Machine providing method, machine providing system and computer-readable recording medium having stored therein machine providing program

A machine providing system, comprising:

• one or more machines;
• and
• a management apparatus including a storage unit and configured to perform management for providing the one or more machines to a user in a unit of the machine,
• wherein the management apparatus
• decides, when a first machine allocated to a user is to be released from allocation to the user, whether or not firmware that controls operation of the first machine has been changed after the allocation,
• stores, when the firmware has been changed, information relating to a changed firmware into the storage unit in an associated relationship with the user, and
• decides, when the first machine or a second machine is allocated to the user, whether or not the information corresponding to the user is stored in the storage unit, and
• wherein the first or second machine to be allocated to the user
• sets, in a case where the information corresponding to the user is stored in the storage unit, the changed firmware to the own machine, and
• sets, in a case where the information corresponding to the user is not stored in the storage unit, default firmware to the own machine.

A computer-readable recording medium having stored therein a machine providing program for causing a computer to execute a process for providing one or more machines to a user in a unit of the machine, the process comprising:

• deciding, when a first machine allocated to a user is to be released from allocation to the user, whether or not firmware that controls operation of the first machine has been changed after the allocation;
• storing, when the firmware has been changed, information relating to a changed firmware into a storage unit in an associated relationship with the user;
• deciding, when the first machine or a second machine is allocated to the user, whether or not the information corresponding to the user is stored in the storage unit;
• setting, in a case where the information corresponding to the user is stored in the storage unit, the changed firmware to the first or second machine to be allocated to the user;
• and
• setting, in a case where the information corresponding to the user is not stored in the storage unit, default firmware to the first or second machine to be allocated to the user.