Managed device, device management apparatus, and device management system

• US 8,661,123 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2011
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishiyama, Yoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US13/226,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20120072587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/224, 340/506
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/085 Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history

Abstract

A device management system includes a managed device and a device management apparatus. The managed device includes a detection unit detecting a status change indicating a power-on or a network setting change of the managed device, a generating unit generating alert information based on the detected status change, and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the generated alert information to the device management apparatus. The device management apparatus includes a registration/update determining unit comparing the alert information with device management information and determining, based on the comparison result, whether it is necessary to perform a registration process or an update process on the device management information, and a registration/updating unit registering information extracted from the alert information in the device management information or updating a corresponding information item in the device management information with the information extracted from the alert information according to the determination result.

Claims

1. A device management apparatus connected via a network to a managed device, the device management apparatus comprising:

a storing unit configured to store device management information for managing the managed device;

a registration/update determining unit configured to compare alert information received from the managed device having an internal detection unit configured to detect a status change indicating a power-on or a network setting change of the managed device, with the device management information and to determine, based on the comparison result, whether it is necessary to perform a registration process or an update process on the device management information;

a registration/updating unit configured to register information extracted from the alert information in the device management information or update a corresponding information item in the device management information with the information extracted from the alert information if the registration/update determining unit determines that it is necessary to perform the registration process or the update process;

an analysis unit configured to analyze the alert information and extract a status change parameter indicating the power-on or the network setting change of the managed device, a network setting of the managed device, and a device number of the managed device from the alert information; and

an alert-type detetermining unit configured to determine a type of the alert information based on the status change parameter,

wherein the registration/update determining unit is configured to determine whether it is necessary to perform the registration process or the update process based also on the type of the alert information.

2. The device management apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

when the status change parameter indicates the network setting change, the registration/update determining unit compares the device number extracted from the alert information with device numbers registered in the device management information;

when the device number extracted from the alert information matches one of the device numbers registered in the device management information, the registration/update determining unit determines that it is necessary to update a network setting registered in association with the one of the device numbers in the device management information with the network setting extracted from the alert information; and

when the device number extracted from the alert information does not match any one of the device numbers registered in the device management information, the registration/update determining unit determines that it is necessary to register the network setting and the device number extracted from the alert information in the device management information.

3. The device management apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

when the status change parameter indicates the power-on, the registration/update determining unit compares the device number extracted from the alert information with device numbers registered in the device management information;

when the device number extracted from the alert information matches one of the device numbers registered in the device management information, the registration/update determining unit compares the network setting extracted from the alert information with a network setting registered in association with the one of the device numbers in the device management information; and

when the network setting extracted from the alert information does not match the network setting registered in association with the one of the device numbers, the registration/update determining unit determines that it is necessary to update the network setting registered in association with the one of the device numbers with the network setting extracted from the alert information.

4. The device management apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein

when the status change parameter indicates the power-on and the device number extracted from the alert information does not match any one of the device numbers registered in the device management information, the registration/update determining unit compares the network setting extracted from the alert information with network settings registered in the device management information;

when the network setting extracted from the alert information matches one of the network settings registered in the device management information, the registration/update determining unit determines that it is necessary to update a device number registered in association with the one of the network settings in the device management information with the device number extracted from the alert information; and

when the network setting extracted from the alert information does not match any one of the network settings registered in the device management information, the registration/update determining unit determines that it is necessary to register the network setting and the device number extracted from the alert information in the device management information.

5. A device management system, comprising:

at least one managed device; and

a device management apparatus connected via a network to the managed device, wherein

the managed device includes

a detection unit configured to detect a status change indicating a power-on or a network setting change of the managed device,

a generating unit configured to generate alert information based on the detected status change, and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the generated alert information to the device management apparatus; and

the device management apparatus includes

a storing unit configured to store device management information for managing the managed device,

a registration/update determining unit configured to compare the alert information received from the managed device with the device management information and determine, based on the comparison result, whether it is necessary to perform a registration process or an update process on the device management information,

a registration/updating unit configured to register information extracted from the alert information in the device management information or update a corresponding information item in the device management information with the information extracted from the alert information if the registration/update determining unit determines that it is necessary to perform the registration process or the update process,

an analysis unit configured to analyze the alert information and extract a status change parameter indicating the power-on or the network setting change of the managed device, a network setting of the managed device, and a device number of the managed device from the alert information, and

an alert-type determining unit configured to determine a type of the alert information based on the status change parameter,

wherein the registration/update determining unit is configured to determine whether it is necessary to perform the registration process or the update process based also on the type of the alert information.

6. The device management system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the generating unit generates the alert information including a status change parameter indicating the detected status change, a network setting of the device, and a device number of the device.