output job until there is a free space in the spool file 1003 in the target server (process 300).
5).

Next, the proxy spool process will be described.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the proxy spool process 3240. This process is performed in the case of the proxy server. The server spool control unit 1032 of the proxy server includes the server spool management unit 1
A request is made at 034 to check whether or not the output job is capable of proxy spooling (process 3241).

The result of the investigation from the server spool management unit 1034 is judged, and if proxy spooling is possible, a proxy server name and the result of proxy spooling, which is the investigation result, are transmitted to the target server (processing 3242, processing 3243). ).

If the result of the investigation from the server spool management unit 1034 is that the proxy spool is not possible, the proxy server name and the result of the proxy spool, which is the result of the investigation, are transmitted to the target server. In this case, the process ends here.
(Process 3242, Process 3244).

If proxy spooling is possible, an output job transmitted from the client spool control unit 1041 is received. Thereafter, the server spool management unit 1034 is requested to perform a proxy spool for the received output job (steps 3245 and 3246).

Next, the proxy spool transfer processing will be described.

FIG. 16 shows a proxy spool transfer process 3260.
6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of FIG. The transfer request of the proxy spool is also a processing request generated only by the proxy server. If the target server finds a free space in which the job spooled in the spool file 1003 can be stored, it requests the proxy server to transfer the proxy spool (process 3280). This processing will be described later.

The server spool control unit 1032 requests the server spool management unit 1034 to take out the output job, which is the proxy spool, from the spool (process 3).
261).

The extracted output job is transferred to the target server (process 3262).

Next, the spool review process shown in FIG. 14 will be described.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the spool review process.

The distribution processing unit 1033 is requested to investigate whether or not there is a job for which a proxy spool has been requested (process 3281).

According to the investigation result of the distribution management unit 1033, if there is a request for a proxy spool, the spool file 100
The transfer of the proxy spool is accepted within the range that can be stored in the third spool. If there is no request for the proxy spool, the processing is terminated as it is (processing 3282, processing 3283).

For the server spool management unit 1034,
A request is made to investigate whether or not the proxy spool can be stored (process 3284).

If the proxy spool can be stored, the proxy server is requested to transfer the proxy spool (process 32).
85, process 3286).

After receiving the output job from the proxy server, it requests the server spool management unit 1034 to spool the output job (process 3288).

After the completion of the spooling, the occurrence of the spooled job is notified as an event to the output processing unit 1035 which is the target of the output job (process 3289). If proxy spooling is not possible, the above-described confirmation and transfer processing (processing 3283 to processing 32
To 89).

By the above processing, the spool file 10
The proxy spooled job can be fetched from the proxy server into the target server by the amount of the empty file generated on the target server 03.

Next, the processing procedure of the output processing unit 1035 will be described.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the output processing unit 1035.

The output processing unit is started when the server virtual spool system is started, and waits for the generation of an output job for the output device. When the occurrence of the spool of the output job is notified from the server spool control unit 1032 (steps 3216 and 3289), the server wakes up from the waiting state (step 3301).

The awakened output processing unit 1035 judges a notification event (step 3302).

In the case of an output request to the output device 1004, the server spool management unit 1034 is requested to take out the output job (process 3303).

If there is a job waiting to be output, an output is requested to the output device 1004. If there is no job waiting to be output, the job is put into a sleep state until a request event occurs (steps 3304 and 3305).

The individual queue information 2050 is stored in the queue management information 2040 held by the server spool management information 1034.
The output to the output device 1004 is repeated while the output job chained by exists.

The processing procedure of the output processing unit 1036 is the same as that of the output processing unit 1035.

Next, the processing procedure of the distribution management unit will be described.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the distribution management unit 1033.

The distribution management unit 1033 is used by the server spool control unit 1032 to request a proxy server investigation and to investigate the presence or absence of a proxy spooled job.

The type of request from the server spool management unit 1032 is separated (process 3041).

In the case of a proxy server investigation request, the subsequent processes are repeated until a proxy spoolable server is found for the proxy server connected via the network 1020 (process 3402).

A request for a proxy spool is made to the proxy server, and a response from the proxy server is waited for (process 340).
3, processing 3404).

After receiving the response from the proxy server, if proxy spooling is possible, information on the job name 2011, file amount 2012, and proxy server name 2013 that have been spooled in the distributed management information 2010 is stored (process 340).
5, processing 3406).

The proxy spooling result and the proxy server name are returned as return information (step 3407).

Further, as a result of investigating all the proxy servers, if proxy spooling is not possible, return information indicating that proxy spooling is not possible is returned (process 3408).

If the request processing is a request to investigate the presence or absence of a proxy spooled job, the information of the proxy spool is returned as return information according to the contents of the distribution management information 2010 (processing 3409, processing 3410, and processing 3411).

Next, the processing procedure of the server spool management unit will be described.

FIG. 20 shows the server spool management unit 1034
6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of FIG.

The server spool management unit 1034 is used by the server spool control unit 1032, the output processing unit 1035, and the output processing unit 1036.

The process is divided according to the process type at the call source (process 3501).

If the processing type is a spool storage request, the individual queue information 2050 is created and the queue management information 204 is created.
Chain is performed for the row of the output device corresponding to 0 (process 3504).

Next, the contents of the load management information 2030 are updated. The current usage 2032 is updated and the overload rush usage 20
If the number exceeds 34, the state 2036 is set to an overload state (steps 3505 and 3506).

If the processing type is a spool take-out request, the job corresponding to the designated job is taken out from the individual queue information 2050 chained to the line of the designated device from the queue management information 2040 (process 3507).

When there is the corresponding individual queue information 2050, the return information is used as the individual queue information. When there is no corresponding individual queue information, the return information indicates that there is no output job (process 3508).

When the individual queue information is taken out, the contents of the load management information 2030 are reviewed. If the value obtained by subtracting the file amount 2053 of the extracted job from the current usage amount 2032 is less than the overload release usage amount 2035, the state 2036 is set to the non-overload state (step 305).
9).

When the processing type is to check whether spooling is possible,
Check state 2036. If the state is an overload state, spool non-permission is returned as return information (process 35).
02).

When the state 2036 is not overloaded, if the value obtained by adding the current used amount 2032 and the file amount of the job to be spooled does not exceed the usable amount 2031, the spoolable is returned as a return value. Otherwise, it returns spool disabled as a return value (process 3503).

The components of the client virtual spool system 1011 and the server virtual spool system 1002 and the processing procedure have been described above.

[0142]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 21 shows a configuration in which one client computer and three server computers are connected by a network 4007.

A client virtual spool system 4004 and a client application 4006 exist on the client computer.

The server computer has a target server virtual spool system 4001 and a target output device 4005 on one target server. The other two servers exist as proxy servers, and proxy server virtual spool systems 4002 and 4003 exist on the proxy server.

A main request is issued from the client application 4006 to the target output device 4005. The client virtual spool system 4004 executes output processing to the target output device 4005 in cooperation with the target server virtual spool system 4001 or the proxy server virtual spool systems 4002 and 4003.

Next, the flow from when the client application 4006 actually processes the output request to the destination output device 4005 is shown in FIGS. 22 to 24 for each condition.

FIG. 21 shows a flow in which an output request from the client application 4006 is directly processed by the target server.

The client application 4006
Executes an output request to the client virtual spool system 4004 (process 4101).

The output request is once spooled in the client virtual spool system 4004 (process 410).
2).

The client virtual spool system 400
After spooling in spool 4, a notification of spool acceptance is returned to client application 4006 (process 4103).

Thereafter, the client spool system 4
Step 004 requests the target server virtual spool system 4001 to spool output requests (step 410).
4).

Target server virtual spool system 4001
Checks whether spooling is possible in its own server, and if spooling is possible in its own server, returns a spoolable response and a spool destination server name to the client virtual spool system 4004. Here, the own server name is designated as the spool destination server name (process 4105).

Object server virtual spool system 4001
After receiving the response from the client virtual spool system 4004, the client virtual spool system 4004 transmits the spool (step 410).
6).

The client virtual spool system 400
4 is spooled in the target server virtual spool system 4001 (process 41).
07).

Thereafter, output is performed to the intended output device 4005 (process 4108).

FIG. 23 shows a flow in which an output request from the client application 4006 is temporarily placed on the proxy server and then processed by the target server.

Client application 4006
Executes an output request to the client virtual spool system 4004 (process 4201).

The output request is once spooled in the client virtual spool system 4004 (process 420).
2).

Client Virtual Spool System 400
4, after spooling the output request, returns a notification of spool acceptance to the client application 4006 (process 4203).

Thereafter, the client spool system 4
Step 004 requests the target server virtual spool system 4001 to spool output requests (step 420).
2).

Target server virtual spool system 4001
Then, check whether spooling is possible in your server,
When it is determined that the spool cannot be spooled in the own spool, a server capable of proxy spooling is searched. The target server virtual spool system 4001 issues a virtual spool request to the proxy server virtual spool system 4002 (process 4205).

Proxy server virtual spool system 4002
Checks whether spooling is possible in its own server and if spooling is possible, the target server virtual spool system 40
A response indicating that proxy spooling is possible is returned to 01 (process 4206).

Proxy server virtual spool system 4002
Server's virtual spool system 4
001 is the client virtual spool system 4004
Is notified of the name of the proxy server of the spool transmission destination (step 4207).

Object server virtual spool system 4001
After receiving the response from the client virtual spool system 4004, the client virtual spool system 4004 transmits the spool (step 420).
8).

The client virtual spool system 400
4 is spooled in the proxy server virtual spool system 4002 (process 42).
09).

Thereafter, when a space is created in the spool file in the target server virtual spool system 4001, the target server virtual spool system 4001 requests the proxy server virtual spool system 4002 to transfer a proxy spool (processing 4211).

Proxy server virtual spool system 4002
Executes the transfer of the proxy spool to the target server virtual spool system 4001 (process 4212).

Target server virtual spool system 4001
Spools the proxy spool transferred from the proxy server virtual spool system 4002 in its own spool file (process 4213).

Thereafter, the target server virtual spool system 4001 performs output to the target output device 4005 (process 4214).

FIG. 24 shows a flow in which an output request from the client application 4006 cannot be accepted by the target server or the proxy server, is held in the client, and is then processed by the target server.

Client application 4006
Executes an output request to the client virtual spool system 4004 (process 4301).

The output request is once spooled in the client virtual spool system 4004 (process 430).
2).

Client Virtual Spool System 400
4, after spooling the output request, returns a notification of spool acceptance to the client application 4006 (process 4303).

Thereafter, the client spool system 4
004 requests the target server virtual spool system 4001 to spool output requests (step 430).
4).

Object server virtual spool system 4001
Then, check whether spooling is possible in your server,
When it is determined that the spool cannot be spooled in the own spool, a server capable of proxy spooling is searched. The target server virtual spool system 4001 issues a virtual spool request to the proxy server virtual spool system 4002 (process 4305).

Proxy server virtual spool system 4002
Checks whether spooling is possible in the own server and if spooling is not possible, the target server virtual spool system 40
A response indicating that proxy spooling is not possible is returned to 01 (process 4306).

Proxy server virtual spool system 4002
Receives a response indicating that spooling is not possible from the target server virtual spool system 4001 and makes a similar inquiry to the next proxy server virtual spool system 4003 (process 4307).

Proxy server virtual spool system 4003
Checks whether spooling is possible in the own server and if spooling is not possible, the target server virtual spool system 40
A response indicating that proxy spooling is not possible is returned to 01 (process 4308).

Proxy server virtual spool system 4003
Receives a response indicating that spooling is not possible, the target server virtual spool system 4001 determines that there is no server capable of spooling.
A response indicating that spooling is not possible is returned to 004 (process 4309).

Target server virtual spool system 4001
Receives a response indicating that spooling is not possible from the client virtual spool system 4004, and holds the spool in its own client (process 4310).

Thereafter, when a vacancy occurs in the spool file in the target server virtual spool system 4001, the target server virtual spool system 4001 requests the client virtual spool system 4004 to transfer a spool (step 4311, Process 4312).

Client Virtual Spool System 400
No. 4 transfers the spool to the target server virtual spool system 4001 (process 4313).

Target server virtual spool system 4001
Spools the spool transferred from the client virtual spool system 4004 in its own spool file (process 4214).

Thereafter, the target server virtual spool system 4001 performs output to the target output device 4005 (process 4315).

The above is the embodiment of the present invention.

[0187]

According to the present invention as described above,
Since all the spool files of the target server and the proxy server (including the proxy spool in the client) can be used as one virtual spool, the output request from the client exceeds the physical capacity of the spool file of the target server. It is also possible in the range. As a result, the opportunity to reject an output request from a client due to a shortage of the spool file capacity of the target server is greatly reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system concept of an embodiment of a virtual spool system in a client-server system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a server and a system configuration of a server virtual spool system.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a client side and a system configuration of a client virtual spool system.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a distributed management unit of the server virtual spool system.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the distribution management information held by the distribution management unit.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a server spool management unit of the server virtual spool system.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of server spool management information held by a server spool management unit.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of queue management information and individual queue information constituting server spool management information, and a configuration showing a mutual relationship therebetween.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a client spool control unit of the client virtual spool system.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of client spool management information held by a client spool control unit.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a control procedure of a client spool control unit.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a control procedure of a communication management unit of the server virtual spool system.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a control procedure of a server spool control unit of the server virtual spool system.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of an output request process of a server spool control unit.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of a proxy spool process of a server spool control unit.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a proxy spool transfer process of a server spool control unit.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of spool review processing performed in the output request processing of FIG. 14;

FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a control procedure of an output processing unit of the server virtual spool system.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a distribution management unit of the server virtual spool system.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a server spool management unit of the server virtual spool system.

FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing one configuration for explaining a cooperative function between the client virtual spool system and the server virtual spool system in FIGS. 21 to 24;

FIG. 22 is a block diagram showing a flow in which an output request from a client application is processed by a target server in chronological order with a focus on cooperative processing between the client and the target server.

FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing a flow in which an output request from a client application is held by a proxy server and then processed by a target server, in a time series, focusing on cooperative processing among the client, the target server, and the proxy server.

FIG. 24 is a flow chart showing a flow in which an output request from a client application is not accepted by a target server and a proxy server, but is held by the client and then processed by the target server, mainly focusing on cooperative processing among the client, the proxy server, and the target server. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1000 virtual spool 1001 server computer 1002 server virtual spool system 1003 spool file 1004 output device 1005 server computer 1006 server virtual spool system 1007 spool file 1008 output device 1009 output device 1011 client computer 1012 client virtual spool system 1013 spool file 1014 application 1015 client computer 1016 Client virtual spool system 1017 Spool file 1018 Application 1020 Network 1021 Network operating system 1022 Network operating system 1031 Communication management unit 1032 Server spool control unit 1033 Distributed management unit 1034 Bus pool management unit 1035 output control unit 1036 output control unit 1041 client spool control unit 2010 distributed management information 2011 job name 2012 file size 2013 proxy server name 2020 server spool management information 2030 load management information 2031 usable amount 2032 current used amount 2033 reserved amount 2034 Overload rush usage 2035 Overload release usage 2036 Status 2040 Queue management information 2041 Output device name 2042 Individual queue address 2050 Individual queue information 2051 Job name 2052 Spool file name 2053 File size 2054 Status 2055 Next individual queue address 2060 Client spool Management information 2061 Job name 2062 Spool file name 2063 File size 2064 Target server name

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A client, wherein when a spool file in a target server is overloaded with respect to an output request from a client to a connection device to a server, the request is proxy spooled by a proxy server. -A spool system in the server system. 2. The spool method according to claim 1, wherein when both the spool files of the target server and the proxy server are overloaded, the spool is proxy-pooled in the client. 3. The spooling method according to claim 1, wherein a proxy spool from a proxy server or a client is transferred to the target server when the load on the spool file by the target server is reduced.