Image forming apparatus, program management system, program management method, and computer-readable storage medium

A program management system comprising:

• a first image forming apparatus, comprising a first processing unit that includes a first interface, and configured to manage first programs using the first interface in response to a first request that conforms to first interface specifications using a predetermined communication protocol;
• and
• a second image forming apparatus coupled to the first image forming apparatus via a network, and comprising a second processing unit configured to execute a process including
• managing second programs using a second interface that has a structure different from that of the first interface, in response to a second request that conforms to second interface specifications different from the first interface specifications and is other than the first request;
• wherein the first programs are executed via the first interface in a first execution environment within the first image forming apparatus, and the second programs are executed via the second interface in a second execution environment within the second image forming apparatus, and
• wherein the first execution environment and the second execution environment are different and are incompatible with each other,
• accepting the first request that conforms to the first interface specifications;
• first converting the first request that conforms to the first interface specifications and is accepted by the accepting into a converted request that conforms to the second interface specifications and is compatible with the second execution environment, and inputting the converted request to the managing, by communicating between the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus according to a communication protocol that is neutral with respect to programming languages used in the first and second execution environments in order to acquire information of the second programs, including the second interface specifications;
• returning result information of a process in accordance with the converted request, output by the managing, to an input source of the first request accepted by the accepting,
• wherein the returning includes second converting the result information into a format that conforms to the first interface specifications using the predetermined communication protocol before returning the result information to the input source, and
• wherein the managing includes controlling execution of at least one of installing the second programs, starting the second programs, stopping the second programs, uninstalling the second programs, and confirming list information of a list of second programs installed in the second image forming apparatus.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a program which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out a process of an image forming apparatus coupled via a network to an other image forming apparatus that includes a first interface and manages first programs using the first interface in response to a first request that conforms to first interface specifications using a predetermined communication protocol, said process comprising:

• managing second programs using a second interface that has a structure different from that of the first interface, in response to a second request that conforms to second interface specifications different from the first interface specifications and is other than the first request;
• wherein the first programs are executed via the first interface in a first execution environment within the other image forming apparatus, and the second programs are executed via the second interface in a second execution environment within the image forming apparatus, and
• wherein the first execution environment and the second execution environment are different and are incompatible with each other,
• accepting the first request that conforms to the first interface specifications;
• first converting the first request that conforms to the first interface specifications and is accepted by the accepting into a converted request that conforms to the second interface specifications and is compatible with the second execution environment, and inputting the converted request to the managing, by communicating between the image forming apparatus and the other image forming apparatus according to a communication protocol that is neutral with respect to programming languages used in the first and second execution environments in order to acquire information of the second programs, including the second interface specifications;
• and
• returning result information of a process in accordance with the converted request, output by the managing, to an input source of the first request accepted by the accepting,
• wherein the returning includes second converting the result information into a format that conforms to the first interface specifications using the predetermined communication protocol before returning the result information to the input source, and
• wherein the managing includes controlling execution of at least one of installing the second programs, starting the second programs, stopping the second programs, uninstalling the second programs, and confirming list information of a list of second programs installed in the image forming apparatus.