Method, system, program, and data structures for reconfiguring output devices in a network system

• US 6,658,498 B1
• Filed: 12/08/1999
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nguyen, Ryan Hoa, Carney, Dennis Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): SORRELL, ERON J
• Application Number:
  US09/457,268
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 710/8-10, 710/12, 709/220-222
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed is a method, system, program, and data structures for configuring output device resources including device objects, output devices, and logical interfaces to the output devices. Jobs directed to a device object are submitted to one associated output device over a network. At least one output device is associated with each device object by associating the device object with the logical interface to the output device, comprising. A file is received including a plurality of entries, wherein each entry indicates a network address of one output device. Each entry in the file is processed to create a logical interface to the output device at the network address indicated in the entry.

Claims

1. A method for configuring output device resources including device objects, output devices, and logical interfaces to the output devices, wherein jobs directed to a device object are submitted to one associated output device over a network, wherein at least one output device is associated with each device object by associating the device object with the logical interface to the output device, comprising:

receiving at a computer connected to the output devices a file created by a user and including a plurality of entries, wherein each entry indicates a network address of one output device; and

processing each entry in the file to create a logical interface to the output device at the network address indicated in the entry.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each entry further indicates one device object and wherein processing each entry in the file further comprises associating the device object indicated in the entry with the logical interface created for the entry.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each entry is capable of indicating to delete any preexisting logical interfaces associated with the device object after the device object is associated with the logical interface to the output device indicated in the entry, wherein the deleted preexisting logical interfaces do not include the logical interface to the output device at the network address indicated in the entry.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein processing each entry in the file further comprises determining whether there is a preexisting logical interface to the output device indicated in the entry before creating the logical interface to the output device, wherein the logical interface is not created if there is a preexisting logical interface to the output device indicated in the entry.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein processing each entry in the file further comprises:

determining whether an interface name is provided in the entry; and

setting the created logical interface to use the interface name if the interface name is provided in the entry.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein all the logical interfaces are created before associating the logical interfaces with the device objects.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising invoking a thread to associate the created logical interfaces with the device objects indicated in the entries after creating the logical interfaces.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the output device comprises a printer, the logical interface comprises a printer port, and the device object comprises a logical printer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the output devices are members of the set of output devices comprising:

printers, facsimile machines, copiers, telephones, display devices, input/output devices, storage devices, and communication systems.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a monitor program with each created logical interface, wherein the monitor program submits jobs directed to one device object to one output device associated with the logical interface over the network.

11. A system for configuring output device resources including device objects, output devices, and logical interfaces to the output devices, wherein jobs directed to a device object are submitted to one associated output device over a network, wherein at least one output device is associated with each device object by associating the device object with the logical interface to the output device, comprising:

means for receiving at a computer connected to the output devices a file created by a user and including a plurality of entries, wherein each entry indicates a network address of one output device; and

means for processing each entry in the file to create a logical interface to the output device at the network address indicated in the entry.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each entry further indicates one device object and wherein the means for processing each entry in the file further comprises means for associating the device object indicated in the entry with the logical interface created for the entry.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each entry is capable of indicating to delete any preexisting logical interfaces associated with the device object after the device object is associated with the logical interface to the output device indicated in the entry, wherein the deleted preexisting logical interfaces do not include the logical interface to the output device at the network address indicated in the entry.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for processing each entry in the file further comprises means for determining whether there is a preexisting logical interface to the output device indicated in the entry before creating the logical interface to the output device, wherein the logical interface is not created if there is a preexisting logical interface to the output device indicated in the entry.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for processing each entry in the file further comprises:

means for determining whether an interface name is provided in the entry; and

means for setting the created logical interface to use the interface name if the interface name is provided in the entry.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein all the logical interfaces are created before associating the logical interfaces with the device objects.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for invoking a thread to associate the created logical interfaces with the device objects indicated in the entries after creating the logical interfaces.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the output device comprises a printer, the logical interface comprises a printer port, and the device object comprises a logical printer.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the output devices are members of the set of output devices comprising:

printers, facsimile machines, copiers, telephones, display devices, input/output devices, storage devices, and communication systems.

20. An article of manufacture for use in programming a computer to configure output device resources including device objects, output devices, and logical interfaces to the output devices, wherein jobs directed to a device object are submitted to one associated output device over a network, and wherein at least one output device is associated with each device object by associating the device object with the logical interface to the output device, comprising the article of manufacture comprising computer usable media including at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the computer to perform:

receiving at a computer connected to the output devices a file created by a user and including a plurality of entries, wherein each entry indicates a network address of one output device; and

processing each entry in the file to create a logical interface to the output device at the network address indicated in the entry.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein each entry further indicates one device object and wherein processing each entry in the file further comprises associating the device object indicated in the entry with the logical interface created for the entry.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein each entry is capable of indicating to delete any preexisting logical interfaces associated with the device object after the device object is associated with the logical interface to the output device indicated in the entry, wherein the deleted preexisting logical interfaces do not include the logical interface to the output device at the network address indicated in the entry.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein processing each entry in the file further comprises determining whether there is a preexisting logical interface to the output device indicated in the entry before creating the logical interface to the output device, wherein the logical interface is not created if there is a preexisting logical interface to the output device indicated in the entry.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein processing each entry in the file further comprises:

determining whether an interface name is provided in the entry; and

setting the created logical interface to use the interface name if the interface name is provided in the entry.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein all the logical interfaces are created before associating the logical interfaces with the device objects.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 25, further comprising invoking a thread to associate the created logical interfaces with the device objects indicated in the entries after creating the logical interfaces.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the output device comprises a printer, the logical interface comprises a printer port, and the device object comprises a logical printer.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the output devices are members of the set of output devices comprising:

printers, facsimile machines, copiers, telephones, display devices, input/output devices, storage devices, and communication systems.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 20, further comprising associating a monitor program with each created logical interface, wherein the monitor program submits jobs directed to one device object to one output device associated with the logical interface over the network.

30. A computer useable transmission medium accessible to a computer, including data structures comprising:

a file created by a user including a plurality of entries, wherein each entry indicates a network address of one output device, wherein each entry in the file is processed to create a logical interface to the output device at the network address indicated in the entry, and wherein at least one output device is associated with each device object by associating the device object with a logical interface to the output device.

31. The computer useable transmission medium of claim 30, wherein each entry further indicates one device object and wherein each entry in the file is further processed to associate the device object indicated in the entry with the logical interface created for the entry.

32. The computer useable transmission medium of claim 30, wherein each entry is further capable of including an interface name, wherein the created logical interface is assigned the interface name if the interface name is provided in the entry.

33. The computer useable transmission medium of claim 30, wherein each entry is capable of indicating to delete any preexisting logical interfaces associated with the device object before the device object is associated with the logical interface to the output device indicated in the entry, wherein the deleted preexisting logical interfaces do not include the logical interface to the output device at the network address indicated in the entry.