Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program for recognizing that there is a communication request when the communication request is received during service malfunction.SOLUTION: In an information processing device (MFP), a controller unit includes: provision means (SMB control unit 310) for providing a service for an external device on a network; detection means (service control unit 309) for detecting occurrence of a malfunction in the service; communication recording means (Internet protocol control unit 308) for recording a communication log of a second layer (operating system layer 321), which is a layer different from a first layer (service layer 320) where the service is provided; and notification means (notification unit 312) for giving a notification that there has been a communication request from the outside based on the communication log of the second layer when the occurrence of a malfunction in the service is detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program for providing an application service. [Background technology]

[0002] Network-connected information devices provide various services in response to requests from other devices, enabling various systems. For example, in a business system used in an office, a file sharing service provided by a multifunction peripheral is accessed via a request from a PC operated by an employee or other user. One typical business workflow in an office involves creating contracts, purchase orders, and other documents, saving the files using a file sharing service, and printing them when needed. File sharing services can fail due to authentication errors, capacity overload, and other reasons. Failure to notice a failure in the placement of files necessary for business operations can result in delays in contract work or missed orders, leading to lost business opportunities. Business systems, such as multifunction peripherals, are equipped with mechanisms for immediately detecting an error if one occurs. Specifically, mechanisms are provided for notifying the user on the operation unit, recording and reviewing the error as a log, and registering the error on an external management server (see, for example, Patent Document 1). By recording and notifying errors, users can quickly detect an error and retry the task to prevent delays in various business operations.

[0003] Meanwhile, the usage environment for business systems, including multifunction printers, is changing dramatically in response to changes in work styles. Traditionally, most systems were used in offices, which were physically and network-closed environments. Now, usage patterns are diversifying, with the relaxation of network isolation aimed at the active use of cloud-based business services and offices being shared with other companies. Because they are no longer in closed environments, the risk of multifunction printers being attacked by third parties outside the company is increasing. Attack methods include intentionally sending malicious packet data over the network or sending data at a frequency and volume that significantly exceeds the multifunction printer's processing capacity, thereby causing the service to malfunction and disrupting business operations. These attacks are commonly known as DoS (Denial of Service) attacks. This increases the likelihood that multifunction printers will experience service malfunctions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4455411 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Taking file sharing services as an example, there is a mechanism within the service to handle errors that are expected to occur, such as authentication errors or capacity overflow. This allows the service to record the error in a log and terminate the process appropriately. However, if a malfunction occurs, i.e., if an unexpected error occurs, the service cannot terminate the process appropriately. In this case, the service is forced to restart internally. The restart process can take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, and if a communication request is received during this service malfunction, the service is unable to record the communication request in a log, which creates the problem of not being able to know that a communication request had occurred.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an information processing device that can recognize that a communication request has been made when a communication request is received during a service malfunction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the information processing device of the present invention is characterized by having a providing means for providing a service to an external device on a network, a detection means for detecting a malfunction in the service, a communication recording means for recording a communication log in a second layer which is a layer different from the first layer in which the service is provided, and a notification means for notifying that a communication request has been made from outside based on the communication log in the second layer when a malfunction in the service is detected. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device that can grasp the presence of a communication request when the communication request is received during a service malfunction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] Block diagram showing the connection between the MFP and PC. [Figure 2] Internal configuration diagram of the MFP controller. [Figure 3] Block diagram of the software that runs in the controller unit of the MFP. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a screen configuration related to notification processing. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating the processing of the service layer of the MFP. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating processing performed by the operating system layer of the MFP. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating processing related to notifications from an MFP. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a screen configuration diagram relating to notification processing according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the process of the service layer of the MFP according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing processing performed in the operating system layer of the MFP according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating processing related to notification by the MFP according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Note that the same components are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0011] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the connection between an MFP 100 and a PC 113. Specifically, FIG. 1 shows the connection between the MFP, a PC, a gateway, an external management application, and a management cloud system. MFP stands for Multi Function Peripheral. The MFP 100, the PC 113, the management application 112, and the management cloud system 121 are connected via a LAN 110, a gateway 111, and the Internet 120. The MFP 100 in this embodiment is an example of an information processing device.

[0012] The MFP 100 has an operation unit 102 that inputs and outputs data to and from the user. The MFP 100 has a printer unit 103 that outputs electronic data to paper media. The MFP 100 has a scanner unit 104 that reads paper media and converts it into electronic data. The operation unit 102, printer unit 103, and scanner unit 104 are connected to a controller unit 101, and function as a multifunction peripheral under the control of the controller unit 101.

[0013] PC 113 is a client that sends file save requests to MFP 100 using a file sharing protocol such as the SMB (Server Message Block) protocol. Management application 112 is an application that is placed externally from MFP 100 in order to manage MFP 100, and can remotely monitor any abnormalities that occur in MFP 100. Management application 112 is usually placed in the form of a server on the same network as MFP 100, as an asset of the user of MFP 100.

[0014] Gateway 111 is a network router that relays communications from MFP 100 to the Internet 120. Management cloud system 121, like management application 112, remotely monitors the status of MFP 100. Here, management cloud system 121, being on the cloud, centrally manages information on MFPs from the same vendor around the world, and enables advanced analysis using abundant storage and computing resources.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the controller unit 101 of the MFP 100. The figure shows a detailed block diagram of the controller unit 101 of the MFP 100. A CPU 201 performs the main arithmetic processing within the controller. The CPU 201 is connected to a DRAM 202 via a bus. The DRAM 202 is used by the CPU 201 as a working memory for temporarily storing program data representing arithmetic instructions during the calculation process by the CPU 201 and data to be processed. The CPU 201 is connected to an I / O controller 203 via a bus. The I / O controller 203 performs input and output to and from various devices in accordance with instructions from the CPU 201.

[0016] A SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) I / F 205 is connected to the I / O controller 203, and a flash ROM 211 is connected to the SATA I / F 205. The CPU 201 uses the flash ROM 211 to permanently store programs for realizing the functions of the MFP and document files.

[0017] A network I / F 204 is connected to the I / O controller 203. A wired LAN device 210 is connected to the network I / F 204. The CPU 201 controls the wired LAN device 210 via the network I / F 204 to realize communication on the LAN 110.

[0018] A panel I / F 206 is connected to the I / O controller 203, and the CPU 201 performs input and output for the user to the operation unit 102 via the panel I / F 206. That is, the operation unit 102 in this embodiment will be described as an example of an operation panel that includes an instruction means capable of performing input operations and a display means such as a screen that can display the output required for the operation.

[0019] A printer I / F 207 and a scanner I / F 208 are connected to the I / O controller 203. The CPU 201 realizes output processing of paper media using the printer unit 103 via the printer I / F 207.

[0020] For example, when a copy function is to be performed, the CPU 201 loads program data from the Flash ROM 211 into the DRAM 202 via the SATA I / F 205. The CPU 201 detects a copy instruction from the user via the panel I / F 206 on the operation unit 102 in accordance with the program loaded into the DRAM 202. When the CPU 201 detects a copy instruction, it receives an original as electronic data from the scanner unit 104 via the scanner I / F 208 and stores the data in the DRAM 202. The CPU 201 performs color conversion processing suitable for output on the image data stored in the DRAM 202. The CPU 201 transfers the image data stored in the DRAM 202 to the printer unit 103 via the printer I / F 207, and performs output processing onto paper media.

[0021] 3 is a block diagram of software executed in the controller unit 101 of the MFP 100. All software executed by the controller unit 101 is executed after the CPU 201 reads a program stored in the flash ROM 211 into the DRAM 202.

[0022] The operating system layer 321 is a layer that realizes general-purpose basic functions that are not dependent on a specific service. For example, it is software implemented as a Linux (registered trademark) operating system. The operating system layer 321 includes a data storage unit 302, a network control unit 307, and an internet protocol control unit 308.

[0023] The service layer 320 is a layer that provides various specialized services for the MFP 100 to realize various functions. For example, it is software implemented as various services and applications that run on a Linux-based operating system. The service layer 320 includes an operation control unit 301, a job control unit 303, an image processing unit 304, a print processing unit 305, a reading processing unit 306, a service control unit 309, and an SMB control unit 310. The service layer 320 also includes a management system notification unit 311 and a notification unit 312.

[0024] Because the service layer 320 utilizes various processes in the operating system layer 321, if the operating system layer 321 malfunctions, the various processes in the service layer 320 will be affected and malfunction. Conversely, because the operating system layer 321 is independent of the various processes in the service layer 320, even if the service layer 320 malfunctions, the operating system layer 321 will not malfunction. In this case, the service layer 320 enters an error state, but the operating system layer 321 continues processing as if it were in a normal state. As such, the service layer 320 in this embodiment is an example of a first layer in which services are provided, and the operating system layer 321 in this embodiment is an example of a second layer, which is a layer different from the first layer. For example, the first layer is a layer such as the application layer, presentation layer, or session layer in the OSI reference model. The second layer is a layer such as the transport layer, network layer, data link layer, or physical layer in the OSI reference model.

[0025] The operation control unit 301 displays a screen image for the user on the operation unit 102, detects user operations, and executes processing associated with screen components such as buttons displayed on the screen. The data storage unit 302 stores and reads data from the Flash ROM 211 in response to requests from other control units. For example, if a user wants to change some device settings, the operation control unit 301 detects the content entered by the user on the operation unit 102, and in response to a request from the operation control unit 301, the data storage unit 302 stores the content as setting values ​​in the Flash ROM 211. The job control unit 303 controls job execution in response to instructions from other control units. The image processing unit 304 processes image data into a format appropriate for each application in response to instructions from the job control unit 303. The print processing unit 305 prints and outputs an image on paper media via the printer I / F 207 in response to instructions from the job control unit 303. The reading processing unit 306 reads a placed document via the scanner I / F 208 in response to instructions from the job control unit 303.

[0026] The network control unit 307 performs network settings such as IP address settings on the internet protocol control unit 308 according to the setting values ​​stored in the data storage unit 302 when the system is started or when a setting change is detected.

[0027] Internet protocol control unit 308 performs transmission and reception processing of network packets via network I / F 204 in accordance with instructions from other control units. When providing a service, internet protocol control unit 308 performs only low-level communication processing. It does not process data related to the service, but rather transfers data to other modules that provide the service. Suppose that an abnormality occurs in one of the services included in service layer 320, causing service layer 320 to enter an error state. Even in this case, internet protocol control unit 308 included in operating system layer 321 can successfully receive communication requests and record the event. In other words, internet protocol control unit 308 in this embodiment is an example of a communication recording means that records a communication log in operating system layer 321.

[0028] The service control unit 309 provides a file sharing service by launching the SMB control unit 310 as a service. If the SMB control unit 310 terminates abnormally, the service control unit 309 can receive abnormal termination information. In other words, the service control unit 309 in this embodiment is an example of a detection unit that detects a malfunction in a service. In Linux-based operating systems, a mechanism for acquiring abnormal termination information is realized by linking processes as parent-child relationships. The service control unit 309 may also be provided with a detection unit for cases where the SMB control unit 310 malfunctions but does not terminate abnormally. Specifically, the SMB control unit 310 is responsible for notifying the service control unit 309 that it is operating normally at regular intervals. If the service control unit 309 detects that this notification has stopped for some reason, it determines that a malfunction has occurred. When a DoS attack occurs, it is quite possible that the process will not terminate abnormally, but will instead stop or enter an infinite loop.

[0029] The SMB control unit 310 uses the internet protocol control unit 308 to provide a file sharing service by waiting for a communication request from an external device. In other words, the SMB control unit 310 in this embodiment is an example of a means for providing a service to an external device via a network. For example, when the PC 113 makes a file save request, the SMB control unit 310 receives the file save request and file data via the internet protocol control unit 308. The SMB control unit 310 executes the file save request by saving the received file data in file format in the data storage unit 302. At this time, if the data storage unit 302 does not have enough free space to save the file data, the file save is canceled and a log is recorded in the data storage unit 302 indicating that the file save ended in error due to insufficient free space.

[0030] The notification unit 312 monitors the logs recorded in the data storage unit 302, and notifies the user if an event requiring notification occurs. For example, if a log indicating that file saving ended in an error due to insufficient free space is recorded in the data storage unit 302, the notification unit 312 notifies the user of this. Furthermore, if a malfunction occurs in a service, the notification unit 312 notifies the user of the event of detecting a communication request. That is, the notification unit 312 in this embodiment is an example of a notification means that notifies the MFP 100 that a communication request has been made from outside. The function of the notification unit 312 when a malfunction occurs in a service will be described later.

[0031] Management system notification unit 311 uses internet protocol control unit 308 to notify management application 112 and management cloud system 121 of the status of MFP 100. This allows the administrator to recognize that a problem has occurred remotely. This has the advantage that the user does not need to go directly to the MFP 100 device, and when owning a large number of MFPs, the status can be checked all at once.

[0032] Although the management application 112 and the management cloud system 121 have similar roles, their connection forms and device configurations differ, which means that the optimal method and content of notification from the management system notification unit 311 differs. The notification method is to use communication that is as efficient as possible. For example, when notifying the management application 112 of the device status, it is conceivable to use SNMP, a protocol for device management, or a unique, simple protocol. Here, SNMP stands for Simple Network Management Protocol.

[0033] On the other hand, for the management cloud system 121, a protocol that can be used for general purposes and that also supports route encryption is desirable in case a firewall or proxy server is present along the route. In this case, HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is often used. As for the content of the notification, for example, for the management application 112, since only this application needs to be able to use it, it is sufficient to process the information on the device side to the minimum necessary and send it. On the other hand, for the management cloud system 121, unprocessed information that is not specialized for a specific purpose is desirable, since in addition to normal management tasks, the status of a wide range of operating devices can be analyzed as big data and trends can be analyzed.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a screen configuration related to notification processing. More specifically, it is a communication request screen 401 displayed on the operation unit 102 during a service malfunction. The communication request screen 401 is used to confirm that a communication request was made during a service malfunction. A communication request list 402 displayed on the communication request screen 401 displays a list of communication request information that was made during a service malfunction. The communication request information includes, for example, information such as the date and time, the IP address of the communication request source, the TCP or UDP type, and the port number. The information notification section 403 is used to notify the user of the operation unit 102 of various information detected within the device. For example, if a communication request is detected during a service malfunction, a message is displayed in this area. The information notification section 403 is an area that can be confirmed in common on each screen other than the communication request screen 401 during a service malfunction.

[0035] Fig. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating the processing of service layer 320 of MFP 100. The processing flow of service layer 320 when a service malfunction occurs in MFP 100 will be described using Fig. 5. All of the processing performed by MFP 100 in Fig. 5 is performed as arithmetic processing by CPU 201 after CPU 201 reads programs stored in Flash ROM 211 into DRAM 202.

[0036] This processing flow starts when an abnormality occurs in the SMB control unit 310 while the SMB control unit 310 is providing a file sharing service to the LAN 110 using the internet protocol control unit 308 .

[0037] In S1001, the service control unit 309 detects that the SMB control unit 310 has abnormally terminated.

[0038] In S1002, the service control unit 309 instructs the internet protocol control unit 308 to enable log acquisition of the protocol corresponding to the file sharing service provided by the SMB control unit 310.

[0039] In S1003, the service control unit 309 performs a restart of the SMB control unit 310. In an embodiment of a Linux-based operating system, this is done by restarting the process.

[0040] In S1004, the SMB control unit 310 notifies the service control unit 309 that the startup has been completed.

[0041] In S1005, the service control unit 309 disables the log acquisition requested in S1002 to the internet protocol control unit 308. When S1005 is completed, this processing flow ends.

[0042] Fig. 6 is a flow diagram showing the processing of operating system layer 321 of MFP 100. The processing flow of operating system layer 321 when a service malfunction occurs in MFP 100 will be described using Fig. 6. All of the processing performed by MFP 100 in Fig. 6 is performed as arithmetic processing by CPU 201 after CPU 201 reads programs stored in Flash ROM 211 into DRAM 202.

[0043] In S1101, the internet protocol control unit 308 detects a request to log a communication request to the SMB control unit 310. Specifically, it enables logging of communications in the receive direction to TCP port 445. In this embodiment, the internet protocol control unit 308 is implemented using iptables, which is a standard feature of Linux-based operating systems. This makes it possible to record information about packets that have passed through the IP layer of the protocol stack as a log file in the data storage unit 302. In this state, when an SMB communication request is received from outside, the internet protocol control unit 308 can record that a communication request to the SMB control unit 310 has been made, even if the SMB control unit 310 is not operating.

[0044] In S1102, the internet protocol control unit 308 checks whether there is an external communication request.

[0045] In S1103, if the internet protocol control unit 308 detects an external communication request, it executes S1104, and if not, it executes S1105.

[0046] In S1104, internet protocol control unit 308 records in data storage unit 302 that there has been an external communication request.

[0047] In S1105, if the internet protocol control unit 308 detects a log saving stop request, it stops the log saving and ends this process. Because there is a possibility that malfunctions may occur in multiple services at the same time, this cancellation is performed only for the relevant port number of the relevant protocol. If no request is detected, it performs the process of S1102 again.

[0048] Fig. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating processing related to notifications by MFP 100. The processing flow related to notifications when MFP 100 experiences a service malfunction will be described using Fig. 7. All of the processing performed by MFP 100 in Fig. 7 is performed as calculation processing by CPU 201 after CPU 201 loads a program stored in Flash ROM 211 into DRAM 202. Notification unit 312 checks at regular intervals whether or not there is a log of an external notification request recorded by internet protocol control unit 308.

[0049] In S1201, the notification unit 312 detects that a communication request log has been recorded. In this embodiment, the communication request log is recorded only during a service malfunction. Therefore, the detection of a communication request log means that a communication request was made during a service malfunction.

[0050] In S1202, the notification unit 312 displays a notification on the information notification unit 403 that a communication request was detected while the service malfunction was occurring. This display is intended to inform the user that a communication request was detected while the service malfunction was occurring, even after the service malfunction has been resolved. Therefore, the conditions for deleting this display include when a predetermined period such as 24 hours has passed, when it is detected that the communication request screen 401 during the service malfunction has been displayed, when a more serious error has occurred, etc.

[0051] Furthermore, the management system notification unit 311 notifies the management application 112 and the management cloud system 121, which are pre-registered notification destinations, of information about the communication request during the service malfunction, in response to a request from the notification unit 312.

[0052] At this time, when the user displays the communication request screen 401 during the service malfunction, the communication request list 402 displays the information of the communication request recorded by the internet protocol control unit 308 .

[0053] With the above flow, even if a service malfunctions, the user can confirm that a communication request occurred during the malfunction. This prevents the user from having to redo the task that required communication, potentially resulting in a serious oversight of work.

[0054] In this embodiment, an image forming apparatus has been described as an example of the MFP 100, but the present technology is generally applicable to information processing apparatuses.

[0055] Furthermore, although the present embodiment has been described using a file sharing service as an example, the technology is also applicable to services that handle other documents such as Internet faxes, and services that handle various information that does not take the form of documents.

[0056] [Second embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, an embodiment will be described in which the internet protocol control unit 308 always records information about communication requests. This embodiment allows the user and management cloud system 121 to check the status of the MFP 100 more precisely by presenting more detailed information about communication requests during normal operation and service recovery times. For example, in the first embodiment, there is no means for knowing whether service has been restored at a certain point in time, but in this embodiment, it is possible.

[0057] 1 to 3, the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. Below, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0058] 8 is a screen configuration diagram relating to notification processing according to the second embodiment. More specifically, it is a communication request log screen 501 displayed on the operation unit 102. The communication request log screen 501 is used to confirm that a communication request has been made. A communication request list 502 displays a list of communication request information. If a malfunction occurs in a service, the communication request list 502 displays information indicating when the service corresponding to which port number of which protocol was stopped and restarted.

[0059] Fig. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating the processing of service layer 320 of the MFP according to the second embodiment. The processing flow of service layer 320 when MFP 100 records the fact that a service has malfunctioned in association with a communication request log will be described using Fig. 9. All of the processing performed by MFP 100 in Fig. 9 is performed as calculation processing by CPU 201 after CPU 201 loads programs stored in Flash ROM 211 into DRAM 202.

[0060] The internet protocol control unit 308 constantly records reception requests for all ports of all protocols in the data storage unit 302. The management system notification unit 311 monitors the logs of service malfunctions and recovery recorded by the service control unit 309, as well as the information of communication requests recorded by the internet protocol control unit 308. If there is a new record, the management system notification unit 311 notifies the management cloud system 121 of it one by one. However, since this information is unnecessary for the management application 112, the management system notification unit 311 does not notify the management application 112 of it.

[0061] This processing flow starts when an abnormality occurs in the SMB control unit 310 while the SMB control unit 310 is providing a file sharing service to the LAN 110 using the internet protocol control unit 308 .

[0062] In S2001, the service control unit 309 detects that the SMB control unit 310 has abnormally terminated.

[0063] In S2002, the service control unit 309 records in the data storage unit 302 that the file sharing service provided by the SMB control unit 310 has stopped.

[0064] In S2003, the service control unit 309 restarts the SMB control unit 310.

[0065] In S2004, the SMB control unit 310 notifies the service control unit 309 that the startup has been completed.

[0066] In S2005, the service control unit 309 records in the data storage unit 302 that the file sharing service provided by the SMB control unit 310 has resumed. When S2005 is completed, this processing flow ends.

[0067] Fig. 10 is a flow diagram showing the processing of operating system layer 321 of an MFP according to the second embodiment. Using Fig. 10, the processing flow of operating system layer 321 when MFP 100 records a service malfunction in association with a communication request log will be described. All of the processing performed by MFP 100 in Fig. 10 is performed as calculation processing by CPU 201 after CPU 201 loads a program stored in Flash ROM 211 into DRAM 202. Internet protocol control unit 308 checks for the presence or absence of a notification request from the outside at regular intervals.

[0068] In S1101, the internet protocol control unit 308 detects an external communication request.

[0069] In S1102, internet protocol control unit 308 records in data storage unit 302 that there has been an external communication request. The information recorded here includes at least the protocol type, indicating whether it is TCP or UDP, the port number, and whether it is a receiving direction. When S1102 is completed, this processing flow ends.

[0070] Fig. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating notification processing by MFP 100 according to the second embodiment. The notification processing flow for when a service malfunctions in MFP 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. All of the processing performed by MFP 100 in Fig. 11 is performed as calculation processing by CPU 201 after CPU 201 loads a program stored in Flash ROM 211 into DRAM 202. Notification unit 312 checks at regular intervals whether there is a log of the occurrence and recovery of a service malfunction recorded by service control unit 309, and whether there is a log of a notification request from an external source recorded by internet protocol control unit 30.

[0071] In S2201, the notification unit 312 checks whether a new service abnormality occurrence log has been recorded.

[0072] In S2202, if the notification unit 312 detects that a new service abnormality log has been recorded, it executes S2203. If not, it ends this processing flow. At this time, it identifies that the file sharing service is malfunctioning, for example.

[0073] In S2203, the notification unit 312 checks whether a new communication request log has been recorded. At this time, if it is determined in S2202 that the file sharing service is malfunctioning, it checks whether there is a log of communication in the receiving direction to TCP port 445 corresponding to the file sharing service. In this embodiment, all communication logs are recorded regardless of the malfunctioning state of the service, so there is a possibility that communication logs unrelated to the malfunctioning service may have been recorded, but these are ignored because they are not the information desired here.

[0074] In S2204, if the notification unit 312 detects that there is a communication request log, it executes S2205, otherwise it executes S2206.

[0075] In S2205, the notification unit 312 displays a notification to the information notification unit 503 that a communication request has been detected during the occurrence of a service malfunction.

[0076] Communication request list 502 displays time information of service stop / restart recorded in service control unit 309 and time information of communication requests recorded by internet protocol control unit 308. The time information is displayed as information integrated in chronological order according to the order of occurrence.

[0077] The communication request log screen 501 may be displayed automatically on the operation unit 102 in this processing step, or may be displayed by a user operation.

[0078] Furthermore, the management system notification unit 311 notifies the management application 112, which is a notification destination registered in advance, of information about communication requests during a service malfunction, at the request of the notification unit 312. The management system notification unit 311 always notifies the management cloud system 121 of information about communication requests recorded by the internet protocol control unit 308, regardless of this processing step. As such, the management system notification unit 311 in this embodiment is an example of a unit that functions as a notification selection means that selects a notification method depending on the notification destination. The notification methods include a method of notifying information about communication requests during a service malfunction (first notification method) and a method of always notifying information about communication requests linked to time information (second notification method). Note that the notification method to the management application 112 and the notification method to the management cloud system 121 may be reversed from that in this embodiment.

[0079] In S2206, the notification unit 312 checks whether a service abnormality recovery log has been recorded, and if detected, the flow ends. If not detected, S2203 is executed again.

[0080] Through the above flow, even if a service malfunctions, the user can confirm that a communication request was made during that time. Furthermore, the user can confirm the time when the service will be restored. Furthermore, the management application 112 and the management cloud system 121 can each send appropriate data.

[0081] [Other embodiments] Although the present invention has been described in detail based on preferred embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various modifications within the scope of the present invention are also included in the present invention. In addition, parts of the above-described embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the layer that records the communication log when the service is malfunctioning is the operating system layer 321, but this is not limiting. The layer that records the communication log when the service is malfunctioning may be any layer other than the service layer 320.

[0083] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 100...MFP 102...Operation unit 112...Administrative applications 121...Administrative cloud system 308...Internet Protocol Control Unit 309...Service Control Unit 310…SMB control unit 312…Notification department 320...Service layer 321...Operating System Layer

Claims

1. a means for providing a service to an external device on the network; a detection means for detecting that a malfunction has occurred in the service; a communication recording means for recording a communication log in a second layer, which is a layer different from the first layer in which the service is provided; and a notification means for notifying that there has been an external communication request based on the communication log in the second layer when it is detected that a malfunction has occurred in the service.

1. An information processing device comprising:

2. The communication recording means records the communication log in the second layer only during a period in which a malfunction in the service is detected.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

3. The communication recording means starts recording the communication log in the second layer when a malfunction occurs in the service.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

4. The communication recording means terminates recording of the communication log in the second layer when the malfunction of the service is resolved.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

5. The communication recording means constantly records the communication log in the second layer, and associates the communication log during a period in which a malfunction in the service is detected with time information during which the malfunction in the service occurred.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

6. The communication recording means always records the communication log in the second layer, and when a malfunction occurs in the service, starts to associate the communication log with time information of a period during which the malfunction occurred in the service.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5,

7. The communication recording means always records the communication log in the second layer, and when the malfunction of the service is resolved, ends the association of the communication log with time information during which the malfunction of the service occurred.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

8. The notification method by the notification means includes a first notification method of notifying the communication log in the second layer only during a period in which a malfunction has occurred in the service, and a second notification method of constantly notifying the communication log after linking time information during a period in which a malfunction has occurred in the service with the communication log in the second layer, The notification means has a notification selection means for selecting the first notification method or the second notification method according to a notification destination.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

9. The notification destination includes at least one of an operation unit of an information processing device, an external management application that manages the information processing device, and a management cloud system that manages the information processing device.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8,

10. the operation unit further includes a display unit for displaying the communication log; The display means displays the communication log notified by the first notification method.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9,

11. the operation unit further includes a display unit for displaying the communication log; The display means displays the communication log notified by the second notification method.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9,

12. The notification selection means selects the second notification method when notifying the management application or the management cloud system.

12. The information processing device according to claim 9, wherein the information processing device is a computer.

13. The notification selection means selects the first notification method when notifying the management application or the management cloud system.

12. The information processing device according to claim 9, wherein the information processing device is a computer.

14. providing a service to an external device on the network; a detecting step of detecting that a malfunction has occurred in the service; a communication recording step of recording a communication log in a second layer that is a layer different from the first layer in which the service is provided; a notification step of notifying that there has been an external communication request based on the communication log in the second layer when it is detected that a malfunction has occurred in the service. An information processing method comprising:

15. The computer of the information processing device providing a service to an external device on the network; a detecting step of detecting that a malfunction has occurred in the service; a communication recording step of recording a communication log in a second layer that is a layer different from the first layer in which the service is provided; and a notification step of notifying that there has been an external communication request based on the communication log in the second layer when it is detected that a malfunction has occurred in the service. A program characterized by:

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