Monitoring apparatus for monitoring communication configurations of client devices

A monitoring method for monitoring communication configurations of a plurality of client devices, the monitoring method executed by a processing device comprising:

• determining whether each of the plurality of client devices is operable to communicate with a corresponding server set in the communication configurations;
• identifying a first client device and a second client device from among the plurality of client devices, the first client device not operable to communicate with a corresponding server set in a communication configuration of the first client device, the second device grouped with the first client device in management information and operable to communicate with a corresponding server set in a communication configuration of the second client device;
• executing a process for notifying the second device of a changed communication configuration when the corresponding server of the second device belongs to a domain equivalent to a domain of the corresponding server of the first client device according to domain information included in the communication configuration of the first and second client devices;
• and
• determining whether the communication configuration of the second client device is changed according to receipt of a signal from the second client device and whether to update a group of the second client device to another group according to the changed communication configuration of the second client device.

A system comprising:

• a plurality of client devices;
• and
• a monitoring apparatus operable to access management information for the plurality of client devices including information on grouping of the client devices and by a computer processor to execute:
• identifying a first client device and a second client device from among the plurality of client devices, the first client device not operable to communicate with a corresponding server set in a communication configuration of the first client device, the second device grouped with the first client device in management information and operable to communicate with a corresponding server set in a communication configuration of the second client device;
• executing a process for notifying the second device of a changed communication configuration when the corresponding server of the second device belongs to a domain equivalent to a domain of the corresponding server of the first client device according to domain information included in the communication configuration of the first and second client devices;
• and
• determining whether the communication configuration of the second client device is changed according to receipt of a signal from the second client device and whether to update a group of the second client device to another group according to the changed communication configuration of the second client device.