Pull printing system, method for processing print job, pull printing server, and computer-readable storage medium for computer program

A pull printing system comprising:

• an information device that creates a print job;
• a pull printing server that stores the print job therein;
• an image forming apparatus that executes the print job, wherein
• the information device, the pull printing server, and the image forming apparatus are connected to one another via a network,
• the information device includes
• a port management portion that acquires, from the pull printing server, port information used for communication with the image forming apparatus, and stores the port information therein, and
• a job transmission portion that, if the pull printing server can perform communication with the information device at a time point when the port information is stored and onward, sends a print job created after the time point to the pull printing server, and, if the pull printing server cannot perform communication with the information device at the time point and onward, sends said print job to the image forming apparatus based on the port information, and
• the pull printing server includes a port notifying portion that sends the port information to the information device.

A method for processing a print job in a pull printing system, the pull printing system including a plurality of information devices configured to create print jobs individually, a pull printing server that stores, therein, at least one of print jobs created by any one of the information devices, and a plurality of image forming apparatuses configured to acquire, from the pull printing server, a print job stored in the pull printing server and to execute the print job thus acquired, the information devices, the pull printing server, and the image forming apparatuses being connected to one another via a network, the method comprising:

• a step of acquiring, by any one of the information devices, port information used for communication with the image forming apparatuses from the pull printing server, and storing the port information;
• a step of creating, by said any one of the information devices, a print job to be sent;
• a step of checking, by said any one of the information devices, whether or not the pull printing server can perform communication with said any one of the information devices;
• and
• a step of sending, by said any one of the information devices, the print job to be sent to the pull printing server if the pull printing server can perform communication with said any one of the information devices, and sending, by said any one of the information devices, the print job to be sent to any one of the image forming apparatuses based on the port information if the pull printing server cannot perform communication with said any one of the information devices.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing thereon a computer program used in an information device for creating a print job to be executed by any one of a plurality of image forming apparatuses,

• when executed by a computer provided in the information device, the computer program causing the computer to implement:
• a port management portion that acquires port information used for communication with the image forming apparatuses from a pull printing server for transferring the print job or other print jobs to any one of the image forming apparatuses, and stores the port information therein;
• and
• a job transmission portion that, if the pull printing server can perform communication with the information device at a time point when the port information is stored and onward, sends a print job created after the time point to the pull printing server, and, if the pull printing server cannot perform communication with the information device at the time point and onward, sends said print job to any one of the image forming apparatuses based on the port information.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing thereon a computer program used in a pull printing server for transferring a plurality of print jobs created by a plurality of information devices to any one of a plurality of image forming apparatuses,

• when executed by a computer provided in the pull printing server, the computer program causing the computer to implement:
• a job history management portion that keeps a print job execution history, and updates the print job execution history every time when information indicating that any one of the plurality jobs has been executed is received from any one of the image forming apparatuses;
• and
• a port notifying portion that determines an order of the image forming apparatuses based on the print job execution history thus updated, and sends port information indicating the order thus determined and addresses of the image forming apparatuses to the information device corresponding to the print job that has been executed.