MANAGEMENT APPARATUS AND MANAGEMENT METHOD

• US 20120203882A1
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohashi, Toshio
• Application Number:
  US13/363,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203882A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/121 Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A management apparatus of the present invention includes a first selection unit configured to display a map indicating a location of a plurality of network devices on a network and select a network device as a restart target via the map, a second selection unit configured to display a list including device information of the plurality of network devices and select a network device as a restart target via the list, and a request unit configured to request the network device selected by the first or the second selection unit to restart at a desired time.

Claims

1. A management apparatus managing device information of a network device, the apparatus comprising at least a processor, functioning as:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire device information from a plurality of network devices on a network;

a first selection unit configured to display a map indicating locations of the plurality of network devices on the network and accept a selection of a network device as a restart target via the map;

a second selection unit configured to accept a selection of the network device as a restart target via a list of the plurality of network devices displayed by using the acquired device information;

an input unit configured to input a time that a request for restart of the network device selected by the first or the second selection unit is to be transmitted; and

a request unit configured to request the network device selected by the first or the second selection unit to restart at the time input via the input unit.

2. The management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a confirmation unit configured to display, if the network device is selected as a restart target by the second selection unit, the network device as a restart target so that the network device as a restart target can be identified on the map for confirmation before inputting the request for restart.

3. The management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the locations of the management apparatus and the plurality of network devices are such that the locations can be indicated on one map, the network device can be selected as a restart target by the first selection unit via the map.

4. The management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a warning unit configured to issue a warning when the network device is selected as a restart target by the first or the second selection unit if a network device of an equivalent function does not exist in a vicinity of the selected network device.

5. A management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the units according to claim 1 are provided as a web service according to an input via a web browser of an external client computer.

6. The management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an agent configured to provide information of an install-completed device driver to the management apparatus is operated on the client computer, and

wherein the first selection unit displays a map on which a network device corresponding to the install-completed device driver is indicated and selects a network device as a restart target via the map.

7. A management method of a plurality of network devices, the method comprising:

acquiring device information from a plurality of network devices on a network;

storing the acquired device information in a storage unit;

performing a first selection configured to display a map indicating locations of the plurality of network devices on the network and accept a selection of a network device as a restart target via the map;

performing a second selection configured to accept a selection of the network device as a restart target via a list of the plurality of network devices displayed by using the acquired device information;

inputting a time that a request for restart of the network device selected by the first or the second selection is to be transmitted; and

requesting the network device selected by the first or the second selection to restart at the input time.

8. A computer readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for causing a computer to execute a method for managing a plurality of network devices, the method comprising:

acquiring device information from a plurality of network devices on a network;

storing the acquired device information in a storage unit;

performing a first selection configured to display a map indicating locations of the plurality of network devices on the network and accept a selection of a network device as a restart target via the map;

performing a second selection configured to accept a selection of the network device as a restart target via a list of the plurality of network devices displayed by using the acquired device information;

inputting a time that a request for restart of the network device selected by the first or the second selection is to be transmitted; and

requesting the network device selected by the first or the second selection to restart at the input time.