Information processing apparatus that determines an image forming apparatus to be used for a printing job based on a number of sheets to be used in the printing job, and related image forming apparatus determination method and storage medium

An image forming apparatus determination method that is performed by an information processing apparatus connected to at least one image forming apparatus for executing a printing job, the method comprising:

• acquiring a state of a plurality of paper feeding stages from an image forming apparatus, of the at least one image forming apparatus;
• determining, based on a state of a paper feeding stage of the image forming apparatus, whether or not an amount of sheets to be consumed by a printing job is set on the paper feeding stage of the image forming apparatus;
• transmitting, in a case where it is determined that the amount of sheets to be consumed by the printing job is set on the paper feeding stage, a print job including identification information of the paper feeding stage determined to have the amount of sheets set thereon to the image forming apparatus;
• determining, in a case where it is determined that the amount of sheets to be consumed by the printing job is not set on any paper feeding stage of the image forming apparatus, based on the state of the plurality of paper feeding stages, whether or not the amount of sheets to be consumed by the printing job is equal to or less than a total amount of sheets set in the plurality of paper feeding stages of the image forming apparatus;
• and
• transmitting, in a case where it is determined that the amount of sheets to be consumed by the printing job is equal to or less than a total amount of sheets set in the plurality of paper feeding stages of the image forming apparatus, a print job including identification information of each of the plurality of paper feeding stages that is determined to the image forming apparatus.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a program that, when executed by a computer connected to at least one image forming apparatus for executing a printing job, causes the computer to perform operations of:

• acquiring a state of a plurality of paper feeding stages from an image forming apparatus, of the at least one image forming apparatus;
• determining, based on a state of a paper feeding stage of the image forming apparatus, whether or not an amount of sheets to be consumed by a printing job is set on the paper feeding stage of the image forming apparatus;
• transmitting, in a case where it is determined that the amount of sheets to be consumed by the printing job is set on the paper feeding stage, a print job including identification information of the paper feeding stage determined to have the amount of sheets set thereon to the image forming apparatus;
• determining, in a case where it is determined that the amount of sheets to be consumed by the printing job is not set on any paper feeding stage of the image forming apparatus, based on the state of the plurality of paper feeding stages, whether or not the amount of sheets to be consumed by the printing job is equal to or less than a total amount of sheets set in the plurality of paper feeding stages of the image forming apparatus;
• and
• transmitting, in a case where it is determined that the amount of sheets to be consumed by the printing job is equal to or less than a total amount of sheets set in the plurality of paper feeding stages of the image forming apparatus, a print job including identification information of each of the plurality of paper feeding stages that is determined to the image forming apparatus.