Automated management of parallel printing

A parallel printing management method for an image forming apparatus connected to a network, to manage parallel printing of a print job, the parallel printing management method comprising:

• retrieving a request to print the print job;
• determining a network availability of one or more other image forming apparatuses connected to the network;
• generating a workplan for distributing the print job across a plurality of image forming apparatuses based on (1) print job information, including one or more of:
• the number of pages, the storage size, and a speed requirement assigned to the print job, and (2) image forming apparatus information, including one or more of:
• respective loads on, print speeds of, specific capabilities of, and failure rates of the plurality of image forming apparatuses;
• dividing, according to the workplan, the print job into a plurality of constituent print jobs, each of which is to be printed by one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses;
• and
• transmitting one of the plurality of constituent print jobs to one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses to be printed thereby.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that are executable in an image forming apparatus connected to a network, wherein the instructions when executed cause the image forming apparatus to carry out a parallel printing management method to manage parallel printing of a print job, and wherein the parallel printing management method comprises:

• retrieving a request to print the print job;
• determining a network availability of one or more other image forming apparatuses connected to the network;
• generating a workplan for distributing the print job across a plurality of image forming apparatuses based on (1) print job information, including one or more of:
• the number of pages, the storage size, and a speed requirement assigned to the print job, and (2) image forming apparatus information, including one or more of:
• respective loads on, print speeds of, specific capabilities of, and failure rates of the plurality of image forming apparatuses;
• dividing, according to the workplan, the print job into a plurality of constituent print jobs, each of which is to be printed by one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses;
• and
• transmitting one of the plurality of constituent print jobs to one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses to be printed thereby.