Printing system and control method thereof, information processing apparatus and image forming apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

An information processing apparatus that generates data to be processed by an image forming apparatus, comprising:

• at least one memory that stores at least one program;
• and
• at least one processor,
• wherein the at least one program causes the at least one processor to:
• generate and store analysis data and print data for each page, wherein the analysis data is generated before the print data, and wherein the generated analysis data is used for correction processing performed by the image forming apparatus;
• and
• generate index files, each of the generated index files including a storage destination of the generated analysis data or a storage destination of the generated print data, a category indicating whether data corresponding to the included storage destination is the analysis data or the print data, and link information to a next index file, wherein when the index file is generated, link information to the generated index file is described in an index file generated immediately before.

An image forming apparatus that acquires data from an information processing apparatus and processes the acquired data, comprising:

• at least one memory that stores at least one program;
• and
• at least one processor,
• wherein the at least one program causes the at least one processor to:
• acquire index files from the information processing apparatus, each of the acquired index files including a storage destination of analysis data or a storage destination of print data generated by the information processing apparatus, a category indicating whether data corresponding to the included storage destination is the analysis data or the print data, and link information to a next index file;
• and
• process the analysis data and the print data corresponding to the storage destinations included in the index files, in an order of the index files connected by the link information, in accordance with the category included in the index file.

A control method of a printing system including an information processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus, comprising:

• by the information processing apparatus,
• generating and storing analysis data and print data for each page wherein the analysis data is generated before the print data, and wherein the generated analysis data is used for correction processing performed by the image forming apparatus;
• and
• generating index files, each of the generated index files including a storage destination of the generated analysis data or a storage destination of the generated print data, a category indicating whether data corresponding to the included storage destination is the analysis data or the print data, and link information to a next index file,
• wherein, when the index file is generated, link information to the generated index file is described in an index file generated immediately before, and
• by the image forming apparatus,
• acquiring the index files from the information processing apparatus;
• and
• processing the analysis data and the print data corresponding to the storage destination included in the index files, in an order of the index files connected by the link information, in accordance with the category included in the index file.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a code executable by a computer, wherein the code executed by the computer causes the computer to execute:

• generating and storing analysis data and print data for each page, wherein the analysis data is generated before the print data, and wherein the generated analysis data is used for correction processing performed by an image forming apparatus;
• and
• generating index files, each of the generated index files including a storage destination of the generated analysis data or a storage destination of the generated print data, a category indicating whether data corresponding to the included storage destination is the analysis data or the print data, and link information to a next index file,
• wherein, when the index file is generated, link information to the generated index file is described in an index file generated immediately before.