Image forming apparatus, authentication system, authentication control method, authentication control program, and computer-readable recording medium having authentication control program

An authentication system comprising:

• an image forming apparatus;
• and
• an authentication apparatus,
• wherein the image forming apparatus includes:
• an authentication information reception unit configured to receive first authentication information input to the image forming apparatus;
• an authentication control unit configured to send the first authentication information to the authentication apparatus and cause the authentication apparatus to carry out a first authentication based on the first authentication information;
• and
• an authentication information recording unit configured to record, when the first authentication based on the first authentication information has succeeded, the first authentication information therein as second authentication information, and
• wherein in a case where the first authentication apparatus is not available, the authentication control unit carries out a second authentication based on the second authentication information recorded in the authentication information recording unit in lieu of the first authentication based on the first authentication information.

A computer-readable recording medium having a computer executable authentication control program embodied therein, the computer executable authentication control program having instructions which when executed by a computer processor, causes an image forming apparatus to implement a method comprising:

• receiving first authentication information input to the image forming apparatus;
• sending the first authentication information to a first authentication apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus via a network and causing the first authentication apparatus to carry out a first authentication based on the first authentication information;
• and
• recording, when the first authentication based on the first authentication information has succeeded, the first authentication information in an authentication information recording unit of the image forming apparatus as second authentication information,
• wherein in a case where the first authentication apparatus is not available, the method includes carrying out a second authentication based on the second authentication information recorded in the authentication information recording unit in lieu of the first authentication based on the first authentication information.