Information processing program, information processing method, and information processing system

Abstract

To reduce the delay time from a mouse-over operation on a UI component to superimposed display of information.SOLUTION: A processing unit 1b identifies, when a click operation for a UI component 4a is performed, a UI component 4b that has the highest frequency among UI components associated as second UI components with the UI component 4a as a first UI component based on frequency management information 5, transmits to a server device 2 a transmission request 4b1 requesting transmission of display information 4b2 corresponding to the UI component 4b together with an execution request 4a1 requesting execution of a process corresponding to the UI component 4a, stores the display information 4b2 transmitted from the server device 2 in a storage unit 1a, and displays the display information 4b2 stored in the storage unit 1a in a superimposed manner on a GUI screen 3 when a mouse-over operation for the UI component 4b is performed following the click operation for the UI component 4a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing program, an information processing method, and an information processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] A GUI (Graphical User Interface) screen displays UI (User Interface) components, each associated with a specific process. By simply selecting such a UI component by clicking or otherwise performing other operations, a user can request the computer to execute the process corresponding to that UI component.

[0003] There is also a technology that superimposes information such as text associated with a UI widget when the mouse cursor is placed over the area of ​​the UI widget (a "mouseover" operation). Such superimposed displays are sometimes called "tooltips."

[0004] Here, the following technology has been proposed for client-server systems: In this technology, in a thin client system using a screen transfer method, the timing at which the client receives execution screen information generated based on predicted operations is controlled according to the communication processing capacity of the network.

[0005] Furthermore, the following management system has been proposed for managing computer systems. This management system records the specified conditions each time a storage resource is searched, along with the number of times the conditions were specified and the percentage of storage resources that did not meet the conditions. Based on this recorded information, the management system determines measures to improve the utilization efficiency of storage resources that are determined to hardly meet the conditions specified by the user, and presents these measures to the user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-18260 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2013 / 111331 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When the client device executes the process of superimposing information in response to a mouse-over operation on a UI widget as described above, the following process is executed, for example. When a mouse-over operation is performed on a UI widget, the client device requests the server device to transmit display information corresponding to that UI widget. The client device then receives the display information transmitted from the server device and displays it superimposed on the GUI screen.

[0008] In such cases, there may be a delay depending on the communication time between the client and the server between the time the mouse-over operation is performed and the time the corresponding display information is overlaid. This delay reduces usability.

[0009] In one aspect, the present invention aims to provide an information processing program, an information processing method, and an information processing system that can reduce the delay time from a mouse-over operation on a UI widget to the superimposed display of information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In one proposal, an information processing program is provided that causes a computer to execute the following process: calculate a frequency for each combination of a first UI widget that is clicked on and a second UI widget that is then mouse-overed by placing the mouse cursor over it, out of multiple UI widgets that are displayed on a GUI screen and each of which requests the execution of an individual process; register the frequency in frequency management information stored in a memory unit; when a click operation is performed on a third UI widget among the multiple UI widgets, identify a fourth UI widget that has the highest frequency among the UI widgets that are associated as second UI widgets with the third UI widget serving as the first UI widget, based on the frequency management information; transmit a transmission request to a server device that requests the transmission of display information corresponding to the fourth UI widget together with an execution request that requests the execution of a process corresponding to the third UI widget; store the display information transmitted from the server device in response to the transmission request in a memory unit; and when a mouse-over operation is performed on the fourth UI widget following a click operation on the third UI widget, superimpose the display information stored in the memory unit on the GUI screen.

[0011] Also, one proposal provides an information processing method in which a computer executes processing similar to the processing based on the above-mentioned information processing program. Furthermore, one proposal provides the following information processing system having an information processing device and a server device: In this information processing system, the information processing device calculates a frequency for each combination of a first UI widget that is clicked and a second UI widget that is subsequently moved over by a mouse-over operation, among multiple UI widgets displayed on a GUI screen for requesting the execution of individual processes, and registers the calculated frequency in frequency management information stored in a storage unit; when a click operation is performed on a third UI widget among the multiple UI widgets, the information processing device identifies a fourth UI widget that has the highest frequency among the UI widgets associated as second UI widgets with the third UI widget serving as the first UI widget based on the frequency management information; transmits a transmission request requesting the transmission of display information corresponding to the fourth UI widget to the server device together with an execution request requesting the execution of the process corresponding to the third UI widget; stores the display information transmitted from the server device in response to the transmission request in the storage unit; and when a mouse-over operation is performed on the fourth UI widget following the click operation on the third UI widget, causes the display information stored in the storage unit to be superimposed on the GUI screen. In addition, when the server device receives the transmission request together with the execution request, it executes processing according to the execution request, and obtains display information corresponding to the fourth UI widget specified by the transmission request from the display information corresponding to each of the multiple UI widgets, and transmits the display information to the information processing device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] On the one hand, it can reduce the delay time between hovering the mouse over a UI widget and the superimposed display of information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a configuration example and a processing example of an information processing system according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a configuration of a storage system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of an administrator terminal. [Figure 4]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a GUI screen relating to automatic hierarchical control. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of messages displayed in response to mouse-over operations. [Figure 6] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of processing functions included in a management server and an administrator terminal. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of a frequency information table. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of a message table. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example (part 1) of a processing procedure of the administrator terminal when an operation button is clicked. [Figure 10] 10 is a second example of a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the administrator terminal when the operation button is clicked. [Figure 11] 10 is a third example of a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the administrator terminal when the operation button is clicked. [Figure 12] 10 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a procedure for a message receiving process. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of a management server when a command execution request is received. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [First embodiment] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration and processing of an information processing system according to Embodiment 1. The information processing system shown in FIG.

[0015] The information processing device 1 displays a GUI screen on a display device (not shown) connected to the information processing device 1. The GUI screen displays a plurality of UI components for requesting the execution of individual processes. In the following description, it is assumed that the GUI screen 3 shown in FIG. 1 is displayed as an example. The GUI screen 3 displays UI components 4a to 4c. Each of the UI components 4a to 4c is, for example, an operation button or a hyperlink.

[0016] When a click operation is performed on any of the UI widgets 4a to 4c, the information processing device 1 transmits a request to execute a process corresponding to the operated UI widget to the server device 2. When a mouse-over operation is performed to move the mouse cursor over the display area of ​​the UI widgets 4a to 4c, the information processing device 1 transmits a request to send display information corresponding to the operated UI widget to the server device 2. The information processing device 1 superimposes the display information transmitted from the server device 2 in response to the transmission request on the GUI screen 3.

[0017] Such display information may include, for example, a text message about the process corresponding to the UI widget that is hovered over with the mouse. Examples of text messages include a message that explains the process or a message that indicates the conditions necessary to execute the process.

[0018] When the server device 2 receives an execution request in response to a click operation on any of the UI widgets 4a to 4c from the information processing device 1, the server device 2 executes a process corresponding to the operated UI widget. In the example of Fig. 1, the server device 2 executes process A when the UI widget 4a is clicked, executes process B when the UI widget 4b is clicked, and executes process C when the UI widget 4c is clicked.

[0019] The server device 2 also stores display information corresponding to each of the UI widgets 4a to 4c. When the server device 2 receives a transmission request from the information processing device 1 in response to a mouse-over operation on one of the UI widgets 4a to 4c, the server device 2 acquires display information corresponding to the operated UI widget from the display information stored therein and transmits the acquired display information to the information processing device 1.

[0020] The information processing device 1 will be further described below. The information processing device 1 has a storage unit 1a and a processing unit 1b. The storage unit 1a is a storage area secured in a storage device (not shown) provided in the information processing device 1. The processing unit 1b is, for example, a processor (not shown) provided in the information processing device 1.

[0021] The storage unit 1a stores frequency management information 5. The frequency management information 5 registers, for each combination of a first UI widget among the UI widgets 4a to 4c on which a click operation has been performed and a second UI widget on which a mouse-over operation has been performed following the click operation, the frequency at which such an operation pattern has been performed.

[0022] The processing unit 1b monitors click operations and mouse-over operations on the UI widgets 4a to 4c, calculates the frequency for each combination of the first and second parts, and registers the frequency in the frequency management information 5.

[0023] Furthermore, when a click operation is performed on one of the UI widgets 4a to 4c (hereinafter referred to as the third UI widget), the processing unit 1b identifies the UI widget with the highest frequency from among the UI widgets associated as second UI widgets with the third widget as the first UI widget, based on the frequency management information 5.

[0024] In the example of FIG. 1, assume that a click operation is performed on UI widget 4a. In this case, in frequency management information 5a, UI widget 4a, which is the first UI widget, is associated with UI widget 4b and UI widget 4c, which are the second UI widgets. A frequency of "10" is registered for the combination of UI widget 4a and UI widget 4b, and a frequency of "2" is registered for the combination of UI widget 4a and UI widget 4b. In this case, processing unit 1b identifies UI widget 4b as the second UI widget with the highest frequency. As a result, UI widget 4b is predicted as the UI widget on which a mouse-over operation will be performed next after the click operation on UI widget 4a.

[0025] When the processing unit 1b executes such a specified process, it transmits to the server device 2 a request 4a1 for executing process A corresponding to the clicked UI widget 4a, as well as a request 4b1 for transmitting display information corresponding to the specified UI widget 4b.

[0026] Upon receiving the execution request 4a1 and the transmission request 4b1, the server device 2 executes the process A corresponding to the UI widget 4a based on the execution request 4a1. At the same time, the server device 2 acquires display information 4b2 corresponding to the UI widget 4b from the stored display information based on the transmission request 4b1, and transmits the display information 4b2 to the information processing device 1. The processing unit 1b stores the transmitted display information 4b2 in the storage unit 1a.

[0027] When a mouse-over operation is performed to move the mouse cursor 6 over UI widget 4b after a click operation on UI widget 4a, processing unit 1b determines that the prediction is successful, retrieves display information 4b2 stored in storage unit 1a, and displays it superimposed on GUI screen 3. In this case, transmission request 4b1 is not transmitted. In the example of FIG. 1, the contents of display information 4b2 are displayed on display unit 4b3 superimposed on GUI screen 3.

[0028] In this way, when the prediction is successful, processing unit 1b does not transmit transmission request 4b1 at the time of the mouse-over operation, but executes the superimposed display process using display information 4b2 acquired in response to transmission request 4b1 transmitted in advance. This makes it possible to reduce the delay time from the time of the mouse-over operation to the display of display information 4b2, compared to the case where transmission request 4b1 is transmitted at the time of the mouse-over operation and display information 4b2 is acquired.

[0029] Second Embodiment Next, a case where a storage system is applied as an example of the above information processing system will be described.

[0030] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a storage system according to the second embodiment. The storage system shown in Fig. 2 includes a storage device 10, a business server 20, a management server 30, and an administrator terminal 40. The management server 30 is an example of the server device 2 shown in Fig. 1, and the administrator terminal 40 is an example of the information processing device 1 shown in Fig. 1.

[0031] The storage device 10 includes a CM (Controller Module) 11 and a drive unit 12. The CM 11 and the business server 20 are connected to each other via a network 51. The network 51 is, for example, a SAN (Storage Area Network).

[0032] The CM 11 is a storage control device that accesses a storage device mounted in the drive unit 12 in response to a request from the business server 20. For example, a virtual volume is set using a storage area of ​​the storage device mounted in the drive unit 12, and the CM 11 receives an access request to the virtual volume from the business server 20.

[0033] The drive unit 12 is equipped with a storage device to be accessed by the business server 20. In this embodiment, the drive unit 12 is equipped with a plurality of types of storage devices with different access performances. For example, the drive unit 12 is equipped with a nearline HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an online HDD, and an SSD (Solid State Drive) in order of decreasing access performance.

[0034] The business server 20 is a server computer that executes various business processes. The business server 20 is able to access a virtual volume by sending an access request for the virtual volume to the CM 11.

[0035] The management server 30 is connected to the CM 11, the business server 20, and the administrator terminal 40 via a network 52. The network 52 may be, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or a wide area network such as the Internet.

[0036] The management server 30 is a server computer that manages the operation of the storage device 10. For example, the management server 30 performs hierarchical control in the storage device 10. In this case, the management server 30 periodically collects the access frequency of data on the virtual volume from the CM 11, and controls the data on the virtual volume to be allocated to a storage device with appropriate access performance according to the access frequency.

[0037] The administrator terminal 40 is a terminal device used by an administrator of the storage system. For example, the administrator operates the administrator terminal 40 to cause the management server 30 to set virtual volumes, set hierarchical storage area settings, and the like.

[0038] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an administrator terminal. The administrator terminal 40 is realized, for example, as a computer as shown in Fig. 3. The administrator terminal 40 shown in Fig. 3 includes a processor 401, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 402, an SSD 403, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 404, an input interface (I / F) 405, a reading device 406, and a communication interface (I / F) 407.

[0039] The processor 401 performs overall control of the entire administrator terminal 40. The processor 401 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a programmable logic device (PLD). The processor 401 may also be a combination of two or more elements of a CPU, MPU, DSP, ASIC, or PLD.

[0040] The RAM 402 is used as the main storage device of the administrator terminal 40. The RAM 402 temporarily stores at least a part of the OS (Operating System) program and application programs to be executed by the processor 401. The RAM 402 also stores various data necessary for processing by the processor 401.

[0041] The SSD 403 is used as an auxiliary storage device for the administrator terminal 40. The SSD 403 stores the OS program, application programs, and various data. Note that other types of non-volatile storage devices, such as HDDs, can also be used as the auxiliary storage device.

[0042] The GPU 404 is connected to the display device 41. The GPU 404 displays an image on the display device 41 in accordance with an instruction from the processor 401. The display device 41 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (ElectroLuminescence) display.

[0043] The input interface 405 is connected to the input device 42. The input interface 405 transmits signals output from the input device 42 to the processor 401. For example, a keyboard or a pointing device is used as the input device 42. As the pointing device, a mouse, a touch panel, a tablet, a touch pad, a trackball, etc. are used.

[0044] The portable recording medium 43 is detachably attached to the reading device 406. The reading device 406 reads data recorded on the portable recording medium 43 and transmits the data to the processor 401. The portable recording medium 43 may be an optical disk, a semiconductor memory, or the like.

[0045] The communication interface 407 transmits and receives data to and from other devices such as the management server 30 via the network 52 . The above hardware configuration can realize the processing functions of the administrator terminal 40. The CM 11, the business server 20, and the management server 30 can also be realized as computers having the hardware configuration exemplified in FIG.

[0046] As described above, in this embodiment, hierarchical control is performed for the storage device 10. The hierarchical control is performed as follows. As described above, virtual volumes (logical volumes) to be accessed by the business server 20 are set in the storage device 10. Also, a Tier pool is set in the storage device 10 as a source of allocation of physical storage areas corresponding to the virtual volumes. The Tier pool is a storage area realized by one or more storage devices mounted in the drive unit 12. Then, a storage area is allocated from the Tier pool to each unit area obtained by dividing the virtual volume into predetermined sizes. However, in this embodiment, a storage area is allocated from the Tier pool only to a unit area on the virtual volume in which data is stored in response to a request from the business server 20.

[0047] The Tier pool is divided into a plurality of subpools realized by storage devices with different access speeds. As a result, the Tier pool is layered into a plurality of storage areas with different access speeds. A storage area is allocated from one of the subpools to a unit area according to the access frequency from the business server 20. That is, a subpool realized by a storage device with a high access speed is allocated to a unit area with a high access frequency, and a subpool realized by a storage device with a low access speed is allocated to a unit area with a low access frequency.

[0048] As a result, the storage device 10 can access data with a higher access frequency at a higher speed. Therefore, the more frequently the data is accessed by the business server 20, the faster the response speed to an access request from the business server 20. As a result, the overall response performance to access requests from the business server 20 is improved.

[0049] The management server 30 performs various settings related to hierarchical control and automatic hierarchical control in response to operations by the administrator using the administrator terminal 40. Automatic hierarchical control is a process that automatically changes the allocation of physical storage areas to unit areas between hierarchies (i.e., between subpools) in response to changes in the access frequency to the unit areas of the virtual volume.

[0050] The management server 30 displays various setting contents and causes a GUI screen for requesting the execution of various commands to be displayed on the display device 41 of the administrator terminal 40. The administrator operating the administrator terminal 40 can request the management server 30 to execute commands such as creating a Tier pool, changing the configuration, deleting, starting or stopping automatic tier control, etc., via the GUI screen.

[0051] The management server 30 has a web server function that transmits display data of such a GUI screen to the administrator terminal 40 and accepts a command execution request in response to an operation on the GUI screen. In this case, the administrator terminal 40 operates as a web client and displays the GUI screen on the display device 41 using a web browser. The administrator terminal 40 may also have a dedicated browser for displaying the GUI screen.

[0052] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI screen related to automatic tier control. The GUI screen 100 shown in Fig. 4 is an example of a GUI screen for displaying and operating information related to automatic tier control, among the GUI screens displayed on the display device 41 of the administrator terminal 40 based on display data from the management server 30.

[0053] This GUI screen 100 displays an information display section 101 that displays Tier pool setting information as an example of information related to automatic tier control, and an operation section 102 for setting the Tier pool and controlling the operation of automatic tier control. Operation buttons 103a to 103l are displayed on the operation section 102 as UI components.

[0054] The operation button 103a is a UI component for sending a command requesting the new creation of a Tier pool. The operation button 103b is a UI component for sending a command requesting the new creation of a one-tier sub-pool in the Tier pool. The operation button 103c is a UI component for sending a command requesting the deletion of a Tier pool. The operation button 103d is a UI component for sending a command requesting a change in the configuration of the Tier pool (such as the configuration of the storage devices and storage capacity). The operation button 103e is a UI component for sending a command requesting a change in the configuration of a tier (sub-pool) within the Tier pool.

[0055] The operation button 103f is a UI component for requesting the start of inter-tier leveling processing. The operation button 103g is a UI component for sending a command requesting the stop of inter-tier leveling processing. Leveling processing is a process for rearranging physical areas so that the allocated capacity of physical areas between multiple RAID (Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks) groups set for a Tier pool is equalized for each sub-pool.

[0056] The operation button 103h is a UI component for sending a command requesting the start (activation) of automatic tier control. The operation button 103i is a UI component for sending a command requesting the stop (deactivation) of automatic tier control. The operation button 103j is a UI component for sending a command requesting the display of evaluation information related to automatic tier control. The operation button 103k is a UI component for sending a command requesting an update of the status of automatic tier control.

[0057] The operation button 103l is a UI component for sending a command requesting the display of a capacity graph. A capacity graph is a graph that shows the storage capacity and usage amount of each sub-pool in a Tier pool.

[0058] Furthermore, as shown in the following FIG. 5, when a mouse-over operation is performed to move the mouse cursor over one of the operation buttons 103a to 103l, a message related to the corresponding command is superimposed and displayed.

[0059] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a message displayed in response to a mouse-over operation. Fig. 5 shows, as an example, a case where the mouse cursor 104 is placed over the area of ​​the operation button 103e on the GUI screen 100 shown in Fig. 4. In this case, a message display section 105 is displayed superimposed on the GUI screen 100. A text message previously associated with the operation button 103e is displayed in the message display section 105. Note that such a superimposed message display section is sometimes called a "tool tip."

[0060] In this embodiment, for example, the message display section displays the conditions for executing a process corresponding to a corresponding command. Before clicking a certain operation button, the administrator can check the conditions required to execute a process corresponding to the click of the operation button by placing the mouse cursor 104 on the operation button.

[0061] The content of the message displayed in the message display section is not limited to the above. For example, the message display section may display a message explaining the content of the processing corresponding to the corresponding command. Furthermore, the display content superimposed in response to a mouse-over operation is not limited to the above-described text message, and may be, for example, an image such as a photograph or a picture.

[0062] The message display process in response to such a mouse-over operation is executed in the following procedure. When the administrator terminal 40 detects that the mouse cursor has entered the area of ​​an operation button, it sends a message acquisition request to the management server 30 to acquire the message corresponding to that operation button. The message acquisition request includes a message ID for identifying the message, and the management server 30 acquires the message corresponding to that message ID from the database and sends it to the administrator terminal 40. The administrator terminal 40 displays a message display section including the sent message superimposed on the GUI screen.

[0063] In this way, communication occurs between the administrator terminal 40 and the management server 30 from the time of the mouse-over operation to the time of the message display. Therefore, a certain amount of delay occurs from the time of the mouse-over operation to the time of the message display. For example, if the communication load on the network 52 connecting the administrator terminal 40 and the management server 30 is high, the delay time becomes long.

[0064] A longer delay between mouse-over and message display increases the time it takes for the administrator to check the message, resulting in a decrease in usability. In particular, when an administrator is about to click multiple operation buttons in succession, they want to be able to check the execution conditions for the next operation button as quickly as possible. However, the occurrence of such a delay increases operational stress for the administrator, leading to a perceived decrease in usability.

[0065] Therefore, in this embodiment, the administrator terminal 40 calculates the occurrence frequency for each combination of an operation button on which a click operation has been performed and an operation button on which a mouse-over operation will be performed thereafter. Furthermore, based on the monitoring results of the occurrence frequency, the administrator terminal 40 predicts the operation button on which a mouse-over operation will be performed after a click operation on a certain operation button, and acquires a message corresponding to the predicted operation button from the management server 30 in advance. Then, if the prediction is successful, the administrator terminal 40 displays the message display unit using the previously acquired message. This process shortens the delay time from the mouse-over operation to the message display, improving usability.

[0066] For example, in the operations related to the automatic tiering control exemplified in Figures 4 and 5, there is an operation pattern that occurs frequently in which one operation button is clicked and then another operation button is clicked. For example, before performing an operation to change the configuration of a Tier pool or perform leveling, it is necessary to temporarily stop the automatic tiering control. For this reason, after performing an operation to change the configuration of a Tier pool or perform leveling, an operation to restart the automatic tiering control is often performed. For this reason, the following operation patterns P1 to P4 are considered to be frequent patterns as examples.

[0067] (Operation pattern P1) After the operation button 103i for stopping the automatic tier control is clicked, the operation button 103d for changing the configuration of the Tier pool is clicked. (Operation pattern P2) After the operation button 103i for stopping the automatic tier control is clicked, the operation button 103c for deleting the Tier pool is clicked.

[0068] (Operation pattern P3) After clicking the operation button 103i to stop automatic tiering control, the operation button 103e to change the configuration of the sub-pool is clicked. (Operation pattern P4) After the operation button 103e for changing the configuration of the sub-pool is clicked, the operation button 103h for starting automatic tier control is clicked.

[0069] In addition, the following operation patterns P5 to P8 are also possible. (Operation Pattern P5) After clicking the operation button 103f to start the leveling process, the operation button 103l to display a capacity graph is clicked to check whether the capacity has been leveled.

[0070] (Operation pattern P6) After changing the configuration of the Tier pool, the change in the configuration of the Tier pool is applied before leveling the capacity between the Tier pools. For this reason, after clicking the operation button 103k that updates the status of automatic tiering control, the operation button 103f that starts the leveling process is clicked.

[0071] (Operation pattern P7) When the capacity graph is displayed and checked by clicking operation button 103l, it is found that there is a shortage of capacity in each sub-pool, so operation button 103e, which changes the configuration of the sub-pool, is clicked, and the capacity of the sub-pool is changed.

[0072] (Operation pattern P8) When the capacity graph is displayed and checked by clicking the operation button 103l, a bias in capacity between the sub-pools is observed, so the operation button 103f for starting the leveling process is clicked.

[0073] As described above, there are frequent operation patterns in the management of automatic hierarchical control. Therefore, by calculating the frequency for each combination of a clicked operation button and the next operation button that is moused over, and predicting the operation button that will be moused over after the click operation based on the frequency, highly accurate prediction becomes possible. As a result, it is possible to increase the possibility of shortening the delay time from the mouse-over operation on an operation button to the message display, thereby improving usability.

[0074] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of processing functions provided in the management server and the administrator terminal. First, the management server 30 includes a message storage unit 310, a GUI control unit 320, and a command execution unit 330.

[0075] The message storage unit 310 is a storage area secured in a storage device (not shown) included in the management server 30. The message storage unit 310 stores messages that are displayed in response to mouse-over operations on UI components (such as operation buttons) on the GUI screen.

[0076] The processing of the GUI control unit 320 and the command execution unit 330 is realized, for example, by a processor (not shown) included in the management server 30 executing a predetermined program. The GUI control unit 320 transmits display data for displaying the GUI screen to the administrator terminal 40. When a command execution request is transmitted from the administrator terminal 40 in response to a click operation on a UI component on the GUI screen, the GUI control unit 320 causes the command execution unit 330 to execute processing corresponding to the command.

[0077] Furthermore, the GUI control unit 320 includes a message sending unit 321 for sending the message registered in the message storage unit 310 to the administrator terminal 40. When a message acquisition request is sent from the administrator terminal 40, the message sending unit 321 acquires a message corresponding to the specified UI widget from the message storage unit 310 and sends the message to the administrator terminal 40.

[0078] On the other hand, the administrator terminal 40 includes a frequency information storage unit 410, a received message storage unit 420, a display processing unit 430, and a request processing unit 440. The frequency information storage unit 410 and the received message storage unit 420 are both storage areas allocated in a storage device provided in the administrator terminal 40, such as the RAM 402 or the SSD 403. The frequency information storage unit 410 registers frequency information for each combination of a clicked UI widget and the next mouse-over UI widget. The received message storage unit 420 stores messages received from the management server 30.

[0079] The processing of the display processing unit 430 and the request processing unit 440 is realized, for example, by the processor 401 provided in the administrator terminal 40 executing a predetermined program. The display processing unit 430 displays a GUI screen on the display device 41 based on the display data transmitted from the GUI control unit 320 of the management server 30 .

[0080] When a click operation is performed on a UI widget on the GUI screen, the request processing unit 440 transmits a command execution request corresponding to the UI widget to the management server 30. The request processing unit 440 also includes a prediction control unit 441 and a message reception processing unit 442 as processing functions related to message display in response to a mouse-over operation on a UI widget.

[0081] The prediction control unit 441 monitors click operations on UI widgets and subsequent mouse-over operations, calculates the frequency for each combination of the clicked UI widget and the next mouse-over UI widget, and registers the frequency information in the frequency information storage unit 410. When a click operation on a UI widget is performed, the prediction control unit 441 predicts the next UI widget on which a mouse-over operation will be performed, based on the frequency information registered in the frequency information storage unit 410. The prediction control unit 441 creates a message acquisition request for acquiring a message corresponding to the predicted UI widget, and requests the request processing unit 440 to transmit the message acquisition request to the management server 30 together with a command execution request corresponding to the click operation.

[0082] The message receiving processor 442 receives a message sent from the message sending unit 321 of the management server 30 in response to a message acquisition request, and stores the message in the received message storage unit 420 .

[0083] 7 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of a frequency information table 411. The frequency information table 411 shown in FIG.

[0084] A frequency information ID, a transition source component ID, a transition destination component ID, and a frequency are registered in each record of the frequency information table 411. Each record of the frequency information table 411 indicates frequency information.

[0085] The frequency information ID indicates an identification number for the frequency information. The transition source part ID indicates the part ID of the UI widget on which a click operation was performed. The transition destination part ID indicates the part ID of the UI widget on which a mouse-over operation was performed after a click operation on the UI widget indicated by the transition source part ID. The frequency indicates the frequency of occurrence of a case in which a mouse-over operation was performed on the UI widget indicated by the transition destination part ID after a click operation on the UI widget indicated by the transition source part ID.

[0086] As mentioned above, the frequency information table 411 is created for each GUI screen. Also, UI components (operation buttons, etc.) within one GUI screen are identified by component IDs "a," "b," "c," ... As an example, on the GUI screen 100 shown in Fig. 4, component IDs "a" to "l" are assigned to the operation buttons 103a to 103l, respectively.

[0087] Furthermore, GUI screens are identified by screen IDs "1," "2," "3," and so on. Therefore, UI widgets within a GUI screen are uniquely identified by a combination of a screen ID and a widget ID. In the following FIG. 8, for example, the combination of screen ID "1" and widget ID "a" is written as "1-a." In the following explanation, the screen ID of GUI screen 100 shown in FIG. 4 is assumed to be "1." In this case, the UI widget identified by "1-a" is operation button 103a.

[0088] Each UI widget in the GUI screen is associated with a message that is superimposed and displayed when the mouse is hovered over it. For this reason, the identification number that identifies the UI widget is used as the message ID that identifies the corresponding message.

[0089] 8 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of a message table 311. The message table 311 shown in FIG. Message table 311 contains records that correspond to messages that are displayed in response to mouse-over operations on UI widgets. Each record contains a message ID that identifies the message and the content of the message to be displayed. Note that in Figure 8, commands corresponding to UI widgets are also registered for each record, but this is shown for reference purposes and does not need to be registered in the actual message table 311.

[0090] Next, the processing of the administrator terminal 40 will be described using a flowchart. 9 to 11 are examples of flowcharts showing the processing procedure of the administrator terminal when the operation button is clicked.

[0091] [Step S11] A GUI screen is displayed on the display device 41 through processing by the display processing unit 430. In this state, if the request processing unit 440 detects a click operation on an operation button on the GUI screen, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0092] [Step S12] The prediction control unit 441 refers to the frequency information table 411 corresponding to the currently displayed GUI screen, and determines whether the component ID indicating the clicked operation button is registered as a transition source component ID. If the component ID is not registered in any record, the process proceeds to step S13. If the component ID is registered in at least one record, the process proceeds to step S16.

[0093] <Step S13> The request processing unit 440 creates a command execution request corresponding to the clicked operation button, and transmits it to the management server 30. [Step S14] The prediction control unit 441 determines whether the mouse cursor is placed over the area of ​​another operation button other than the operation button clicked in step S11 (whether a mouse-over operation is performed). If the mouse cursor is placed over the area of ​​another operation button, the process proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, for example, if a click operation is performed on another operation button or if the GUI screen is switched, step S15 is skipped and the process ends. Note that if a click operation is performed on another operation button, the process from step S11 is executed again.

[0094] [Step S15] The prediction control unit 441 newly creates frequency information. A unique frequency information ID is registered in this frequency information. Furthermore, the component ID of the operation button clicked in step S11 is registered as the transition source component ID, and the component ID of the operation button over which the mouse was hovered in step S14 is registered as the transition destination component ID. Furthermore, an initial value of "1" is registered as the frequency. The prediction control unit 441 additionally registers the frequency information created in this way in the frequency information table 411 corresponding to the GUI screen currently being displayed.

[0095] As described above, if the determination in step S12 is "No," prediction of the operation button to be operated by hovering the mouse over next is not executed. Then, if a mouse-over operation is performed after a click operation on an operation button, new frequency information is registered in the frequency information table 411.

[0096] [Step S16] The prediction control unit 441 identifies frequency information in which the component ID indicating the clicked operation button is registered as the transition source component ID from the frequency information table 411 corresponding to the GUI screen being displayed.

[0097] [Step S17] The prediction control unit 441 extracts the frequency information with the highest frequency from the frequency information identified in step S16. [Step S18] The prediction control unit 441 acquires a transition destination part ID from the frequency information extracted in step S17, and the request processing unit 440 creates a message acquisition request for acquiring a message corresponding to the acquired transition destination part ID. In this embodiment, a message ID is created by combining the screen ID indicating the GUI screen currently being displayed with the acquired transition destination part ID, and a message acquisition request with this message ID set is created.

[0098] The request processing unit 440 also creates a command execution request corresponding to the operation button clicked in step S11, and then sends the command execution request to the management server 30 together with a message acquisition request.

[0099] Furthermore, when a command execution request and a message acquisition request are transmitted, the prediction control unit 441 activates the message reception processing unit 442, and starts the reception processing of the message in response to the message acquisition request (see FIG. 12).

[0100] [Step S19] The prediction control unit 441 sets the message ID set in the message get request in, for example, the RAM 402 as a request transmission ID. [Step S20] The prediction control unit 441 determines whether the mouse cursor is placed over the area of ​​another operation button other than the operation button clicked in step S11 (whether a mouse-over operation has been performed). If the mouse cursor is placed over the area of ​​another operation button, the process proceeds to step S21. On the other hand, if, for example, a click operation has been performed on another operation button or the GUI screen has been switched, the process proceeds to step S25.

[0101] [Step S21] The prediction control unit 441 determines whether the operation button on which the mouse was hovered in step S20 is an operation button for which a message get request has already been sent. If the component ID of the operation button on which the mouse was hovered matches the request sent ID set in step S19, it is determined that the operation button is an operation button for which a message get request has already been sent. In this case, the prediction of the operation button to be hovered over has been successful.

[0102] If it is determined that the message get request is for an operation button that has already been sent, the process proceeds to step S22. On the other hand, if it is determined that the message get request is not for an operation button that has already been sent (i.e., if the prediction fails), the process proceeds to step S26.

[0103] [Step S22] The prediction control unit 441 determines whether reception of the message in response to the message acquisition request has been completed. If the message is stored in the received message storage unit 420, it is determined that reception of the message has been completed.

[0104] If message reception is complete, the process proceeds to step S23. If message reception is not complete, the process waits for completion of reception, and step S22 is executed again after a certain period of time.

[0105] [Step S23] The prediction control unit 441 passes the message stored in the received message storage unit 420 to the display processing unit 430 and requests that the message be superimposed on the GUI screen. The display processing unit 430 displays the passed message in a message display area (tool tip) superimposed on the GUI screen.

[0106] [Step S24] The prediction control unit 441 increments the frequency registered in the frequency information extracted in step S17 by "1". [Step S25] The prediction control unit 441 clears the request transmission ID set in step S19. Furthermore, if a message is stored in the received message storage unit 420, the prediction control unit 441 clears this message.

[0107] The processing up to this point will be explained using a specific example. For example, assume that in step S11, a click operation is performed on the operation button 103i on the GUI screen 100 shown in FIG. 4. At this time, assume that the data registration state in the frequency information table 411 corresponding to the GUI screen 100 is as shown in FIG. 7. In this case, the determination in step S12 is "Yes," and in step S16, frequency information with frequency information IDs "3" to "5" is identified from the frequency information table 411. Then, in step S17, frequency information with frequency information ID "5," which has the highest frequency of "10," is extracted from this frequency information. Since "e," which indicates the operation button 103e, is registered as the transition destination component ID in the extracted frequency information, in step S18, a message acquisition request with message ID "1-e" set is sent together with the command execution request. In addition, in step S19, "1-e" is set as the request transmission ID.

[0108] After that, suppose that a mouse-over operation is performed on operation button 103e in step S20. Since the result of step S21 is "Yes," indicating that the prediction was successful, in step S22, the system waits for completion of reception of the message corresponding to operation button 103e without sending a message acquisition request. Then, when reception of the message is completed, the message is superimposed and displayed in step S23.

[0109] In this way, if the prediction of the operation button to be operated by the mouse over is successful, a superimposed display is performed using a message transmitted in response to a message acquisition request that was previously transmitted together with the command execution request. Therefore, the delay time from the mouse over operation to the superimposed display of the message can be reduced compared to when a message acquisition request is transmitted at the time a mouse over operation is detected. As a result, usability for the administrator attempting to check the message can be improved.

[0110] [Step S26] The request processing unit 440 creates a message get request for acquiring a message corresponding to the operation button over which the mouse was hovered in step S20. Here, a message ID is created by combining the screen ID indicating the GUI screen currently being displayed with the component ID indicating the operation button over which the mouse was hovered, and a message get request with this message ID set is created.

[0111] The request processing unit 440 transmits the created message acquisition request to the management server 30. After the transmission is completed, the prediction control unit 441 activates the message reception processing unit 442, and starts the reception process (see FIG. 12) of the message corresponding to the message acquisition request.

[0112] [Step S27] The prediction control unit 441 determines whether there is frequency information in the frequency information table 411 corresponding to the GUI screen currently being displayed, in which the component ID indicating the operation button clicked in step S11 is registered as the transition source component ID, and the component ID indicating the operation button operated by the mouse over in step S20 is registered as the transition destination component ID.

[0113] If there is corresponding frequency information, the prediction control unit 441 increments the frequency registered in that frequency information by "1." On the other hand, if there is no corresponding frequency information, the prediction control unit 441 creates new frequency information of that kind and adds and registers it in the frequency information table 411. An initial value of "1" is registered as the frequency in this frequency information.

[0114] [Step S28] The prediction control unit 441 overwrites the request transmission ID set in step S19 with the message ID set in the message acquisition request sent in step S26.

[0115] [Step S29] The prediction control unit 441 determines whether reception of the message in response to the message acquisition request has been completed. If the message is stored in the received message storage unit 420, it is determined that reception of the message has been completed.

[0116] If message reception is complete, the process proceeds to step S30. If message reception is not complete, the process waits for completion of reception, and step S29 is executed again after a certain period of time.

[0117] [Step S30] The prediction control unit 441 passes the message stored in the received message storage unit 420 to the display processing unit 430 and requests that the message be superimposed on the GUI screen. The display processing unit 430 displays the passed message in a message display area (tool tip) superimposed on the GUI screen.

[0118] [Step S31] The prediction control unit 441 clears the request transmission ID set in step S28 and also clears the messages stored in the received message storage unit 420.

[0119] Fig. 12 is an example of a flowchart showing the procedure of the message reception process. The process shown in Fig. 12 starts when the message reception processor 442 is started in step S18 of Fig. 10 or step S26 of Fig. 11.

[0120] [Step S41] The message reception processor 442 determines whether a response to the transmitted message acquisition request has been received from the management server 30. If a response has been received, the process proceeds to step S42. On the other hand, if a response has not been received, the process of step S41 is re-executed after a certain period of waiting time.

[0121] [Step S42] The message receiving processor 442 stores the received response in the received message storage unit 420. This response includes the message to be displayed.

[0122] Next, the processing of the management server 30 will be described using a flowchart. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the management server when a command execution request is received.

[0123] [Step S51] When the GUI control unit 320 receives a command execution request sent from the administrator terminal 40, the process proceeds to step S52. <Step S52> The command execution unit 330 starts executing the process according to the command specified in the received command execution request.

[0124] [Step S53] The GUI control unit 320 determines whether a message get request is attached to the received command execution request. If a message get request is attached, the process proceeds to step S54. If a message get request is not attached, the process ends.

[0125] [Step S54] The message sending unit 321 retrieves the message requested by the message retrieval request from the message table 311. In this process, the message table 311 is searched using the request ID included in the message retrieval request as a key, and the message associated with that request ID is retrieved.

[0126] [Step S55] The message sending unit 321 sends the message obtained from the message table 311 to the administrator terminal 40 as a response to the message obtaining request.

[0127] It should be noted that if the message acquisition request is sent independently from the administrator terminal 40 and received by the GUI control unit 320, the processes of steps S54 and S55 are executed.

[0128] <Modification of the second embodiment> A modified example in which part of the processing in the second embodiment is modified will be described below. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the modified examples, in which Fig. 14(A) shows a first modified example, Fig. 14(B) shows a second modified example, and Fig. 14(C) shows a third modified example.

[0129] In step S17 of Fig. 10, there are cases where multiple pieces of frequency information with the same frequency are extracted as the frequency information with the highest frequency. Therefore, in the first modified example, in such cases, all of the frequency information is extracted. As shown in Fig. 14(A), steps S17 and S18 in Fig. 10 are changed to steps S17a and S18a, respectively.

[0130] [Step S17a] The prediction control unit 441 extracts all of the frequency information with the highest frequency from the frequency information identified in step S16. [Step S18a] The prediction control unit 441 acquires a transition destination part ID from each piece of frequency information extracted in step S17a. The request processing unit 440 creates a message acquisition request for acquiring a message corresponding to the acquired transition destination part ID, for each piece of extracted frequency information.

[0131] Also, similar to step S18, the request processing unit 440 creates a command execution request corresponding to the operation button clicked in step S11. Then, the request processing unit 440 adds all of the created message acquisition requests to the command execution request and transmits the request to the management server 30. Furthermore, when the command execution request and the message acquisition request are transmitted, the prediction control unit 441 activates the message reception processing unit 442, which starts the reception process of the message corresponding to the message acquisition request.

[0132] Thereafter, in step S19, the request ID corresponding to each message get request is set as a request sent ID. Then, in step S21, if a mouse-over operation is performed on one of the operation buttons for which a message get request has already been sent, the result is determined to be "Yes," and processing to display the message corresponding to that operation button is executed.

[0133] In the first modification, when there are multiple operation buttons that are frequently operated by hovering the mouse over a certain operation button, those operation buttons are used as the prediction result. This increases the probability of successful prediction, and as a result, it is possible to increase the possibility of shortening the delay time from the mouse over operation to the superimposed display of the message.

[0134] Next, a second modified example will be described. When multiple message get requests are sent in response to a command execution request, the amount of data in the message returned in response to the message get requests increases, which can result in a long time being required to complete receiving the message. Therefore, in the second variation, the maximum number n of message get requests that can be sent is preset so that the time required to complete message reception falls within the allowable time.

[0135] In the second modification, as shown in FIG. 14(B), steps S17 and S18 in FIG. 10 are changed to steps S17b and S18b, respectively. [Step S17b] The prediction control unit 441 extracts n pieces of frequency information from the frequency information identified in step S16 in descending order of frequency.

[0136] [Step S18b] The prediction control unit 441 acquires a transition destination part ID from each piece of frequency information extracted in step S17b. The request processing unit 440 creates a message acquisition request for acquiring a message corresponding to the acquired transition destination part ID, for each piece of extracted frequency information.

[0137] Also, similar to step S18, the request processing unit 440 creates a command execution request corresponding to the operation button clicked in step S11. Then, the request processing unit 440 adds all of the created message acquisition requests to the command execution request and transmits the request to the management server 30. Furthermore, when the command execution request and the message acquisition request are transmitted, the prediction control unit 441 activates the message reception processing unit 442, which starts the reception process of the message corresponding to the message acquisition request.

[0138] In the processing from step S19 onwards, the same processing as in the first modified example is executed. In the second variant example described above, the reception processing time for a message in response to a message acquisition request sent together with a command execution request can be kept within a certain time period, while increasing the probability of successfully predicting the operation button to be operated by hovering the mouse over it.

[0139] Next, a third modified example will be described. In the third modified example, when a new frequency is registered in the frequency information table 411 (step S15) or when a frequency is incremented (steps S24 and S27), the prediction control unit 441 overwrites and registers the frequency update time in the frequency information table 411. This update time indicates the time when the corresponding operation pattern most recently occurred. Then, as shown in FIG. 14(C), step S17 in FIG. 10 is changed to step S17c.

[0140] [Step S17c] The prediction control unit 441 extracts the frequency information with the highest frequency from the frequency information identified in step S16. At this time, if there are multiple pieces of frequency information with the same number of highest frequencies, the prediction control unit 441 extracts the frequency information with the most recent update time from among the pieces of frequency information.

[0141] After this, the processes from step S18 onward in FIG. 10 are executed. In the third variant described above, it is possible to increase the probability of successfully predicting the operation button to be operated by hovering the mouse over, while preventing the time required for receiving and processing the message in response to the message acquisition request sent together with the command execution request from becoming too long.

[0142] The processing functions of the devices (e.g., the information processing device 1, the server device 2, the CM 11, the business server 20, the management server 30, and the administrator terminal 40) shown in each of the above-described embodiments can be realized by a computer. In this case, a program describing the processing content of the functions that each device should have is provided, and the processing functions are realized on the computer by executing the program on the computer. The program describing the processing content can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic storage devices, optical discs, and semiconductor memories. Examples of magnetic storage devices include hard disk drives (HDDs) and magnetic tapes. Examples of optical discs include CDs (Compact Discs), DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), and Blu-ray Discs (BD, registered trademark).

[0143] When distributing a program, for example, the program is recorded on a portable recording medium such as a DVD or CD and sold. Alternatively, the program can be stored in a storage device of a server computer and transferred from the server computer to other computers via a network.

[0144] A computer that executes a program stores, for example, a program recorded on a portable recording medium or a program transferred from a server computer in its own storage device. The computer then reads the program from its own storage device and executes processing in accordance with the program. Note that the computer can also read the program directly from a portable recording medium and execute processing in accordance with that program. The computer can also execute processing in accordance with the program received each time a program is transferred from a server computer connected via a network. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 1. Information processing equipment 1a Storage section 1b Processing section 2. Server device 3 GUI screen 4a~4c UI parts 4a1 Execution request 4b1 Request to Send 4b2 Display information 4b3 Display section 5. Frequency control information 6 Mouse Cursor

Claims

1. On the computer, Among a plurality of UI (User Interface) components displayed on a GUI (Graphical User Interface) screen for requesting the execution of individual processes, a frequency is calculated for each combination of a first UI component on which a click operation is performed and a second UI component on which a mouse cursor is subsequently moved over, and the frequency is registered in frequency management information stored in a storage unit; when a click operation is performed on a third UI component among the plurality of UI components, a fourth UI component having the highest frequency is identified from among the UI components associated as the second UI component with the third UI component as the first UI component based on the frequency management information, and a transmission request for requesting transmission of display information corresponding to the fourth UI component is transmitted to a server device together with an execution request for requesting execution of a process corresponding to the third UI component; storing the display information transmitted from the server device in response to the transmission request in the storage unit; when a mouse-over operation on the fourth UI component is performed after a click operation on the third UI component, the display information stored in the storage unit is superimposed on the GUI screen. An information processing program that executes processing.

2. The computer, when a click operation on the third UI component is performed, if there are a plurality of fourth UI components that are most frequently and equally frequent among the UI components associated as the second UI components with the third UI component as the first UI component, transmit a plurality of transmission requests to the server device together with the execution request, the transmission requests requesting transmission of display information corresponding to each of the plurality of fourth UI components; storing a plurality of pieces of display information transmitted from the server device in response to the plurality of transmission requests in the storage unit; when a mouse-over operation is performed on a fifth UI component among the plurality of fourth UI components following a click operation on the third UI component, display information corresponding to the fifth UI component among the plurality of display information stored in the storage unit is superimposed and displayed on the GUI screen; 2. The information processing program according to claim 1, which executes processing.

3. The computer, when a click operation on the third UI component is performed, a predetermined number of fourth UI components are identified in descending order of frequency from among UI components associated as the second UI components with the third UI component as the first UI component, and the predetermined number of transmission requests for requesting transmission of display information corresponding to each of the predetermined number of fourth UI components are transmitted to the server device together with the execution request; storing the predetermined number of pieces of display information transmitted from the server device in response to the predetermined number of transmission requests in the storage unit; when a mouse-over operation is performed on a sixth UI component among the predetermined number of fourth UI components following a click operation on the third UI component, display information corresponding to the sixth UI component among the predetermined number of display information stored in the storage unit is superimposed and displayed on the GUI screen.

2. The information processing program according to claim 1, which executes processing.

4. The computer, registering an update time in the frequency management information when updating a frequency for each combination of the first UI component and the second UI component; When a click operation on the third UI component is performed, if there are a plurality of seventh UI components that are most frequently used and that are the same number of times among the UI components associated as the second UI components with the third UI component as the first UI component, a combination of the third UI component and each of the plurality of seventh UI components that has been most recently updated is identified, and a UI component included as the second UI component in the identified combination is identified as the fourth UI component.

2. The information processing program according to claim 1, which executes processing.

5. The computer Among a plurality of UI components displayed on the GUI screen for requesting the execution of individual processes, a frequency is calculated for each combination of a first UI component on which a click operation is performed and a second UI component on which a mouse cursor is subsequently moved over, and the frequency is registered in frequency management information stored in a storage unit; when a click operation is performed on a third UI component among the plurality of UI components, a fourth UI component having the highest frequency is identified from among the UI components associated as the second UI component with the third UI component as the first UI component based on the frequency management information, and a transmission request for requesting transmission of display information corresponding to the fourth UI component is transmitted to a server device together with an execution request for requesting execution of a process corresponding to the third UI component; storing the display information transmitted from the server device in response to the transmission request in the storage unit; when a mouse-over operation on the fourth UI component is performed after a click operation on the third UI component, the display information stored in the storage unit is superimposed on the GUI screen. Information processing methods.

6. An information processing system having an information processing device and a server device, The information processing device includes: Among a plurality of UI components displayed on the GUI screen for requesting the execution of individual processes, a frequency is calculated for each combination of a first UI component on which a click operation is performed and a second UI component on which a mouse cursor is subsequently moved over, and the frequency is registered in frequency management information stored in a storage unit; when a click operation is performed on a third UI component among the plurality of UI components, a fourth UI component having the highest frequency is identified from among the UI components associated as the second UI component with the third UI component as the first UI component based on the frequency management information, and a transmission request for requesting transmission of display information corresponding to the fourth UI component is transmitted to the server device together with an execution request for requesting execution of a process corresponding to the third UI component; storing the display information transmitted from the server device in response to the transmission request in the storage unit; when a mouse-over operation on the fourth UI component is performed after a click operation on the third UI component, the display information stored in the storage unit is superimposed on the GUI screen; The server device When the transmission request is received together with the execution request, the information processing device executes a process in accordance with the execution request, and acquires display information corresponding to the fourth UI component designated by the transmission request from among display information corresponding to each of the plurality of UI components, and transmits the display information to the information processing device. Information processing system.

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