Operating management server for remotely managing plural image forming apparatuses via network, test environment construction system, and test environment construction method

A test environment construction system comprising:

• plural image forming apparatuses that transmit collection-target data;
• an operating management server that, via a network, remotely manages the plural image forming apparatuses that are registered as management targets;
• a relay apparatus that is provided in a communication path between each of the plural image forming apparatuses and the management server;
• and a test server that comprises the same functions as the management server;
• wherein
• each of the management server and the test server comprises:
• a controller that functions as a data-collection unit that receives the collection-target data from the image forming apparatuses and accumulates the data in respective databases;
• and
• an operation unit that receives control instructions for the image forming apparatuses;
• each of the controllers further functions as a respective command-processing unit that, together with transmitting commands to the image forming apparatuses based on the control instructions received by the operation unit, receives responses to the commands from the image forming apparatuses;
• the relay apparatus comprises:
• a connection-receiving unit that receives a connection with the test server;
• and
• a controller that functions as a data-relay unit that transmits the collection-target data that is transmitted from each of the plural image forming apparatuses to the test server, the connection of which is received by the connection-receiving unit;
• and
• the controller of the relay apparatus further functions as a command-relay unit that, together with relaying the commands for the image forming apparatuses that are transmitted from the test server, the connection of which is received by the connection-receiving unit, transmits the responses to the commands by the relaying received from the image forming apparatus to the test server, the connection of which is received by the connection-receiving unit.

A test environment construction method performed by an operating management server that is connected via a network to an image forming apparatus that is registered as a management target, and that remotely manages the image forming apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• receiving collection-target data from the image forming apparatus and accumulating the data in a database;
• receiving a connection for a test server that comprises the same functions as the management server;
• and
• transmitting the received collection-target data to the test server, the connection of which is received.