Device management system, information processing apparatus, and information processing method

• US 10,419,278 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Satoh, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Yohannes, Tesfay
• Application Number:
  US15/272,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20170099178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 709224, 709229, 714 30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0661 by reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0686 Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A device management system includes an information processing apparatus residing on a first network, a function providing apparatus residing on a second network and configured to provide a function to the information processing apparatus through a third network, and a log transfer apparatus residing on the first network and configured to communicate data with a providing-side device residing on the second network through a communication channel between the log transfer apparatus and the providing-side device. The information processing apparatus includes first circuitry to, in response to detecting a status in which the information processing apparatus is not able to communicate data with the function providing apparatus through the third network, generate an error log, and transmit the error log to the log transfer apparatus. The function providing apparatus includes second circuitry to acquire from the providing-side device the error log, and detect the state of the information processing apparatus.

Claims

1. A device management system comprising:

an information processing apparatus residing on a first network;

a function providing apparatus residing on a second network and configured to provide a function to the information processing apparatus to enable the information processing apparatus to perform the function provided by the function providing apparatus; and

a log transfer apparatus residing on the first network and configured to communicate data with a providing-side device residing on the second network through a communication channel established between the log transfer apparatus and the providing-side device,

the information processing apparatus including first circuitry to,

generate an error log, in response to detecting a status indicating an error in which the information processing apparatus is not able to communicate data with the function providing apparatus, the error log including information indicating a cause of the error indicated by the status detected, and

transmit the error log to the log transfer apparatus, and the function providing apparatus including second circuitry to,

acquire the error log from the providing-side device, the error log being previously transmitted via the communication channel, from the log transfer apparatus residing on the first network to the providing-side device residing on the second network, and

detect, in response to acquiring the error log, the information processing apparatus as being in a state in which the information processing apparatus is not able to communicate data with the function providing apparatus, the error log being generated by the information processing apparatus residing on the first network, and the error log being sent via the log transfer apparatus, residing on the first network, to the providing-side device residing on the second network.

2. The device management system of claim 1, further comprising:

the providing-side device, the providing-side device being a log management apparatus configured to manage the error log transmitted from the log transfer apparatus via the communication channel between the log management apparatus and the log transfer apparatus.

3. The device management system of claim 1, wherein

the function providing apparatus functions as the providing-side device, and

the second circuitry is configured to acquire the error log transmitted through the communication channel between the log transfer apparatus and the function providing apparatus, functioning as the providing-side device.

4. The device management system of claim 1, wherein

the second circuitry is further configured to, in response to detecting the information processing apparatus as being in the state in which the information processing apparatus is not able to communicate data with the function providing apparatus, output an instruction to take measures against the error depending on a content of the error log acquired, to notify the information processing apparatus of the instruction via the communication channel between the providing-side device and the log transfer apparatus.

5. The device management system of claim 1, wherein

the first circuitry is further configured to verify the log transfer apparatus to establish a communication channel between the information processing apparatus and the log transfer apparatus, and

the first circuitry is further configured to transmit the error log to the log transfer apparatus through the communication channel between the information processing apparatus and the log transfer apparatus.

6. The device management system of claim 1, wherein

the first circuitry is further configured to encrypt the error log for transmission to the log transfer apparatus in a format decodable by the function providing apparatus.

7. The device management system of claim 6, wherein

the first circuitry is further configured to sign the error log using a secrete key of the information processing apparatus, and encrypt the error log, once signed, using a public key of the function providing apparatus.

11. The device management system of claim 1, wherein the second circuitry, of the function providing apparatus, is further configured to,

receive, from the log transfer apparatus, restoration information indicating an instruction to change settings of the information processing apparatus;

and

changing the settings, based upon the instruction to change the settings, to enable the information processing apparatus to access the function providing apparatus via a network connection.

8. An information processing apparatus residing on a first network and configured to perform a function provided by a function providing apparatus residing on a second network, the information processing apparatus comprising:

circuitry to,

generate an error log, in response to detecting a status indicating an error in which the information processing apparatus is not able to communicate data with the function providing apparatus, the error log including information indicating a cause of the error indicated by the status detected, and

transmit the error log to a log transfer apparatus residing on the first network and configured to communicate data with a providing-side device residing on the second network through a communication channel established between the log transfer apparatus and the providing-side device, the error log, including information indicating a cause of the error indicated by the status detected, being subsequently obtainable by the function providing apparatus from the providing-side device, via the communication channel between the log transfer apparatus and the providing side device, the error log being generated and transmitted to the log transfer apparatus residing on the first network, and the providing-side device, residing on the second network, being configured to receive the error log.

9. The information processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

receive, from the log transfer apparatus, restoration information indicating an instruction to change settings of the information processing apparatus, and

change the settings, based upon the instruction to change the settings, to enable the information processing apparatus to access the function providing apparatus via a network connection.

10. An information processing method performed by an information processing apparatus residing on a first network and configured to perform a function provided by a function providing apparatus residing on a second network, the method comprising:

detecting an occurrence of an error in the information processing apparatus;

determining whether the error detected is a communication error;

transmitting to a log transfer apparatus residing on the first network, in response to the determining indicating that the error detected is the communication error, an instruction to build a communication channel between the information processing apparatus and the log transfer apparatus;

transmitting an error log indicating the error detected to the log transfer apparatus through the communication channel, built according to the instruction to build, between the information processing apparatus and the log transfer apparatus;

receiving, from the log transfer apparatus, restoration information indicating an instruction to change settings of the information processing apparatus; and

changing the settings, based upon the instruction to change the settings, to enable the information processing apparatus to access the function providing apparatus via a network connection, the error log transmitted between the information processing apparatus and the log transfer apparatus residing on the first network, and the function providing apparatus residing on the second network.