Image forming system setting condition for executing acquisition process

An image-forming system comprising:

• a plurality of image-forming devices connected to a network, each image-forming device being configured to selectively perform a test print process to form a test image and an image print process to form an image based on image data, each image-forming device being set to an execution condition that, when satisfied by a corresponding image-forming device, indicates that the test print process should be executed by that image-forming device;
• and
• a server connected to the plurality of image-forming devices via the network, the server comprising:
• a detecting unit that is configured to detect a number of image-forming devices from among the plurality of image-forming devices that currently are running;
• a setting unit that is configured to:
• determine the execution condition of each of the number of image-forming devices detected by the detecting unit, and
• when the number of image-forming devices detected by the detecting unit is greater than previously detected by the detecting unit, change the execution condition of a particular image-forming device to an execution condition that is different from an execution condition of an other image-forming device so that at least the particular image-forming device and the other image-forming device are set to different execution conditions,
• wherein each of the number of image-forming devices detected by the detecting unit is configured to determine whether the execution condition set by the setting unit is satisfied, and
• wherein each of the number of image-forming devices detected by the detecting unit is configured to perform the test print process when it is determined that the execution condition set by the setting unit is satisfied.

A server comprising:

• a communication unit that is configured to be connected to a plurality of image-forming devices via the network;
• a detecting unit that is configured to detect a number of image-forming devices from among the plurality of image-forming devices that currently are running;
• an acquiring unit that is configured to acquire an execution condition of each of the number of image-forming devices detected by the detecting unit, the execution condition defining a condition that, when satisfied by a corresponding image-forming device, indicates that the test print process should be executed by that image-forming device;
• a setting unit that is configured to:
• determine the execution condition of each of the number of image-forming devices detected by the detecting unit;
• and
• when the number of image-forming devices detected by the detecting unit is greater than previously detected by the detecting unit, change the execution condition of a particular image-forming device to an execution condition that is different from each other an execution condition of an other image-forming device so that at least the particular image-forming device and the other image-forming device are set to different execution conditions,
• wherein each of the plurality of image-forming devices is configured to:
• determine whether the execution condition of that image-forming device is satisfied, and
• perform the test print process when it is determined that the execution condition of that image-forming device is satisfied.