Image processing apparatus, image processing system, method of performing status monitoring to check if authentication server recovers from down status, and recording medium

A method of performing status monitoring to check if an authentication server recovers from down status, the method to be implemented by an authentication system, the authentication system comprising:

• an authentication server and an image processing apparatus, the authentication server and the image processing apparatus being capable of accessing each other, the authentication server comprising a register storage that stores:
• user information of a plurality of users for user authentication;
• and information including allowed functions for the users on the image processing apparatus,
• the method comprising:
• the following steps of the authentication server:
• receiving user information from the image processing apparatus, the user information being input to the image processing apparatus by a user when log-on is requested;
• performing user authentication by comparing the user information received from the image processing apparatus to the user information stored on the register storage;
• and
• transmitting an authentication result to the image processing apparatus, the authentication result being obtained by user authentication;
• and
• the following steps of the image processing apparatus:
• transmitting the user information to the authentication server, the user information being input by the user when log-on is requested;
• receiving the authentication result from the authentication server;
• executing a job as instructed by the user if the authentication result proves that the user is successfully identified as an authorized user;
• storing accumulated information including information about the executed job;
• transferring the accumulated information to the authentication server, the accumulated information being stored;
• detecting an event if the authentication server is down;
• specifying either “at a predetermined time” or “when log-on is requested”, as the time to check the status of the authentication server, after that event is detected;
• and
• transmitting acknowledgment request data to the authentication server at the selected time then checking the status of the authentication server if acknowledgment data is received from the authentication server in response to the acknowledgment request data,
• wherein “at a predetermined time” is specified if a number of users registered on a memory is greater than a first predetermined value, and “when log-on is required” is specified if the number of users registered on the memory is less than a second predetermined value.

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program of performing status monitoring to check if an authentication server recovers from down status, the program to make a computer of an image processing apparatus execute:

• transmitting user information, the user information being input by a user when log-on is requested;
• receiving an authentication result from the authentication server;
• executing a job as instructed by the user if the authentication result proves that the user is successfully identified as an authorized user;
• storing accumulated information including information about the executed job;
• transferring the accumulated information to the authentication server, the accumulated information being stored;
• detecting an event if the authentication server is down;
• specifying either “at a predetermined time” or “when log-on is requested”, as the time to check the status of the authentication server, after that event is detected;
• and
• transmitting acknowledgment request data to the authentication server at the selected time then checking the status of the authentication server if acknowledgment data is received from the authentication server in response to the acknowledgment request data;
• wherein “at a predetermined time” is specified if a number of users registered on a memory is greater than a first predetermined value, and “when log-on is requested” is specified if the number of users registered on the memory is less than a second predetermined value.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a transmitter that transmit user information to an authentication server, the user information being input by a user when log-on is required;
• a receiver that receives an authentication result from the authentication server, the authentication result being obtained by the authentication server on the basis of the user information;
• a job execution portion that executes a job as instructed by the user if the authentication result proves that the user is successfully identified as an authorized user;
• a register storage that stores accumulated information including information about the job executed by the job execution portion;
• an information transfer portion that transfers the accumulated information to the authentication server, the accumulated information being stored on the register storage;
• a detector that detects an event if the authentication server is down;
• a time settings portion that specifies either “at a predetermined time” or “when log-on is requested”, as the time to check the status of the authentication server, after the detector detects that event;
• and
• a status checking portion that:
• transmits acknowledgment request data to the authentication server at the time specified by the time settings portion;
• and checks the status of the authentication server if acknowledgment data is received from the authentication server in response to the acknowledgment request data,
• wherein the time settings portion specifies “when log-on is requested” if a frequency of user registration or deregistration on a memory is greater than a first predetermined value, and the time settings portion specifies “at a predetermined time” if the frequency of user registration or deregistration on the memory is less than a second predetermined value.

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program of performing status monitoring to check if an authentication server recovers from down status, the program to make a computer of an image processing apparatus execute:

• transmitting user information, the user information being input by a user when log-on is requested;
• receiving an authentication result from the authentication server;
• executing a job as instructed by the user if the authentication result proves that the user is successfully identified as an authorized user;
• storing accumulated information including information about the executed job;
• transferring the accumulated information to the authentication server, the accumulated information being stored;
• detecting an event if the authentication server is down;
• specifying either “at a predetermined time” or “when log-on is requested”, as the time to check the status of the authentication server, after that event is detected;
• and
• transmitting acknowledgment request data to the authentication server at a selected time then checking the status of the authentication server if acknowledgment data is received from the authentication server in response to the acknowledgment request data,
• wherein “when log-on is requested” is specified if a frequency of user registration or deregistration on a memory is greater than a first predetermined value, and “at a predetermined time” is specified if the frequency of user registration or deregistration on the memory is less than a second predetermined value.