Management system, server, client, and method thereof

• US 10,257,250 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2013
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakazawa, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Vostal, Ondrej C
• Application Number:
  US13/957,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20140040425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,077 Days
• Field of Search: 709217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/048 mobile agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A server stores association between client information and a network device as a management target of a client corresponding to the client information. In addition, the server creates an installer for starting a management function of the network device including client information and distributes the installer to the client. Then, when receiving a validation request including the client information corresponding to an execution of the installer from the client in the customer environment, the server performs validation processing of the client, and subsequently sends identification information of the network device as the management target of the client as a response.

Claims

1. A management system including a management server for managing one or more target devices located in a customer environment, and a client device located in the customer environment, the management server comprising:

one or more memories storing instructions; and

one or more processors,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the management server to perform operations comprising;

associating client information identifying the client device located in the customer environment with one or more target device identifiers identifying the one or more target devices, the client device being separate from the one or more target devices and responsible for collecting data from the one or more target devices;

generating a client installer to install client software on the client device, wherein the client information is included in the generated client installer;

transmitting the generated client installer to the client device;

validating the client device on which the client software has been installed in response to a validation request received from the client device on which the client software has been installed, the validation request including the client information;

receiving from the validated client device a request for the one or more target device identifiers;

after determining that the client device has been validated, sending, to the validated client device, the one or more target device identifiers; and

obtaining data regarding the one or more target devices from the installed client software on the client device, wherein the client device comprises one or more memories storing second instructions related to the client software that has been installed on the client device according to an execution of the client installer generated by the management server, and one or more processors capable of executing the second instructions causing the client device to;

transmit the validation request to the management server after the client installer has installed the client software on the client device according to the execution of the client installer, wherein the validation request includes the client information included in the client installer;

transmit the request for the one or more target device identifiers to the management server;

obtain the data regarding the one or more target devices from the one or more target devices, via a local network in the customer environment, based on the one or more target device identifiers sent by the management server, wherein the data regarding the one or more target devices comprises at least one of log information, counter information, status information, and a setting value; and

transmit, to the management server, the obtained data.

2. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the client device is further configured to obtain, from the management server, a package for expanding a function of transmitting counter information of the one or more target devices, and install the package.

3. A management system for managing one or more target devices located in a customer environment, the management system comprising:

one or more memories storing instructions; and

one or more processors,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the management system to perform operations comprising;

associating client information identifying a client device located in the customer environment with one or more target device identifiers identifying the one or more target devices, the client device being separate from the one or more target devices and responsible for collecting data from the one or more target devices;

generating a client installer to install client software on the generated client device, wherein the client information is included in the generated client installer;

transmitting the generated client installer to the client device;

receiving a validation request including the client information from the installed client software on the client device after the client software has been installed on the client device according to an execution of the client installer;

validating the client device on which the client software has been installed in response to the validation request received from the client device on which the client software has been installed, the validation request including the client information;

receiving from the validated client device a request for the one or more target device identifiers;

after determining that the client device has been validated, sending, to the validated client device, the one or more target device identifiers,

wherein the client software on the client device obtains data comprising at least one of log information, counter information, status information, and a setting value, from the one or more target devices, via a local network in the customer environment, based on the one or more target device identifiers sent by the management system; and

receiving the obtained data from the client software installed on the client device.

4. The management system according to claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the management system to store validated date and time information and key information together with the client information at a time when validation processing of the client device on which the client software has been installed is being performed.

5. The management system according to claim 3,

wherein, in response to the request from the validated client device for the one or more target device identifiers, information indicating a service to be provided by the client device is sent in addition to sending the one or more target device identifiers, and

wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the management system to transmit a package to expand a function necessary for executing the service in response to a request for the package from the client device.

6. The management system according to claim 3,

wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the management system to send key information created for the client device as a response to the validation request received from the client device, and

wherein a signature using the sent key information is used in communications from the client device to the management system after the client device is validated.

7. A method performed in a management system for managing one or more target devices located in a customer environment, the method comprising:

associating client information identifying a client device located in the customer environment with one or more target device identifiers identifying the one or more target devices, the client device being separate from the one or more target devices and responsible for collecting data from the one or more target devices;

generating a client installer to install client software on the client device, wherein the client information is included in the generated client installer;

transmitting the generated client installer to the client device;

receiving a validation request including the client information from the installed client software on the client device after the client software has been installed on the client device according to an execution of the client installer;

validating the client device on which the client software has been installed in response to the validation request received from the client device on which the client software has been installed, the validation request including the client information;

receiving from the validated client device a request for the one or more target device identifiers;

after determining that the client device has been validated, sending, to the validated client device, the one or more target device identifiers,

wherein the client software on the client device obtains data comprising at least one of log information, counter information, status information, and a setting value, from the one or more target devices, via a local network in the customer environment, based on the one or more target device identifiers sent by the management system; and

receiving the obtained data from the client software installed on the client device.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause a management system to perform a process for managing one or more target devices located in a customer environment, the process comprising:

associating client information identifying a client device located in the customer environment with one or more target device identifiers identifying the one or more target devices, the client device being separate from the one or more target devices and to be responsible for collecting data from the one or more target devices;

generating a client installer to install client software on the client device, wherein the client information is included in the generated client installer;

transmitting the generated client installer to the client device;

receiving a validation request including the client information from the installed client software on the client device after the client software has been installed on the client device according to an execution of the client installer;

validating the client device on which the client software has been installed in response to the validation request received from the client device on which the client software has been installed, the validation request including the client information;

receiving from the validated client device a request for the one or more target device identifiers;

after determining that the client device has been validated, sending, to the validated client device, the one or more target device identifiers,

wherein the client software on the client device obtains data comprising at least one of log information, counter information, status information, and a setting value, from the one or more target devices, via a local network in the customer environment, based on the one or more target device identifiers sent by the management system; and

receiving the obtained data from the client software installed on the client device.