Image forming system with digital frontend that transmits print data to image forming apparatus

An image forming system, comprising:

• an image forming apparatus including a print device which executes print processing for forming an image on a sheet;
• and
• a digital frontend which is communicable with a host apparatus and the image forming apparatus, and generates, when print request data is received from the host apparatus, print data that is based on the print request data and transmits the print data to the image forming apparatus, to cause the image forming apparatus to execute the print processing, wherein
• the digital frontend includes
• a first frontend communication portion communicable with the image forming apparatus and the host apparatus,
• a second frontend communication portion communicable with the image forming apparatus,
• a request management portion which transmits, when the print request data is received from the host apparatus by the first frontend communication portion, print inquiry data corresponding to the print request data to the image forming apparatus via the first frontend communication portion, and receives a permission response corresponding to the print inquiry data via the first frontend communication portion,
• a print data generation portion which generates the print data based on the print request data, and
• a print data transmission portion which transmits, when the permission response is received, the print data to the image forming apparatus via the second frontend communication portion,
• the image forming apparatus includes
• a first backend communication portion communicable with the first frontend communication portion,
• a second backend communication portion communicable with the second frontend communication portion, and
• an inquiry management portion which determines, when the print inquiry data is received from the digital frontend by the first backend communication portion, whether transmission of the permission response is possible based on a status of the print processing, and transmits, when determining that the transmission of the permission response is possible, the permission response to the digital frontend via the first backend communication portion,
• the second backend communication portion receives the print data from the digital frontend, and
• the print device executes the print processing that is based on the print data when the print data is received from the digital frontend by the second backend communication portion.