Servicing a print request from a client system

• US 9,218,153 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2014
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• 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): Poon, King
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siddo, Ibrahim
• Application Number:
  US14/189,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20140177000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 358 11- 19, 358 111- 118
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 system for servicing a print request from a specific client system. Client-specific information from a client profile is read from database accessible to at least two printer server systems. The client-specific information includes the specific client system'"'"'s geographic location, a favorite time span reflecting when the specific client system was previously connected to a network, an amount of data reflecting 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, or combinations thereof. At least one best-suited printer is ascertained to be used for servicing the print request, utilizing the client-specific information, printer server information, and printer information. 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:

reading, by a processor of a computer system from a database accessible to each printer server system of a plurality of printer server systems, 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 the specific client system'"'"'s geographic location, a favorite time span reflecting when the specific client system has previously been connected to a 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 combinations thereof;

said processor ascertaining at least one best-suited printer of the plurality of printers to be used for servicing a print request received from the specific client system, 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.

2. The method of claim 1, said method further 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.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the client-specific information further comprises server identifiers that identify each printer server system of the plurality of printer server systems.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the client-specific information further comprises a home server identifier that identifies which printer server system of the plurality of printer server systems is the specific client system'"'"'s home server.

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

each printer server'"'"'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.

6. 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.

7. 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:

said processor reading, from a database accessible to each printer server system of a plurality of printer server systems, 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 the specific client system'"'"'s geographic location, a favorite time span reflecting when the specific client system has previously been connected to a 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 combinations thereof;

said processor ascertaining at least one best-suited printer of the plurality of printers to be used for servicing a print request received from the specific client system, 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.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, said method further 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.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the client-specific information further comprises server identifiers that identify each printer server system of the plurality of printer server systems.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the client-specific information further comprises a home server identifier that identifies which printer server system of the plurality of printer server systems is the specific client system'"'"'s home server.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, 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.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, 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.

13. 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:

said processor reading, from a database accessible to each printer server system of a plurality of printer server systems, 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 the specific client system'"'"'s geographic location, a favorite time span reflecting when the specific client system has previously been connected to a 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 combinations thereof;

said processor ascertaining at least one best-suited printer of the plurality of printers to be used for servicing a print request received from the specific client system, 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.

14. The computer system of claim 13, said method further 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.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the client-specific information further comprises server identifiers that identify each printer server system of the plurality of printer server systems.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the client-specific information further comprises a home server identifier that identifies which printer server system of the plurality of printer server systems is the specific client system'"'"'s home server.

17. The computer system of claim 13, 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.

18. The computer system of claim 13, 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.