Management apparatus of managing devices using history of communication processes, management system of managing devices using history of communication processes, and management method of managing devices using history of communication processes

A management system comprising a plurality of devices and a management apparatus,

• each of the plurality of devices accumulates a history of communication processes executed with another device of the plurality of devices in a memory, and based on the accumulated history, creates communication process information that indicates communication processes of a same type executed at a same time interval with a same communication partner, and
• the management apparatus executes a grouping process that includes a collection process configured to collect the communication process information from each of the plurality of devices, a specification process configured to specify one or more pairs of a communication source device and a communication destination device in which communication processes of a same type were executed at a same time interval based on a process classification type indicating a type of a communication process between the communication source device and the communication destination device and a time interval in which the communication process is performed, which are included in the collected communication process information a creation process configured to create a group including the one or more pairs, and outputs display information for displaying information of the devices included in the group created by the grouping process,
• the management apparatus executes the grouping process a plurality of times with the time interval,
• in the output of the display information, when the grouping process is executed at a first timing, compares a first group created by the grouping process with a second group created by the grouping process executed at a second timing before the first timing, and
• outputs, as the display information, the display information that indicates information of devices included in the first group and difference information for displaying a difference between the first group and the second group,
• as the first group, of the groups created by the grouping process executed at the first timing, a group that includes a first device of the plurality of devices and includes most devices is selected, and
• as the second group to be compared with the first group, of the groups created by the grouping process executed at the second timing, a group that includes the first device and includes the most devices is selected.

A management method causing a computer to execute a process, the process comprising:

• executing a grouping process that includes a collection process configured to collect information from each of a plurality of devices based on a history of communication processes executed with another device of the plurality of devices, and store the information in a memory, a specification process configured to specify one or more pairs of a communication source device and a communication destination device in which communication processes of a same type were executed at a same time interval based on a process classification type indicating a type of a communication process between the communication source device and the communication destination device and a time interval in which the communication process is performed, which are included in the information collected in the collection process and a creation process configured to create a group including the one or more pairs;
• and
• outputting display information for displaying information of the devices included in the group created by the grouping process,
• the grouping process is executed a plurality of times with the time interval,
• in the output of the display information, when the grouping process is executed at a first timing, a first group created by the grouping process is compared with a second group created by the grouping process executed at a second timing before the first timing, and
• as the display information, the display information that indicates information of devices included in the first group and difference information for displaying a difference between the first group and the second group are output,
• as the first group, of the groups created by the grouping process executed at the first timing, a group that includes a first device of the plurality of devices and includes most devices is selected, and
• as the second group to be compared with the first group, of the groups created by the grouping process executed at the second timing, a group that includes the first device and includes the most devices is selected.