INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20090150458A1
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Igarashi, Toshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,219,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database

Abstract

An information processing apparatus configured to allow a new version of software to be executed therein is provided. The information processing apparatus acquires management information in a format corresponding to an old version of the software and converts the acquired management information into a format corresponding to the new version of the software. When converting data, the information processing apparatus adds a new value to a management item that is common to the formats of the management information of the old version and the new version of the software so that the value is suitable for the new version of the software.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus configured to allow first software to be executed therein, the first software manages a network device communicable via a network using management information regarding the network device stored in a database, the apparatus comprising:

a data migrating unit configured to acquire management information in a format corresponding to second software of a version different from a version of the first software, convert the management information in a format corresponding to the second software into a format corresponding to the first software, and register the converted management information in the database; and

a control unit configured to receive an instruction of performing a data migration process, in which the management information in the format corresponding to the second software is migrated to data used by the first software, and start the data migrating process in accordance with the received instruction,

wherein the data migrating unit converts the management information by adding a new value to a management item that is common to the formats of the management information of the first and second software so that the value is suitable for the first software.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a management item of the format of the management information corresponding to the second software is not included in management items of the format of the management information corresponding to the first software, the data migrating unit converts the management information by deleting the management item and a value of the management item and wherein, when a management item that is not included in the format of the management information corresponding to the second software is included in management items of the format of the management information corresponding to the first software, the data migrating unit converts the management information by setting the value of the management item to null.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the management information includes user information of a user who is capable of using the network device.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit starts the data migrating unit so that the data migrating unit is executed in a process different from that of the control unit and wherein the control unit includes a migration state information acquiring unit configured to acquire information regarding a migration state of the management information performed by the data migrating unit and a notifying unit configured to notify a user of the migration state of the management information based on the acquired information regarding a migration state of the management information.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first software and the second software are capable of performing a management operation based on task data defining the management operation for the network device, and the control unit receives an instruction for a data migration process for converting task data in the format corresponding to the second software into task data used by the first software, and wherein, upon being started, the data migrating unit acquires the task data in the format corresponding to the second software, converts the acquired task data in the format corresponding to the second software into the format corresponding to the first software, and registers the converted task data in the database.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the task data includes information of the network device, and the data migrating unit includes a detecting unit configured to detect a network device communicable via the network, and wherein the data migrating unit converts task data by deleting information regarding a network device that is not detected by the detecting unit from information regarding network devices to be managed in accordance with a management operation defined by the acquired task data in the format corresponding to the second software.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the management operation defined by the task data includes delivering a destination table for the network device.

8. An information processing apparatus configured to allow first software to be executed therein, the first software manages a network device communicable via a network using management information regarding the network device stored in a database, the apparatus comprising:

a data migrating unit configured to acquire management information in a format corresponding to second software of a version different from a version of the first software, convert the management information in a format corresponding to the second software into a format corresponding to the first software, and register the converted management information in the database; and

a control unit configured to receive an instruction of performing a data migration process, in which the management information in the format corresponding to the second software is migrated to data used by the first software, and start the data migrating process in accordance with the instruction,

wherein execution of the control unit and execution of the data migrating unit are performed in different processes.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control unit includes a migration state information acquiring unit configured to acquire information regarding a migration state of the management information performed by the data migrating unit and a notifying unit configured to notify, using a web browser, a user of the migration state of the management information based on the acquired information regarding a migration state of the management information.

10. A method for information processing for use in an information processing apparatus configured to allow first software to be executed therein, the first software manages a network device communicable via a network using management information regarding the network device stored in a database, the method comprising:

migrating data by acquiring management information in a format corresponding to second software of a version different from a version of the first software, converting the management information in a format corresponding to the second software into a format corresponding to the first software, and registering the converted management information in the database; and

performing control by receiving an instruction of performing a data migration process, in which the management information in the format corresponding to the second software is migrated to data used by the first software, and starting migrating data in accordance with the instruction,

wherein, in migrating data, the management information is converted by adding a new value to a management item that is common to the formats of the management information of the first and second software so that the value is suitable for the first software.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, when a management item of the format of the management information corresponding to the second software is not included in management items of the format of the management information corresponding to the first software, the management information, in migrating data, is converted by deleting the management item and a value of the management item and wherein, when a management item that is not included in the format of the management information corresponding to the second software is included in management items of the format of the management information corresponding to the first software, the management information, in migrating data, is converted by setting the value of the management item to null.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the management information includes user information of a user who is capable of using the network device.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein performing control and migrating data are executed in different processes and wherein performing control involves acquiring information regarding a migration state of the management information in migrating data and notifying a user of the migration state of the management information based on the acquired information regarding a migration state of the management information.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first software and the second software are capable of performing a management operation based on task data defining the management operation for the network device, and wherein, when an instruction for a data migration process for converting task data in the format corresponding to the second software into task data used by the first software is received in performing control, migrating data is started, and wherein, in migrating data, the task data in the format corresponding to the second software is acquired, the acquired task data in the format corresponding to the second software is converted into a format corresponding to the first software, and the converted task data is registered in the database.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the task data includes information about a network device to be managed, and migrating data involves detecting a network device communicable via the network, and wherein, in migrating data, task data is converted by deleting information regarding a network device that is not detected in detecting a network device from information regarding network devices to be managed in accordance with a management operation defined by the acquired task data in the format corresponding to the second software.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the management operation defined by the task data includes delivering a destination table for the network device.

17. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer-executable program for causing a computer to execute the method according to claim 10.

18. A method for information processing for use in an information processing apparatus configured to allow first software to be executed therein, the first software manages a network device communicable via a network using management information regarding the network device stored in a database, the method comprising:

migrating data by acquiring management information in a format corresponding to second software of a version different from a version of the first software, converting the management information in a format corresponding to the second software into a format corresponding to the first software, and registering the converted management information in the database; and

performing control in response to receiving an instruction of performing a data migration process, in which the management information in the format corresponding to the second software is migrated to data used by the first software, and starting migrating data in accordance with the instruction,

wherein performing control and migrating data are executed in different processes.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein performing control involves acquiring information regarding a migration state of the management information in migrating data and notifying, using a web browser, a user of the migration state of the management information based on the acquired information regarding a migration state of the management information.

20. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer-executable program for causing a computer to execute the method according to claim 18.