Device management system, network device, device management method, and computer-readable medium

A device management method which is executed by a computer system including at least one computer, the device management method comprising:

• storing, by the computer system, user group information that defines at least one user group, each user group being a group of one or more users;
• storing, by the computer system, device group definition information that defines at least one device group in association with at least one user group;
• each device group being a group of one or more network devices;
• storing, by the computer system, authority information of each device group associated with at least one user group;
• storing, by the computer system, association information that associates each of the network devices with at least one of the device groups;
• determining, by the computer system, whether to permit a user's operation related to a network device belonging to a particular device group based on the authority information of each of the device groups stored by the computer system;
• determining, by the computer system, whether to permit a predetermined operation when receiving from the user a request for the predetermined operation related to a network device belonging to any one of the device groups;
• performing processing based on the request for the predetermined operation when the predetermined operation of the user is permitted;
• issuing a registration key that includes information specifying a particular device group of the at least one device group defined by the device group definition information stored in the one or more memories;
• and
• registering the registration key in association with the particular device group.

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that;

• when executed by a computer system comprising a display screen and circuitry, control the computer system to implement a device management method comprising:
• storing, by the computer system, user group information that defines at least one user group, each user group being a group of one or more users;
• storing, by the computer system, device group definition information that defines at least one device group in association with at least one user group, each device group being a group of one or more network devices;
• storing, by the computer system, authority information of each device group associated with at least one user group;
• storing, by the computer system, association information that associates each of the network devices with at least one of the device groups;
• determining, by the computer system, whether to permit a user's operation related to a network device belonging to a particular device group based on the authority information of each of the device groups stored by the computer system;
• determining, by the computer system, whether to permit a predetermined operation of a user when receiving from the user a request for the predetermined operation related to a network device belonging to any one of the device groups;
• performing processing based on the request for the predetermined operation when the predetermined operation of the user is permitted;
• issuing a registration key that includes information specifying a particular device group of the at least one device group defined by the device group definition information stored in the one or more memories;
• and
• registering the registration key in association with the particular device group.