Servicing a print request from a client system

• US 8,705,107 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Heil, Jochen
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Douglas Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Katzwhite, Justin
• Application Number:
  US13/473,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20120229855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.8, 358/1.9, 400/82
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1296 Printer job scheduling or printer resource handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

A method and associated system for servicing a print request from a specific client system of a plurality of client systems. A network connection between the specific client system and at least two printer server systems is set up response to receiving the print request from the specific client system. Client-specific information from a client profile is read from database accessible to each printer server system. At least one best-suited printer of the at least two printers is ascertained to be used for servicing the print request, utilizing the client-specific information, printer server information from a server profile, and printer information from a printer profile. The print request is serviced by the at least one best suited printer.

Claims

1. A method for servicing a print request from a specific client system of a plurality of client systems, said method comprising:

in response to receiving the print request from the specific client system, setting up a network connection between the specific client system and a plurality of printer server systems, said printer server systems being connected via a network;

reading, from a database accessible to each printer server system, client-specific information from a client profile, printer server information from a server profile, and printer information from a printer profile, wherein the printer server information pertains to each print server system of the plurality of printer server systems, wherein the printer information pertains to a plurality of printers utilized by the printer server systems, wherein the client-specific information pertains to the specific client system and comprises server identifiers and a home server identifier, wherein the server identifiers identify each printer server system of the plurality of printer server systems, and wherein the home server identifier identifies which printer server system of the plurality of printer server systems is the specific client system'"'"'s home server, wherein the client-specific information further comprises the specific client system'"'"'s geographic location, a favorite time span reflecting when the specific client system has previously been connected to the network, an amount of data reflective of a quantity of data previously printed within a given historical time span, a maximum data transfer rate at which the specific client system can transfer data to the network, a minimum speed required for printing data received from the specific client system by each printer server system of the plurality of printer server systems, or combination thereof;

ascertaining at least one best-suited printer of the plurality of printers to be used for servicing the print request, wherein said ascertaining comprises utilizing the client-specific information, the printer server information, and the printer information; and

in response to said ascertaining, servicing the print request, said servicing performed by the at least one best suited printer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the printer server information comprises:

each printer server system'"'"'s geographic location,

a data transfer rate between each printer server system and a respective printer of the plurality of printers,

a current percent usage of each printer server system, and

an activity schedule of all services currently scheduled for each printer server system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the printer information comprises:

each printer'"'"'s geographic location,

a printing speed of each printer,

a maximum number of pages of each printer'"'"'s queue, and

a current number of pages currently in each printer'"'"'s queue.

4. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions stored therein, said storage medium being hardware, said program instructions configured to be executed by a computer processor of a computer system to implement a method for servicing a print request from a specific client system of a plurality of client systems, said method comprising:

in response to receiving the print request from the specific client system, said processor setting up a network connection between the specific client system and a plurality of printer server systems, said printer server systems being connected via a network;

said processor reading, from a database accessible to each printer server system, client-specific information from a client profile, printer server information from a server profile, and printer information from a printer profile, wherein the printer server information pertains to each print server system of the plurality of printer server systems, wherein the printer information pertains to a plurality of printers utilized by the printer server systems, wherein the client-specific information pertains to the specific client system and comprises server identifiers and a home server identifier, wherein the server identifiers identify each printer server system of the plurality of printer server systems, and wherein the home server identifier identifies which printer server system of the plurality of printer server systems is the specific client system'"'"'s home server, wherein the client-specific information further comprises the specific client system'"'"'s geographic location, a favorite time span reflecting when the specific client system has previously been connected to the network, an amount of data reflective of a quantity of data previously printed within a given historical time span, a maximum data transfer rate at which the specific client system can transfer data to the network, a minimum speed required for printing data received from the specific client system by each printer server system of the plurality of printer server systems, or combination thereof

said processor ascertaining at least one best-suited printer of the plurality of printers to be used for servicing the print request, wherein said ascertaining comprises utilizing the client-specific information, the printer server information, and the printer information; and

in response to said ascertaining, said processor servicing the print request, said servicing performed by the at least one best suited printer.

5. A computer system, comprising a computer processor and a computer readable storage medium having program instructions stored therein, said storage medium being hardware, said program instructions configured to be executed by the computer processor to implement a method for servicing a print request from a specific client system of a plurality of client systems, said method comprising:

in response to receiving the print request from the specific client system, said processor setting up a network connection between the specific client system and a plurality of printer server systems, said printer server systems being connected via a network;

said processor reading, from a database accessible to each printer server system, client-specific information from a client profile, printer server information from a server profile, and printer information from a printer profile, wherein the printer server information pertains to each print server system of the plurality of printer server systems, wherein the printer information pertains to a plurality of printers utilized by the printer server systems, wherein the client-specific information pertains to the specific client system and comprises server identifiers and a home server identifier, wherein the server identifiers identify each printer server system of the plurality of printer server systems, and wherein the home server identifier identifies which printer server system of the plurality of printer server systems is the specific client system'"'"'s home server wherein the client-specific information further comprises the specific client system'"'"'s geographic location, a favorite time span reflecting when the specific client system has previously been connected to the network, an amount of data reflective of a quantity of data previously printed within a given historical time span, a maximum data transfer rate at which the specific client system can transfer data to the network, a minimum speed required for printing data received from the specific client system by each printer server system of the plurality of printer server systems, or combination thereof;

said processor ascertaining at least one best-suited printer of the plurality of printers to be used for servicing the print request, wherein said ascertaining comprises utilizing the client-specific information, the printer server information, and the printer information; and

in response to said ascertaining, said processor servicing the print request, said servicing performed by the at least one best suited printer.