System and method for distributed imaging
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsKhaled Salah Sedky, Amanda Giang-Tien Nguyen, Albert L. Ting
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Abstract
The present invention is a system and method for providing distributed seamless, fault tolerant and reliable solutions for imaging devices through creating virtual imaging servers and virtual connections to network imaging devices. This invention provides imaging job routing, job balancing, continuous service availability, simplified imaging device administration and the transparency of imaging device locations and name on a network by employing a hierarchical schema which defines and describes imaging devices, servers and imaging jobs.
Claims21
A method for use in a networked computing environment for providing imaging services in response to a request for an imaging job, comprising:
- providing an information store, said information store comprising (1) one or more virtual device server groups, each comprising one or more virtual device servers, and (2) one or more virtual imaging device groups, each comprising one or more virtual imaging devices,
- each of said virtual device server groups being associated with a physical imaging server group comprising one or more physical imaging servers,
- each of said virtual device servers in a virtual device server group being associated with a physical imaging server of a corresponding physical imaging server group,
- each of said virtual imaging device being associated with one or more physical imaging device;
- and
- allocating said imaging job to one of said virtual imaging devices and one of said virtual device servers for processing at one of said physical imaging devices.
A method for use in a networked computing environment for fault tolerance and high availability printing comprising:
- providing a hierarchical schema representation of physical network components for the processing of requested print jobs, wherein said schema representation provides transparency of printer names and locations;
- managing print jobs across one or more print servers;
- and
- managing the routing of print jobs to one or more network printers.
A method for use in a networked computing environment for imaging on one or more physical imaging devices wherein the physical imaging devices are de-coupled from one or more physical imaging servers to enhance the availability of imaging devices, comprising:
- providing an information store, said information store comprising (1) one or more virtual device servers, and (2) one or more virtual imaging devices,
- each of said virtual device servers being associated with a physical imaging server,
- each of said virtual device servers being associated with one or more virtual imaging devices,
- each of said virtual imaging device being associated with one or more physical imaging device;
- detecting the presence of said one or more physical imaging servers on said network and enabling fail-over between a first physical imaging server and a second physical imaging server;
- and
- managing and balancing imaging distribution between said physical imaging servers and said physical imaging devices.
A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method for use in a networked computing environment for providing imaging services comprising:
- providing an information store, said information store comprising (1) one or more virtual device server groups, each comprising one or more virtual device servers, and (2) one or more virtual imaging device groups, each comprising one or more virtual imaging devices,
- each of said virtual device server groups being associated with a physical imaging server group comprising one or more physical imaging servers,
- each of said virtual device servers in a device server group being associated with a physical imaging server of a corresponding physical imaging server group,
- each of said virtual imaging device being associated with one or more physical imaging device;
- and
- providing a central file share, said file share including imaging job queues and imaging job assignments;
- and
- allocating said imaging job queues from said central file share to one of said virtual device servers and one of said virtual imaging devices for processing at one of said physical imaging devices.
A computer system having a processor, a memory and an operating environment, the computer system operable to execute a method for use in a networked computing environment for providing imaging services comprising:
- providing an information store, said information store comprising (1) one or more virtual device server groups, each comprising one or more virtual device servers, and (2) one or more virtual imaging device groups, each comprising one or more virtual imaging devices,
- each of said virtual device server groups being associated with a physical imaging server group comprising one or more physical imaging servers,
- each of said virtual device servers in a virtual device server group being associated with a physical imaging server of a corresponding physical imaging server group,
- each of said virtual imaging device being associated with one or more physical imaging device;
- and
- providing a central file share, said file share including imaging job queues and imaging job assignments;
- and
- allocating said imaging job queues from said central file share to said virtual devices.
A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method for use in a networked computing environment for fault tolerance and high availability printing comprising:
- providing a hierarchical schema representation of physical network components for the processing of requested print jobs, wherein said schema representation provides transparency of printer names and locations;
- each of said print jobs being managed across one or more print servers;
- and
- each of said print jobs being routed to one or more network printers.
A computer system having a processor, a memory and an operating environment, the computer system operable to execute a method for use in fault tolerance and high availability printing comprising:
- providing a hierarchical schema representation of physical network components for the processing of requested print jobs, wherein said schema representation provides transparency of printer names and locations;
- each of said print jobs being managed across one or more print servers;
- and
- each of said print jobs being routed to one or more network printers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.