453 adds some pieces of information, and transmits the file to the backup management server 104 as backup data. In the present embodiment, the information to be added may be a date and time of the backup processing being executed and an ID for uniquely identifying the image forming apparatus 101 and the corresponding setup environment. The backup processing may be instructed by the user via the operation control unit 451. In addition, the backup processing may be performed periodically at intervals specified by the user. Further, the backup processing may be executed by an external program through the I/F provision unit 452.

A restoration executing unit 454 acquires backup data designated by the user from the backup management server 104, and restores the image forming apparatus 101 based on the backup data.

FIG. 4B shows an example of a setup environment setting screen 460 displayed on the operation unit 320 by the operation control unit 410. The setting screen 460 includes a setup environment list button 461 and an execution button 462. The list button 461 allows the user to select a setup environment. The user selects a setup environment of the image forming apparatus 101 from the setup environment list button 461 on the setting screen 460, and presses the execution button 462.

In the present embodiment, the user selects a setup environment from the six options of setup environments shown in Table 1. The operation control unit 410 of the image forming apparatus 101 detects the user's operation and transmits information indicating the user's selection to the security setting control unit 430. In response to the information, the security setting control unit 430 collectively sets security functions suitable for the setup environment selected by the user.

When an environment corresponding to the situation of the image forming apparatus being installed is selected by an administrator or the like of the image forming apparatus 101, one or a plurality of predetermined setting values (for example, the security settings as described above) suitable for the environment can be collectively set for the image forming apparatus 101.

Thereafter, the security setting control unit 430 notifies the backup management unit 450 that the setup environment has been selected by the user.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a software configuration of the backup management server 104. Each unit shown in FIG. 5 is realized by the CPU201 executing a program related to each unit that is stored in the ROM202.

The OF provision unit 501 provides an API used by an external information processing apparatus. The API allows the backup management server 104 to transmit and receive data to and from the backup management unit 450.

The data management unit 502 controls operations such as updating and deleting data stored in the backup database 503.

The backup database 503 stores entity files of backup data received from the image forming apparatus 101 via the OF provision unit 501 and a management table for the entity files.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a backup management table stored in the backup database 503 of the present embodiment. A serial number 610 is an ID for uniquely identifying the image forming apparatus 101, and indicates from which image forming apparatus 101 the backup data has been acquired. An acquisition date and time 611 indicates the date and time when the backup data was created. A file name 612 indicates a file name of the backup data. A setup environment ID 613 is an ID corresponding to the six setup environments of the present embodiment. The setup environment ID 613 indicates which setup environment was applied to the image forming apparatus 101 at the time when the respective backup data were created.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the backup processing performed by the backup management unit 450 of the image forming apparatus 101 according to the first embodiment. Each step of this flowchart is realized by the CPU311 executing a program corresponding to each step stored in the ROM312.

In step S701, the backup execution unit 453 determines whether the setup environment of the image forming apparatus 101 has been changed. According to the present embodiment, in case of the user changing the setup environment via the setup environment setting screen 460, the security setting control unit 430 collectively sets the security functions according to the change in the setup environment. The security setting control unit 430 notifies the backup execution unit 453 via the OF provision unit 452 that the setup environment has been changed. The backup execution unit 453 detects the change in the setup environment based on the notification.

In step S702, the backup execution unit 453 refers to and acquires the current operation setting data 422 via the OF provision unit 440, and creates a backup file including the data 422. In step S703, the backup execution unit 453 refers to the setting data 422 via the OF provision unit 440 and acquires the setup environment ID that is currently set to the image forming apparatus 101.

In step S704, the backup execution unit 453 collectively transmits the backup files created in step S702, the setup environment ID acquired in step S703, and other information to the backup management server 104.

The backup management server 104 receives the backup data and the setup environment ID from the image forming apparatus 101, and associates the backup data with the setup environment ID. The backup management server 104 stores and manages the data shown in FIG. 6 in the backup database 503.

According to the present embodiment, the number of pieces of backup data stored in the backup management server 104 is one for each image forming apparatus (serial number). That is, in case that the backup data of the image forming apparatus 101 has been stored and new backup data of the image forming apparatus 101 is to be stored, the backup management unit 450 deletes the stored old backup data.

When the setup environment of the image forming apparatus 101 is changed and setting values corresponding to the change are collectively set, the backup data of the image forming apparatus 101 is transmitted to the backup management server 104 and stored therein. As a result, the backup data of the image forming apparatus 101 managed by the backup management server 104 is backup data based on the current setup environment of the image forming apparatus 101, that is, backup data based on a setup environment of the image forming apparatus and a change in the setup environment.

According to the present embodiment, executing the backup processing in response to a change in the setup environment of the image forming apparatus allows to manage the backup data based on a setup environment of the image forming apparatus and the change of the setup environment. The above configuration prevents the apparatus from being restored by the user based on backup data created with the setup environment before the change. Therefore, the present embodiment allows to prevent settings (in particular, security settings) that are not suitable for the current setup environment from being applied to the image forming apparatus. As a result, the present embodiment can reduce the risk of the image forming apparatus being exposed to a threat of attack.

Second Embodiment

According to the first embodiment, the backup data stored in the backup management server is the latest data for each image forming apparatus. However, another configuration may be considered in which the backup management server holds multiple pieces of past backup data for each image forming apparatus and a user selects backup data to be used for restoration when restoring the apparatus. In such a case, the backup data created before the setup environment is changed may be selected when restoring the apparatus. According to the second embodiment, backup data is deleted from the backup management server in case that a setup environment of the backup data when created does not match a changed setup environment of the apparatus. In the second embodiment, the configurations shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 are same as those of the first embodiment, and the descriptions of the respective figures are omitted. Hereinafter, differences from the first embodiment will be described.

FIG. 8A shows an example of a backup management table stored in the backup database 503 of the second embodiment. The backup database 503 according to the second embodiment stores, for example, three pieces of past backup data for each image forming apparatus 101.

In case that three pieces of past backup data are stored and new backup data is stored, the oldest backup data is deleted.

The number of pieces of past backup data of each image forming apparatus 101 stored in the backup database 503 is not limited to three. The number of the past backup data may be two, or four or more. An arbitrary number of pieces of backup data may be set for storage.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the backup management server 104 according to the second embodiment. Each step in the present flowchart is realized by the CPU201 executing a program corresponding to each step stored in the ROM202.

In step S901, the data management unit 502 receives the latest backup database from the backup management unit 450, and the process proceeds to step S902.

In step S902, the data management unit 502 refers to the backup database 503 to determine whether or not backup data whose setup environment does not match a changed setup environment of the apparatus is stored. Specifically, the data management unit 502 acquires the serial number 610 and the setup environment ID 613 included in the backup data received in step S901. Then, the data management unit 502 refers to the backup database 503 to acquire a list of backup data associated with the acquired serial number. The data management unit 502 determines whether or not backup data having a setup environment ID different from that of the backup data received in step S901 is stored in the database. In case that backup data having the different setup environment ID is stored in the database (YES in step S902), the data management unit 502 advances the processing to step S903.

In step S903, on the basis of the determination in step S902, the data management unit 502 deletes the corresponding backup data (the backup data having a setup environment ID different from the ID of the backup data received in step S901) from the backup database 503. After the process step S903, the data management unit 502 advances the processing to step S904.

On the other hand, in case of the backup database 503 storing no backup data having a setup environment ID different from the ID of the backup data received in step S901 (NO in step S902), the data management unit 502 skips step S903 and advances the processing to step S904.

In step S904, the data management unit 502 stores the backup data received in step S901 in the backup database 503 and updates the backup management table. In case that a number of pieces of backup data having the same serial number and setup environment have reached the upper limit for storage (three pieces of past backup data in the above example), the data management unit 502 deletes the oldest data from among the backup data and stores new backup data.

FIG. 8B shows an example of the management table after applying the processes from step S901 to step S904 of FIG. 9 to the backup management table shown in FIG. 8A. In the example shown in FIG. 8B, a setup environment of the image forming apparatus 101 having a “SERIAL NUMBER: ABC00001” is changed, and backup data created in the environment before the change have been deleted.

In this example, since the setup environment ID of the backup data received in step S901 indicates “2”, the backup data having a setup environment ID “3”, which is different from the above ID “2”, are deleted from the backup database 503.

The flow of the restoration processes according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of restoration processes executed by the backup management server 104 of the second embodiment. Each step of the present flowchart is realized by the CPU201 executing a program corresponding to each step stored in the ROM202.

In step S1001, upon receiving a request of acquiring restorable data list from the backup management unit 450, the data management unit 502 advances the processing to step S1002. This request is transmitted when a user instructs to start the restoration processing via a screen displayed on the operation control unit 451 of the backup management unit 450. The restoration executing unit 454 acquires the current setup environment ID via the OF provision unit 440 based on a serial number of the image forming apparatus 101 operating the restoration executing unit 454 and includes the current setup environment ID in the request.

In step S1002, the data management unit 502 refers to the backup database 503 to acquire all backup data that match the serial number included in the request received in step S1001. The data management unit 502 includes the above backup data in a response list.

In step S1003, the management unit 502 determines whether the list created in step S1002 includes backup data whose setup environment does not match the setup environment included in the request received in step S1001. In case that the backup data whose setup environment does not match the setup environment included in the request received in step S1001 is included in the list (YES in step S1003), the management unit 502 advances the processing to step S1004.

In step S1004, the data management unit 502 deletes backup data from the response list based on the determination made in step S1003. The backup data that does not have the matched setup environment should have been deleted by the process of step S