Data communication apparatus with test communication, central managing apparatus, testing method, remote managing system and computer-readable storage medium

A testing method for testing a data communication apparatus which sends to a central managing apparatus via a communication line status information of at least one managed apparatus which is to be remotely managed by the central managing apparatus, comprising:

• establishing a connection between the data communication apparatus and the central managing apparatus to enable a communication therebetween;
• accessing the data communication apparatus from the central managing apparatus;
• waiting a predetermined amount of time for a counter call from the data communication apparatus;
• subsequently, determining that the counter call has not been received within the predetermined amount of time;
• in response to the determination that the counter call has not been received within the predetermined amount of time, sending a plurality of sets of parameters, which are set by said central managing apparatus and are related to an access from said central managing apparatus to said data communications apparatus and include added identification information that enables discrimination of a log of parameter changes, the parameters being sent after the counter call has not been received within the predetermined amount of time;
• storing the plurality of sets of parameters sent by the central managing apparatus within a storage unit of the data communications apparatus;
• disconnecting the connection between the data communication apparatus and the central managing apparatus in response to a test call request from the central managing apparatus;
• making a test call by calling the central managing apparatus from the data communication apparatus based on line type information and a called telephone number of a counter call within the plurality of sets of parameters which are stored within the data communication apparatus the test call including the added identification information;
• judging whether or not a communication from the data communication apparatus to the central managing apparatus made by the test call is successful;
• storing, when the communication made by the test call is successful, the parameters used in the communication and the identification information corresponding to the parameters used in the test communication as a log of parameter changes made over time;
• and
• setting, at the data communication apparatus, when the communication is received at the central managing apparatus, the set of parameters that successfully connect to the central managing apparatus.

A remote managing system comprising:

• a central managing apparatus;
• at least one managed apparatus which is to be remotely managed by the central managing apparatus;
• and
• a data communication apparatus configured to send status information from the managed apparatus to the central managing apparatus via a communication line,
• said central managing apparatus comprising:
• a parameter sending section configured to send a plurality of sets of parameters to the data communication apparatus, said plurality of sets of parameters being related to an access from the data communication apparatus to the central managing apparatus and including a called telephone number which is used when calling the central managing apparatus from the data communication apparatus and/or line type information which indicates a type of line to which the data communication apparatus is connected;
• an identification information adding section configured to add identification information to each of the plurality of sets of parameters which are to be sent by said parameter sending section, the identification information identifying the sets of parameters that successfully connect to the central managing apparatus from the data communication apparatus and enabling discrimination of a log of parameter changes made over time;
• a test communication request section configured to send a test communication request to the data communication apparatus;
• a storage section configured to store, when a test communication is received from the data communication apparatus, a set of parameters used in the test communication and the identification information corresponding to the set of parameters used in the test communication as a log of parameter changes made over time;
• and
• a resetting section configured to reset, when the test communication is received from the data communication apparatus, the parameters at the data communication apparatus related to the identification information stored in the storage unit based on the identification information received in the test communication,
• said data communication apparatus comprising:
• a parameter set section configured to set the plurality of sets of parameters received from the said central managing apparatus;
• a test communication section configured to call the called telephone number and to make a test communication in response to the test communication request, the test communication being based on the plurality of sets of parameters set by the parameter set section and including the identification information added to the plurality of sets of parameters;
• a judging section configured to judge which sets of parameters successfully connects to the central managing apparatus by checking the storage section;
• and
• a setting section configured to set, with respect to the data communication apparatus, each set of parameters that successfully connects to the central managing apparatus.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums storing one or more programs for a testing procedure which tests a data communication apparatus which sends status information of at least one managed apparatus which is to be remotely managed by the central managing apparatus to the central managing apparatus via a communication line, said one or more programs, comprising:

• a parameter sending procedure causing the central managing apparatus to send a plurality of sets of parameters, which are related to an access from the data communication apparatus to the central managing apparatus, to the data communication apparatus, said parameters including a called telephone number which is called when the central managing apparatus is called from the data communication apparatus and/or line type information indicating a type of line to which the data communication apparatus is connected;
• an identification information adding procedure causing the central managing apparatus to add identification information to each of the plurality of sets of parameters which are to be sent by said parameter sending procedure, the identification information identifying the sets of parameters that successfully connect to the central managing apparatus from the data communication apparatus and enabling discrimination of a log of parameter changes made over time;
• and
• a test communication request procedure causing the central managing apparatus to send a test communication request to the data communication apparatus;
• a storage procedure causing the central managing apparatus to store in a storage unit, when a test communication is received from the data communication apparatus, a set of parameters used in the test communication and the identification information corresponding to the set of parameters used in the test communication as a log of parameter changes made over time;
• a resetting procedure causing the central managing apparatus to reset, when the test communication is received from the data communication apparatus, the parameters at the data communication apparatus related to the identification information stored in the storage unit based on the identification information received in the test communication;
• a parameter set procedure causing the data communication apparatus to be set with the plurality of sets of parameters which are added with the identification information and are sent from the central managing apparatus;
• a test communication procedure causing the data communication apparatus to call the called telephone number and making a test communication in response to the test communication request from the central managing apparatus, the test communication being based on the plurality of sets of parameters set by the parameter set section and including the identification information;
• a judging procedure causing the data communication apparatus to judge which sets of parameters successfully connect to the central managing apparatus by checking the storage unit;
• and
• a setting procedure causing the data communication apparatus to set each set of parameters that successfully connects to the central managing apparatus.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums which stores one or more programs of procedures for testing a data communication apparatus which sends to a central managing apparatus via a communication line status information of at least one managed apparatus which is to be remotely managed by the central managing apparatus, said one or more programs comprising:

• a procedure causing the data communication apparatus to make a connection to the central managing apparatus to enable a communication therewith;
• a procedure causing the central managing apparatus to send a plurality of sets of parameters, which are related to an access from the data communication apparatus to the central managing apparatus, to the data communication apparatus, said parameters including a called telephone number which is called when the central managing apparatus is called from the data communication apparatus and/or line type information indicating a type of line to which the data communication apparatus is connected;
• a procedure causing the central managing apparatus to add identification information to each of the plurality of sets of parameters which are to be sent to the data communication apparatus, the identification information identifying the sets of parameters that successfully connect to the central managing apparatus from the data communication apparatus and enabling discrimination of a log of parameter changes made over time;
• a test call request procedure causing the central managing apparatus to send a test call request to the data communication apparatus;
• a storage procedure causing the central managing apparatus to store in a storage unit, when a test call is received from the data communication apparatus, a set of parameters used in the test call and the identification information corresponding to the set of parameters used in the test call as a log of parameter changes made over time;
• a resetting procedure causing the central managing apparatus to reset, when the test call is received from the data communication apparatus, the parameters at the data communication apparatus related to the identification information stored in the storage unit based on the identification information received in the test call;
• a parameter set procedure causing the central managing apparatus to store the plurality of sets of parameters and the identification information corresponding to the plurality of sets of parameters;
• a procedure causing the data communication apparatus to disconnect the connection to the central managing apparatus in response to the test call request from the central managing apparatus;
• a procedure causing the data communication apparatus to make a test call by calling the central managing apparatus based on line type information and a called telephone number of a counter call within the parameters which are stored within the computer;
• a procedure causing the data communication apparatus to judge whether or not a communication to the central managing apparatus made by the test call is successful;
• and
• a setting procedure causing the data communication apparatus to set each set of parameters that successfully connects to the central managing apparatus.