Configuration preparation support device, configuration preparation support terminal, manufacturer terminal, automatic construction support device, configuration preparation support method, automatic construction support method, and program for information processing device

Abstract

To provide a setting preparation support device which manages device-peculiar information of an information processing apparatus.SOLUTION: The setting preparation support device of the present invention includes a device-peculiar information acquisition unit which can communicate with a manufacturer terminal of an information processing apparatus and a terminal of a user and acquires device-peculiar information of the information processing apparatus ordered by an orderer from the manufacturer terminal of the information processing apparatus, an orderer information acquisition unit which acquires orderer information of the information processing apparatus from the manufacturer terminal of the information processing apparatus, an information transmission unit which transmits the device-peculiar information via a communication unit to the terminal of the user specified as the orderer on the basis of the orderer information, a setting information acquisition unit which acquires setting information of the information processing apparatus associated with the device-peculiar information from the terminal of the user, and a management unit which manages the device-peculiar information, the orderer information, and the setting information in association with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a configuration preparation support device, a configuration preparation support terminal, a manufacturer terminal, an automatic construction support device, a configuration preparation support method, an automatic construction support method, and a program for an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known that automatic configuration is performed at the time of initial setup of an information processing device such as a server (Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2013 / 128838 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-142277 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When it comes to automatically configuring information processing devices, installing an operating system (OS) requires device-specific information (such as a MAC address), but because device-specific information is unknown until the device is delivered to the site, there is no way to automatically configure the device from the OS installation stage. While there are services that pre-install an OS when the device is shipped from the factory, the design specifications are often not finalized when the information processing device is ordered, and the OS and other software must often be reinstalled in accordance with the design specifications after the device is delivered. In either case, there is a problem in that the device-specific information must be manually confirmed after the information processing device is delivered to the site, which is time-consuming.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a setting preparation support device that manages device-specific information of an information processing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a configuration preparation support device of the present invention includes a communication unit, a device specific information acquisition unit, an orderer information acquisition unit, an information transmission unit, a configuration information acquisition unit, and a management unit, the communication unit is capable of communicating with a manufacturer terminal and a user terminal of the information processing device; the device specific information acquisition unit acquires device specific information of the information processing device ordered by the orderer from a manufacturer terminal of the information processing device via the communication unit; the orderer information acquisition unit acquires orderer information of the information processing device from a manufacturer terminal of the information processing device via the communication unit; the information transmission unit transmits the device specific information via the communication unit to a terminal of the user identified as an orderer based on the orderer information; the setting information acquisition unit acquires setting information of the information processing device linked to the device-specific information from the user terminal via the communication unit; The management unit is a setting preparation support device for an information processing device that manages the device-specific information, the orderer information, and the setting information in association with each other.

[0007] A setting preparation support terminal (hereinafter also referred to as "first terminal") of the present invention includes a communication unit, a device specific information receiving unit, and a setting information transmitting unit, the communication unit is capable of communicating with the setting preparation support device of the present invention; the device-specific information receiving unit receives the device-specific information from the information processing device via the communication unit; The setting information transmitting unit transmits, via the communication unit, setting information of the information processing device linked to the device-specific information.

[0008] The manufacturer terminal (hereinafter also referred to as "second terminal") of the present invention includes a communication unit, a device specific information transmission unit, and an orderer information transmission unit, the communication unit is capable of communicating with the setting preparation support device of the present invention; the device specific information transmission unit transmits the device specific information of the information processing device ordered by an orderer to the setting preparation assistance device via the communication unit; The orderer information transmission unit is a manufacturer terminal of the information processing device that transmits orderer information of the information processing device to the setting preparation support device via the communication unit.

[0009] The automatic construction support device of the present invention includes a communication unit, a construction-related information acquisition unit, and an automatic construction unit, the communication unit is capable of communicating with the setting preparation support device of the present invention; the construction-related information acquisition unit acquires the device-specific information and the setting information from the setting preparation assistance device via the communication unit; The automatic construction unit is an automatic construction support device for an information processing device that identifies an information processing device based on the device-specific information and performs automatic construction of the information processing device based on the setting information linked to the device-specific information.

[0010] The configuration preparation support method of the present invention includes a device specific information acquisition step, an orderer information acquisition step, an information transmission step, a configuration information acquisition step, and a management step, The device-specific information acquisition step acquires device-specific information of the information processing method ordered by the orderer from a terminal of the information processing method manufacturer, The orderer information acquisition step acquires orderer information of the information processing device from a manufacturer terminal of the information processing device, the information transmitting step transmits the device specific information to a terminal of a user identified as an orderer based on the orderer information; the setting information acquisition step acquires setting information of the information processing method based on the device-specific information from the user terminal; The management step is a method for supporting setting preparation for an information processing device, in which the device-specific information and the setting information are managed in association with each other.

[0011] The automatic construction support method of the present invention uses the setting preparation support device of the present invention, A construction-related information acquisition step and an automatic construction step are included, the construction-related information acquisition step acquires the device-specific information and the setting information from the setting preparation support device; The automatic construction process is an automatic construction support method for an information processing device, which identifies an information processing device based on the device-specific information and performs automatic construction of the information processing device based on the setting information linked to the device-specific information.

[0012] A first program of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute a device specific information acquisition procedure, an orderer information acquisition procedure, an information transmission procedure, a setting information acquisition procedure, and a management procedure, The device specific information acquisition step includes acquiring device specific information of the information processing method ordered by the orderer from a terminal of the information processing method manufacturer; The orderer information acquisition step includes acquiring orderer information of the information processing device from a manufacturer terminal of the information processing device; the information transmission step transmits the device specific information to a terminal of a user identified as an orderer based on the orderer information; the setting information acquisition step acquires setting information of the information processing method based on the device-specific information from the user terminal; The management procedure is a program that manages the device-specific information and the setting information in association with each other.

[0013] A second program of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute a construction-related information acquisition procedure and an automatic construction procedure, The construction-related information acquisition step acquires the device-specific information and the setting information from the setting preparation support device of the present invention, The automatic construction procedure is a program that identifies an information processing device based on the device-specific information, and performs automatic construction of the information processing device based on the setting information linked to the device-specific information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to manage device specific information of an information processing device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an example of a setting preparation support system including a setting preparation support device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the setting preparation support device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the setting preparation support terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the manufacturer terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in the setting preparation support system apparatus, the setting preparation support terminal, and the manufacturer terminal included in the setting preparation support system apparatus of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a setting preparation support system including a setting preparation support device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in the setting preparation support system apparatus, the setting preparation support terminal, and the manufacturer terminal included in the setting preparation support system apparatus of the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an automatic construction support apparatus according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of an automatic construction support apparatus according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the automatic construction support apparatus according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] In the present invention, the term "information processing device" refers to a device in general that is equipped with, for example, a processing unit and a storage device and is capable of processing information. Specific examples of the information processing device include a server, a personal computer (PC), a smartphone, a tablet terminal, etc.

[0017] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In the following drawings, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, the descriptions of the embodiments can be mutually incorporated unless otherwise specified, and the configurations of the embodiments can be combined unless otherwise specified.

[0018] [Embodiment 1] A configuration preparation support system including a configuration preparation support device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration preparation support system 100 including a configuration preparation support device 10 according to the present embodiment, a configuration preparation support terminal 20 (first terminal 20), and a manufacturer terminal 30 (second terminal 30) of an information processing device. The configuration preparation support terminal 20 is, for example, a user's terminal. The user may be, for example, an orderer of an information processing device managed by the configuration preparation support device 10, but is not limited thereto. For example, the user may be another person who has been requested by the orderer to configure or manage the information processing device. The manufacturer terminal 30 is, for example, a terminal of a business that manufactures the information processing device. A specific example of the business is, for example, an information processing device factory. Although not illustrated, the configuration preparation support system 100 may include, for example, multiple configuration preparation support terminals 20 or multiple manufacturer terminals 30. In this case, the configuration preparation support device 10 may serve as, for example, a common platform for configuration preparation of the information processing device. 1, the setting preparation support device 10, the setting preparation support terminal 20, and the manufacturer terminal 30 can be connected to one another via a communication network 40. Although not shown, the setting preparation support device 10 may be connected to an external database via the communication network 40. Also, although not shown, the setting preparation support device 10 may be connected to, for example, an external terminal of a system administrator via the communication network 40, and the system administrator may manage the setting preparation support device 10 from the external terminal.

[0019] 1, the setting preparation support device 10 (hereinafter also referred to as "the device 10") includes a communication unit 11, a device specific information acquisition unit 12, an orderer information acquisition unit 13, an information transmission unit 14, a setting information acquisition unit 15, and a management unit 16. Although not shown, the device 10 may include, for example, a storage unit.

[0020] The device 10 may be, for example, a single device including the above-described units, or a device in which the units can be connected via a communication network. The device 10 can also be connected to an external device (described later) via the communication network. The communication network is not particularly limited, and any known network can be used, for example, wired or wireless. Examples of communication networks include the Internet, the World Wide Web (WWW), a telephone line, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Storage Area Network (SAN), a Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN), a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWA), and a Local 5G (L5G). Examples of wireless communication include Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Local 5G, and LPWA. Examples of wireless communication include direct communication between devices (Ad Hoc communication), infrastructure communication, and indirect communication via an access point. The device 10 may be incorporated into a server as a system. The device 10 may be, for example, a personal computer (PC, for example, a desktop or notebook type) on which the program of the present invention is installed, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, etc. Furthermore, the device 10 may be in the form of cloud computing or edge computing, for example, in which at least one of the units is located on a server and the other units are located on a terminal.

[0021] 2 shows a block diagram of the hardware configuration of the device 10. The device 10 includes, for example, a CPU 101, a memory 102, a bus 103, a storage device 104, an input device 105, a display device 107, and a communication device (communication unit) 11. The components of the device 10 are connected to each other via the bus 103 and their respective interfaces (I / F).

[0022] The CPU 101 cooperates with other components, for example, via a controller (system controller, I / O controller, etc.), and is responsible for overall control of the device 10. In the device 10, the CPU 101 executes, for example, the program 105 of the present invention and other programs, and also reads and writes various types of information. Specifically, for example, the CPU 101 functions as a device-specific information acquisition unit 12, an orderer information acquisition unit 13, an information transmission unit 14, a setting information acquisition unit 15, and a management unit 16. The device 10 includes a CPU as a computing device, but may also include other computing devices such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), or may include a combination of the CPU and these.

[0023] The memory 102 includes, for example, a main memory. The main memory is also referred to as a primary storage device. When the CPU 101 performs processing, the memory 102 reads various operating programs, such as the program 105 of the present invention, stored in, for example, a storage device 104 (auxiliary storage device) described below. The CPU 101 then reads and decodes data from the memory 102 and executes the program. The main memory is, for example, a RAM (random access memory). The memory 102 further includes, for example, a ROM (read only memory).

[0024] The bus 103 can also be connected to, for example, external devices. Examples of the external devices include the setting preparation support terminal 20 and the manufacturer terminal 30, an external storage device (such as an external database), a printer, an external input device, an external display device, an external imaging device, and the automatic construction support device of the third embodiment described below. The device 10 can be connected to an external network (the communication line network) by, for example, a communication device (communication unit) 11 connected to the bus 103, and can also be connected to the external devices and other devices via the external network.

[0025] The storage device 104 is also referred to as an auxiliary storage device, for example, in contrast to the main memory (primary storage device). As described above, the storage device 104 stores an operating program 105 including the program of the present invention. The storage device 104 may be, for example, a combination of a recording medium and a drive for reading and writing data from and to the recording medium. The recording medium is not particularly limited and may be an internal or external type, such as a hard disk (HD), a floppy disk (FD), a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a CD-RW, an MO, a DVD, a flash memory, or a memory card. The drive is not particularly limited. The storage device 104 may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD) in which the recording medium and the drive are integrated. If the device 10 includes, for example, the storage unit, the storage device 104 functions as the storage unit.

[0026] The device 10 further includes, for example, an input device 106 and a display 107. Examples of the input device 106 include pointing devices such as a touch panel, track pad, and mouse; a keyboard; imaging means such as a camera and scanner; card readers such as an IC card reader and a magnetic card reader; and audio input means such as a microphone. Examples of the display 107 include display devices such as an LED display and a liquid crystal display. In the first embodiment, the input device 106 and the display 107 are configured separately, but the input device 106 and the display 107 may also be configured as an integrated device, such as a touch panel display.

[0027] In the present device 10, the memory 102 and the storage device 104 can also store various information such as log information, information acquired from an external database (not shown) or an external device, information generated by the present device 10, and information used when the present device 10 executes processing. Note that at least a portion of the information may be stored in an external storage device other than the memory 102 and the storage device 104, or may be stored in a distributed manner across multiple terminals using blockchain technology or the like.

[0028] Examples of the setting preparation support terminal 20 (hereinafter also referred to as "terminal 20") include PCs; portable terminals such as mobile phones, smartphones, and tablet terminals; smart watches, smart glasses, and wearable terminals. The setting preparation support terminal 20 may include, for example, an imaging means such as a camera or scanner, an audio input means such as an IC (integrated circuit) card reader, and a microphone. The setting preparation support terminal 20 is, for example, a terminal of a user (a person who orders an information processing device).

[0029] Fig. 3 illustrates a block diagram of the hardware configuration of the setting preparation support terminal 20. As shown in Fig. 3, the setting preparation support terminal 20 includes, for example, a CPU 201, a memory 202, a bus 203, a storage device 204, an input device (input unit) 206, a communication device (communication unit) 21, and a display (display unit) 207. In the setting preparation support terminal 20, for example, the CPU 201 functions as a device-specific information receiving unit 22 and a setting information transmitting unit 23. The components of the setting preparation support terminal 20 are connected via the bus 203 and their respective interfaces (I / F). The description of the components of the setting preparation support terminal 20 can be cited from the description of the components of the setting preparation support device 10.

[0030] Examples of the manufacturer terminal 30 (hereinafter also referred to as "terminal 30") include PCs; mobile terminals such as mobile phones, smartphones, and tablet terminals; smart watches, smart glasses, and wearable terminals. The manufacturer terminal 30 may include, for example, an imaging means such as a camera or scanner, an IC (integrated circuit) card reader, and a voice input means such as a microphone. The manufacturer terminal 30 is, for example, a terminal of the manufacturer (factory) of the information processing device.

[0031] Fig. 4 illustrates a block diagram of the hardware configuration of the manufacturer terminal 30. As shown in Fig. 4, the manufacturer terminal 30 includes, for example, a CPU 301, a memory 302, a bus 303, a storage device 304, an input device (input unit) 306, a communication device (communication unit) 31, and a display (display unit) 307. In the manufacturer terminal 30, for example, the CPU 301 functions as a device-specific information transmission unit 32 and an orderer information transmission unit 33. The components of the manufacturer terminal 30 are connected via the bus 303 and their respective interfaces (I / F). The description of the components of the setting preparation support device 10 can be used to explain the components of the manufacturer terminal 30.

[0032] Next, an example of the setting preparation support method of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 5. The setting preparation support method of this embodiment is implemented as follows, for example, using the setting preparation support system device 100 shown in Fig. 1. Note that the setting preparation support method of this embodiment is not limited to use with the setting preparation support system device 100 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing, from the left, an example of processing (S31 to S32) of the manufacturer terminal 30, processing (S1 to S5) of the setting preparation support device 10, and processing (S21 to S22) of the setting preparation support terminal 20.

[0033] First, the device-specific information transmission unit 32 of the manufacturer terminal 30 transmits the device-specific information of the information processing device ordered by the orderer to the setting preparation support device 10 via the communication unit 31 and the communication line network 40 (S31, device-specific information transmission step). The device-specific information is, for example, information that can identify the information processing device, and is preferably information that is unique to each piece of hardware of the information processing device. Specific examples of the device-specific information include the MAC address, WWPN (World Wide Port Name), International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI), and serial number of the information processing device.

[0034] Next, the device specific information acquisition unit 12 of the setting preparation support device 10 acquires the device specific information from the manufacturer terminal 30 via the communication network 40 through the communication unit 11 (S1, device specific information acquisition step).

[0035] Next, the orderer transmitting unit 33 of the manufacturer terminal 30 transmits the orderer information to the setting preparation support device 10 via the communication network 40 using the communication unit 31 (S32, orderer information transmitting step). The orderer information is, for example, information that can identify the orderer, and includes information such as an orderer identification number such as an order number issued when ordering the information processing device, the orderer's name or title, address or residence, telephone number, email address, ID (identification), password, and identification information of the orderer's terminal.

[0036] Next, the orderer information acquisition unit 13 of the setting preparation support device 10 acquires the orderer information from the manufacturer terminal 30 via the communication network 40 through the communication unit 11 (S2, orderer information acquisition step).

[0037] Next, information transmitting unit 14 transmits the device-specific information to setting preparation support terminal 20 (user terminal) via communication network 40 using communication unit 11 (S3, information transmitting step). Specifically, information transmitting unit 14 identifies setting preparation support terminal 20 as the terminal of the orderer based on the orderer information (S3A), and transmits the device-specific information to setting preparation support terminal 20 (S3B). Information transmitting unit 14 may, for example, transmit the orderer information to setting preparation support terminal 20 together with the device-specific information. In this case, the orderer information preferably includes, for example, a combination of an order number and an initial password.

[0038] The device-specific information receiving unit 21 of the setting preparation support terminal 20 receives (acquires) the device-specific information via the communication network 40 using the communication unit 21 (S21, device-specific information receiving step). This allows the user to know the device-specific information of the ordered information processing devices before the information processing devices are delivered. Then, the user inputs, for each information processing device, the setting information of the information processing device linked to the device-specific information using the input device 206 of the setting preparation support terminal 20. The setting information transmitting unit 22 of the setting preparation support terminal 20 links the setting information with the device-specific information and transmits it to the setting preparation support device 10 via the communication network 40 using the communication unit 21 (S22, setting information transmitting step).

[0039] Next, the setting information acquisition unit 15 of the setting preparation support device 10 acquires the setting information of the information processing device linked to the device-specific information from the setting preparation support terminal 20 via the communication network 40 through the communication unit 11 (S4, setting information acquisition step). The setting information is, for example, information on various settings used for initial setting of the information processing device, and preferably includes information such as the type of OS and OS settings.

[0040] Then, the management unit 16 manages the device-specific information, the orderer information, and the setting information in association with each other (S5, management step), and ends (END) the processing by the setting preparation support device 10. The management of information by the management unit 16 may involve, for example, storing and managing various pieces of information in association with each other in the storage device 104 of the setting preparation support device 10, or transmitting and storing information in a database outside the device for management.

[0041] According to the configuration preparation support device of this embodiment, the device-specific information acquisition unit acquires device-specific information of an information processing device from a factory, the orderer information acquisition unit identifies the device-specific information to a terminal of a purchaser identified by the acquired orderer information, and the information transmission unit transmits the device-specific information to the terminal of the purchaser. Therefore, with the configuration preparation support device of this embodiment, for example, a purchaser who has ordered an information processing device can know the device-specific information of the ordered information processing device before the information processing device is delivered. Furthermore, the configuration preparation support device of this embodiment acquires information processing device configuration information linked to the device-specific information for each information processing device from the terminal of the purchaser using the configuration information acquisition unit, and manages the device-specific information, orderer information, and configuration information in association with each other using the management unit. Therefore, with the configuration preparation support device of this embodiment, for example, the device-specific information of an ordered information processing device can be confirmed before the ordered information processing device is delivered to the site, thereby eliminating the need to check the device-specific information after delivery.

[0042] In this embodiment, S1 is performed before S2, but the setting preparation support method of the present invention is not limited to this. S1 and S2 may be performed, for example, in a process upstream of S3, and S1 may be performed after S2, or S1 and S2 may be performed simultaneously.

[0043] [Embodiment 2] This embodiment is the same as the setting preparation support system device 100 of embodiment 1, except that in the setting preparation support system device 100 of embodiment 1, the setting preparation support device 10 includes an authentication information acquisition unit 17 and an authentication unit 18, and the setting preparation support terminal 20 includes an authentication information transmission unit 24, and the description therefor can be used.

[0044] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a setting preparation support system apparatus 100 including a setting preparation support apparatus 10A, a setting preparation support terminal 20A, and a manufacturer terminal 30 of this embodiment.

[0045] 6, the configuration preparation support device 10A further includes, for example, an authentication information acquisition unit 17 and an authentication unit 18 in addition to the configuration of the configuration preparation support device 10 of the first embodiment. The authentication information acquisition unit 17 acquires authentication information from the user's terminal via the communication unit 11. The authentication unit 18 compares the orderer information with the authentication information to authenticate whether the user is the orderer of the information processing device. If the user is authenticated as the orderer of the information processing device, the information transmission unit 14 transmits the device-specific information to the user's terminal via the communication unit 11. The hardware configuration of the configuration preparation support device 10A is the same as that of the configuration preparation support device 10 of FIG. 2, except that the CPU 101 has the configuration of the configuration preparation support device 10A of FIG. 6 instead of the configuration of the configuration preparation support device 10 of FIG. 1.

[0046] 6, the setting preparation support terminal 20A further includes, for example, an authentication information transmission unit 24 in addition to the configuration of the setting preparation support terminal 20 of embodiment 1. The authentication information transmission unit 24 transmits authentication information to the setting preparation support device via the communication unit 21. The hardware configuration of the setting preparation support terminal 20A is the same as that of the setting preparation support terminal 20 of FIG. 3 except that the CPU 201 has the configuration of the setting preparation support terminal 20A of FIG. 6 instead of the configuration of the setting preparation support terminal 20 of FIG. 1.

[0047] Next, an example of the setting preparation support method of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 7. The setting preparation support method of this embodiment is implemented as follows, for example, using setting preparation support system device 100A shown in Fig. 6. Note that the setting preparation support method of this embodiment is not limited to use of setting preparation support system device 100A of Fig. 6. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing, from the left, an example of processing (S31 to S32) of manufacturer terminal 30, processing (S1 to S7) of setting preparation support device 10A, and processing (S21 to S23) of setting preparation support terminal 20.

[0048] First, in the same manner as the processing S31 to S32 of the manufacturer terminal 30 and the processing S1 to S2 of the setting preparation support device 10 in the processing of the setting preparation support system device 100 of embodiment 1, S31 to S32 and S1 to S2 are carried out, and the setting preparation support device 10A acquires the device-specific information and the orderer information from the manufacturer terminal 30.

[0049] Next, the setting preparation support terminal 20A transmits the authentication information to the setting preparation support device 10A via the communication network 40 using the communication unit 21 (S23, authentication information transmission step). The authentication information is, for example, information that can identify a user, and includes information such as a user identification number such as an order number of an information processing device owned by the user, the user's name or title, address or residence, telephone number, ID (identification), and password.

[0050] The setting preparation support device 10A acquires the authentication information via the communication network 40 using the authentication information acquisition unit 17 (S6, authentication information acquisition step). The setting preparation support device 10A compares the orderer information with the acquired authentication information using the authentication unit 18, and authenticates whether the user is the orderer (S7, authentication step). If the user is authenticated as the orderer of the information processing device, the information transmission unit 14 transmits the device-specific information to the setting preparation support terminal 20A in the same manner as in step S3 of the setting preparation support device 10 of the first embodiment.

[0051] Then, steps S21 to S22 and S4 to S5 are carried out in the same manner as steps S21 to S22 of the setting preparation support terminal 20A and steps S4 to S5 of the setting preparation support device 10 in the processing of the setting preparation support system device 100 of embodiment 1, and the processing ends (END).

[0052] The setting preparation support device 10A of this embodiment uses an authentication information acquisition unit and an authentication unit to authenticate whether the user of the setting preparation support terminal 20A is the orderer of the information processing device, and transmits device-specific information if the user is the orderer. Therefore, the setting preparation support system device 100A of this embodiment can manage information while maintaining higher security.

[0053] [Embodiment 3] This embodiment is an example of an automatic construction support device for an information processing device of the present invention. The automatic construction support device of the present invention includes a communication unit, a construction-related information acquisition unit, and an automatic construction unit, the communication unit being capable of communicating with the configuration preparation support device of the present invention, the construction-related information acquisition unit acquiring the device-specific information and the configuration information from the configuration preparation support device via the communication unit, and the automatic construction unit identifying the information processing device based on the device-specific information and performing automatic construction of the information processing device based on the configuration information linked to the device-specific information.

[0054] The automatic construction support device of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8 . FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an automatic construction support device 50 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8 , the automatic construction support device 50 includes a communication unit 51, a construction-related information acquisition unit 52, and an automatic construction unit 53. Although not shown, the automatic construction support device 50 may also include, for example, a storage unit. The automatic construction support device 50 of this embodiment may be incorporated into a server as a system. In this case, the server may be, for example, the configuration preparation support device of the present invention. The automatic construction support device 50 of this embodiment may also be a personal computer (PC) on which the program of the present invention is installed. Although not shown, the automatic construction support device 50 may be connectable to at least one of an external device and an external terminal of a device administrator via a communication network. If the automatic construction support device 50 is connectable to the external terminal of the device administrator, the device administrator may manage the automatic construction support device 50 from the external terminal. The automatic construction support device 50 may also include, for example, some or all of the configuration of the configuration preparation support device of the present invention. In this case, the construction-related information acquisition unit 52 can directly acquire each piece of information managed by the management unit via the communication unit 51, for example.

[0055] The communication network is not particularly limited, and any known network can be used, and may be, for example, a wired or wireless network. The communication network is, for example, as described above.

[0056] Examples of the external device include a PC, a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal, a smart watch, smart glasses, a wearable terminal, or the setting preparation support device of the first and second embodiments. The external device may include, for example, an imaging unit such as a camera or a scanner, an IC (integrated circuit) card reader, a voice input unit such as a microphone, or the like.

[0057] 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the automatic construction support device 50. The automatic construction support device 50 includes, for example, a CPU (central processing unit) 501, memory 502, a bus 503, a storage device 504, an input device 506, a display 507, and a communication device (communication unit) 51. The various components of the automatic construction support device 50 are connected via the bus 503 by their respective interfaces (I / F).

[0058] The CPU 501 operates in cooperation with other components, for example, via a controller (such as a system controller or an I / O controller), and is responsible for overall control of the automatic construction support device 50. In the automatic construction support device 50, the CPU 501 executes, for example, the program 505 of the present invention and other programs, and also reads and writes various types of information. Specifically, for example, the CPU 501 functions as a construction-related information acquisition unit 52 and an automatic construction unit 53. The automatic construction support device 50 includes a CPU as a computing device, but may also include other computing devices such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), or may include a combination of the CPU and these.

[0059] The memory 502 includes, for example, a main memory. The main memory is also referred to as a primary storage device. When the CPU 501 performs processing, the memory 502 reads various operation programs, such as a program 505 of the present invention, stored in, for example, a storage device 504 (auxiliary storage device) described below. The CPU 501 then reads and decodes data from the memory 502 and executes the program. The main memory is, for example, a RAM (random access memory). The memory 502 further includes, for example, a ROM (read only memory).

[0060] The bus 503 can also be connected to, for example, external devices. Examples of the external devices include imaging devices such as cameras, the external devices, external storage devices, printers, and audio output devices such as speakers. The automatic construction support apparatus 50 can be connected to the communication network by, for example, a communication device (communication unit) 51 connected to the bus 503, and can also be connected to the external devices via the communication network.

[0061] The storage device 504 is also referred to as an auxiliary storage device, for example, in contrast to the main memory (primary storage device). As described above, the storage device 504 stores an operating program including the program 505 of the present invention. The storage device 504 includes, for example, a storage medium and a drive for reading and writing data from and to the storage medium. The storage medium is not particularly limited and may be internal or external, and examples include a hard disk (HD), a floppy disk (FD), a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a CD-RW, an MO, a DVD, a flash memory, and a memory card. The drive is not particularly limited. The storage device 504 may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD) in which the storage medium and the drive are integrated. When the automatic construction support device 50 includes the storage unit, the storage device 504 functions, for example, as the storage unit. In this case, it is preferable that the storage unit stores information for performing automatic construction of an information processing device. The information for performing the automatic construction is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include information contained in at least one OS installation image; known automatic construction tools such as Ansible, KickStart, and Jenkins; and connection tools such as SSH (Secure Shell) and WinRM (PowerShell).

[0062] The automated construction support apparatus 50 further includes, for example, an input device 506 and a display 507. Examples of the input device 506 include pointing devices such as a touch panel, track pad, and mouse; a keyboard; imaging means such as a camera and scanner; card readers such as an IC card reader and a magnetic card reader; and audio input means such as a microphone. Examples of the display 507 include display devices such as an LED display and a liquid crystal display. In this embodiment, the input device 506 and the display 507 are configured separately, but the input device 506 and the display 507 may also be configured as an integrated unit, such as a touch panel display.

[0063] In the automatic construction support device 50, the memory 502 and the storage device 504 can also store various information such as log information, information acquired from an external database (not shown) or an external device, information generated by the device 50, and information used when the device 50 executes processing. Note that at least a portion of the information may be stored, for example, in an external server other than the memory 502 and the storage device 504, or may be stored in a distributed manner across multiple terminals using blockchain technology or the like.

[0064] Next, the automatic construction support method of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 10. The authentication method of this embodiment can be implemented, for example, using the automatic construction support device 50 of this embodiment shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. Note that the automatic construction support method of the present invention is not limited to use with the automatic construction support device 50.

[0065] First, the construction-related information acquisition unit 52 of the automatic construction support device 50 acquires the device-specific information and the setting information from the setting preparation support device of the present invention via the communication unit 51 (S51, construction-related information acquisition step). The device-specific information and setting information may be acquired, for example, via the communication network, or may be acquired directly from the setting preparation support device. Furthermore, if the setting preparation support device stores and manages various types of information in an external database managed by the setting preparation support device, for example, the construction-related information acquisition unit 52 may acquire the device-specific information and the setting information from the external database.

[0066] Next, the automatic construction unit 53 of the automatic construction support device 50 identifies the information processing device based on the device-specific information and performs automatic construction of the information processing device based on the setting information linked to the device-specific information (S52, automatic construction step). Specifically, the automatic construction unit 53 identifies the information processing device to be automatically constructed based on device-specific information such as a MAC address, selects an OS according to the setting information linked to the device-specific information, and installs the OS. After installing the OS, the automatic construction unit 53 identifies each information processing device based on the host name and IP address of the information processing device and configures the OS of each information processing device using the automatic construction tool such as Ansible according to the OS setting information included in the setting information. Furthermore, if the setting information includes information on cooperation between the information processing device and the storage device, the automatic construction unit 53 identifies each information processing device based on the WWPN included in the device-specific information and introduces various settings to each information processing device and the storage device using the connection tool such as SSH according to the setting information.

[0067] According to the automatic construction support device of the present invention, automatic construction of an information processing device can be performed by utilizing the device-specific information of the information processing device managed by the configuration preparation support device of the present invention and the configuration information linked to the device-specific information. Therefore, according to the automatic construction support device of the present invention, automatic construction of an information processing device can be easily performed without the need to manually check the device-specific information of, for example, an information processing device that has been brought in.

[0068] [Embodiment 4] The first program of this embodiment is a program for causing a computer to execute each step of the above-mentioned setting preparation support method. Specifically, the first program of this embodiment is a program for causing a computer to execute a device-specific information acquisition procedure, a purchaser information acquisition procedure, an information transmission procedure, a setting information acquisition procedure, and a management procedure.

[0069] The device specific information acquisition step includes acquiring device specific information of the information processing method ordered by the orderer from a terminal of the information processing method manufacturer; The orderer information acquisition step includes acquiring orderer information of the information processing device from a manufacturer terminal of the information processing device; the information transmission step transmits the device specific information to a terminal of a user identified as an orderer based on the orderer information; the setting information acquisition step acquires setting information of the information processing method based on the device-specific information from the user terminal; The management procedure manages the device-specific information and the setting information in association with each other.

[0070] The first program of the present embodiment can also be said to be a program that causes a computer to function as a device specific information acquisition procedure, an orderer information acquisition procedure, an information transmission procedure, a setting information acquisition procedure, and a management procedure.

[0071] The first program of this embodiment can cite the descriptions of the setting preparation support device and setting preparation support method of the present invention. For each of the steps, for example, "step" can be read as "processing." The program of this embodiment may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The recording medium is, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The recording medium is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk (HD), optical disk, and floppy disk (FD).

[0072] [Embodiment 5] The second program of this embodiment is a program for causing a computer to execute each step of the above-mentioned automatic construction support method. Specifically, the second program of this embodiment is a program for causing a computer to execute a construction-related information acquisition procedure and an automatic construction procedure.

[0073] The construction-related information acquisition step acquires the device-specific information and the setting information from the setting preparation support device of the present invention, The automatic construction procedure identifies an information processing device based on the device-specific information, and performs automatic construction of the information processing device based on the setting information linked to the device-specific information.

[0074] The second program of this embodiment can also be said to be a program that causes a computer to function as a construction-related information acquisition procedure and an automatic construction procedure.

[0075] The second program of this embodiment can cite the descriptions of the automatic construction support apparatus and automatic construction support method of the present invention. For each of the steps, for example, "step" can be read as "processing." The program of this embodiment may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The recording medium is, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The recording medium is not particularly limited, and examples include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk (HD), optical disk, and floppy disk (FD).

[0076] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention.

[0077] <Additional Notes> Some or all of the above embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes. (Appendix 1) The device includes a communication unit, a device specific information acquisition unit, an orderer information acquisition unit, an information transmission unit, a setting information acquisition unit, and a management unit, the communication unit is capable of communicating with a manufacturer terminal of the information processing device and a user terminal (setting preparation support terminal); the device specific information acquisition unit acquires device specific information of the information processing device ordered by the orderer from a manufacturer terminal of the information processing device via the communication unit; the orderer information acquisition unit acquires orderer information of the information processing device from a manufacturer terminal of the information processing device via the communication unit; the information transmission unit transmits the device-specific information via the communication unit to a terminal (setting preparation support terminal) of the user identified as the orderer based on the orderer information; the setting information acquisition unit acquires setting information of the information processing device linked to the device-specific information from the user terminal via the communication unit; The management unit manages the device-specific information, the orderer information, and the setting information in association with each other. (Appendix 2) 2. The setting preparation support device according to claim 1, wherein the setting information includes information relating to at least one of the type and settings of an operating system (OS) of the information processing device. (Appendix 3) An authentication information acquisition unit and an authentication unit are included, the authentication information acquisition unit acquires authentication information from the user terminal via the communication unit; the authentication unit collates the orderer information with the authentication information to authenticate whether the user is an orderer of the information processing device; The setting preparation support device described in Appendix 1 or 2, wherein the information transmission unit transmits the device-specific information to the user's terminal via the communication unit when the user is authenticated as the orderer of the information processing device. (Appendix 4) a communication unit, a device specific information receiving unit, and a setting information transmitting unit; the communication unit is capable of communicating with the setting preparation support device described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3; the device-specific information receiving unit receives the device-specific information from the information processing device via the communication unit; The setting information transmission unit transmits, via the communication unit, setting information of the information processing device linked to the device-specific information. (Appendix 5) An authentication information transmitting unit is included, the communication unit is capable of communicating with the setting preparation support device described in Supplementary Note 3; 5. The setting preparation assistance terminal according to claim 4, wherein the authentication information transmission unit transmits authentication information to the setting preparation assistance device via the communication unit. (Appendix 6) A communication unit, a device specific information transmission unit, and an orderer information transmission unit are included, the communication unit is capable of communicating with the setting preparation support device described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3; the device specific information transmission unit transmits the device specific information of the information processing device ordered by an orderer to the setting preparation assistance device via the communication unit; The orderer information transmission unit transmits orderer information of the information processing device to the setting preparation support device via the communication unit. (Appendix 7) a server, a first terminal, and a second terminal; the server and the first terminal are capable of communicating with each other; the server and the second terminal are capable of communicating with each other; the server is a setting preparation support device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3; The first terminal is a setting preparation support terminal according to Supplementary Note 4 or 5. A setting preparation support system device, wherein the second terminal is a manufacturer terminal of the information processing device described in Supplementary Note 6. (Appendix 8) A communication unit, a construction-related information acquisition unit, and an automatic construction unit are included, the communication unit is capable of communicating with the setting preparation support device described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3; the construction-related information acquisition unit acquires the device-specific information and the setting information from the setting preparation assistance device via the communication unit; The automatic construction support device for an information processing device, wherein the automatic construction unit identifies the information processing device based on the device-specific information, and performs automatic construction of the information processing device based on the setting information linked to the device-specific information. (Appendix 9) The method includes a device-specific information acquisition step, an orderer information acquisition step, an information transmission step, a setting information acquisition step, and a management step, The device-specific information acquisition step acquires device-specific information of the information processing method ordered by the orderer from a terminal of the information processing method manufacturer, The orderer information acquisition step acquires orderer information of the information processing device from a manufacturer terminal of the information processing device, the information transmitting step transmits the device specific information to a terminal of a user identified as an orderer based on the orderer information; the setting information acquisition step acquires setting information of the information processing method based on the device-specific information from the user terminal; The management step manages the device-specific information and the setting information in association with each other. (Appendix 10) 10. The setting preparation support method according to claim 9, wherein the setting information includes information regarding at least one of the type and settings of an operating system (OS) of the information processing method. (Appendix 11) An authentication information acquisition step and an authentication step are included, The authentication information acquisition step acquires authentication information from the user terminal, the authentication step collates the orderer information with the authentication information to authenticate whether the user is an orderer of the information processing method; the information transmitting step, when the user is an orderer of the information processing method, transmits the device specific information to a terminal of the user; 11. The setting preparation support method according to claim 9, wherein the management step manages the orderer information, the device-specific information, and the setting information in association with each other. (Appendix 12) Using a setting preparation support device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, A construction-related information acquisition step and an automatic construction step are included, the construction-related information acquisition step acquires the device-specific information and the setting information from the setting preparation support device; The automatic construction support method for an information processing device, wherein the automatic construction step identifies an information processing device based on the device-specific information, and performs automatic construction of the information processing device based on the setting information linked to the device-specific information. (Appendix 13) A program for causing a computer to execute a device specific information acquisition procedure, an orderer information acquisition procedure, an information transmission procedure, a setting information acquisition procedure, and a management procedure, The device specific information acquisition step includes acquiring device specific information of the information processing method ordered by the orderer from a terminal of the information processing method manufacturer; The orderer information acquisition step includes acquiring orderer information of the information processing device from a manufacturer terminal of the information processing device; the information transmission step transmits the device specific information to a terminal of a user identified as an orderer based on the orderer information; the setting information acquisition step acquires setting information of the information processing method based on the device-specific information from the user terminal; The management procedure is a program that manages the device-specific information and the setting information in association with each other. (Appendix 14) 14. The program according to claim 13, wherein the setting information includes information regarding at least one of the type and settings of an operating system (OS) of the information processing method. (Appendix 15) including an authentication information acquisition procedure and an authentication procedure; The authentication information acquisition step includes acquiring authentication information from the user terminal; the authentication step collates the orderer information with the authentication information to authenticate whether the user is an orderer of the information processing method; the information transmission step includes, when the user is an orderer of the information processing method, transmitting the device specific information to a terminal of the user; 15. The program according to claim 13, wherein the management procedure manages the orderer information, the device-specific information, and the setting information in association with each other. (Appendix 16) A program for causing a computer to execute a construction-related information acquisition procedure and an automatic construction procedure, The construction-related information acquisition step includes acquiring the device-specific information and the configuration information from a configuration preparation support device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3; The automatic construction procedure identifies an information processing device based on the device-specific information, and performs automatic construction of the information processing device based on the setting information linked to the device-specific information. (Appendix 17) A program for causing a computer to perform each step of the setting preparation support method described in Supplementary Notes 9 to 11 or the automatic construction support method described in Supplementary Note 12. (Appendix 18) A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program according to any one of appendices 13 to 17. [Industrial Applicability]

[0078] According to the present invention, the device-specific information of an information processing device can be acquired from a factory and managed in association with orderer information and configuration information. Therefore, with the configuration preparation support device of this embodiment, for example, the device-specific information of an ordered information processing device can be confirmed before the ordered information processing device is delivered to the site, thereby eliminating the need to confirm the device-specific information after delivery. Therefore, the present invention is useful in various fields where automatic configuration and initial setup of information processing devices are performed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 10, 10A setting preparation support device 11 Communication unit (communication device) 12 Device-specific information acquisition section 13 Purchaser Information Acquisition Department 14 Information Transmission Unit 15 Setting information acquisition unit 16 Management Department 17 Authentication information acquisition section 18 Authentication Section 101, 201, 301, 501 CPUs 102, 202, 302, 502 memory Buses 103, 203, 303, and 503 104, 204, 304, 504 storage device 105, 205, 305, 505 Programs 106, 206, 306, 506 Input devices 107, 207, 307, 507 display device 100, 100A setting preparation support system device 20, 20A Setting preparation support terminal 21 Communication unit (communication device) 22 Device specific information receiver 23 Setting information transmission unit 24 Authentication information transmission unit 30 Manufacturer terminal of information processing equipment 31 Communication unit (communication device) 32 Device specific information transmission unit 33 Orderer Information Transmission Unit

Claims

1. The device includes a communication unit, a device specific information acquisition unit, an orderer information acquisition unit, an information transmission unit, a setting information acquisition unit, and a management unit, the communication unit is capable of communicating with a manufacturer terminal and a user terminal of the information processing device; the device specific information acquisition unit acquires device specific information of the information processing device ordered by the orderer from a manufacturer terminal of the information processing device via the communication unit; the orderer information acquisition unit acquires orderer information of the information processing device from a manufacturer terminal of the information processing device via the communication unit; The information transmission unit transmits the device specific information to a terminal of the user identified as an orderer based on the orderer information via the communication unit, the setting information acquisition unit acquires setting information of the information processing device linked to the device-specific information from the user terminal via the communication unit; The management unit manages the device-specific information, the orderer information, and the setting information in association with each other.

2. 2. The setting preparation support device according to claim 1, wherein the setting information includes information regarding at least one of the type and settings of an operating system (OS) of the information processing device.

3. An authentication information acquisition unit and an authentication unit are included, the authentication information acquisition unit acquires authentication information from the user terminal via the communication unit; the authentication unit collates the orderer information with the authentication information to authenticate whether the user is an orderer of the information processing device; 3. The setting preparation support device according to claim 1, wherein the information transmission unit transmits the device-specific information to the user's terminal via the communication unit when the user is authenticated as the orderer of the information processing device.

4. a communication unit, a device specific information receiving unit, and a setting information transmitting unit; The communication unit is capable of communicating with the setting preparation support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the device-specific information receiving unit receives the device-specific information from the information processing device via the communication unit; The setting information transmission unit transmits, via the communication unit, setting information of the information processing device linked to the device-specific information.

5. An authentication information transmitting unit is included, the communication unit is capable of communicating with the setting preparation support device according to claim 3; The setting preparation assistance terminal according to claim 4 , wherein the authentication information transmission unit transmits the authentication information to the setting preparation assistance device via the communication unit.

6. A communication unit, a device specific information transmission unit, and an orderer information transmission unit are included, The communication unit is capable of communicating with the setting preparation support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the device specific information transmission unit transmits the device specific information of the information processing device ordered by an orderer to the setting preparation assistance device via the communication unit; The orderer information transmission unit transmits orderer information of the information processing device to the setting preparation support device via the communication unit.

7. A communication unit, a construction-related information acquisition unit, and an automatic construction unit are included, The communication unit is capable of communicating with the setting preparation support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the construction-related information acquisition unit acquires the device-specific information and the setting information from the setting preparation assistance device via the communication unit; The automatic construction support device for an information processing device, wherein the automatic construction unit identifies the information processing device based on the device-specific information, and performs automatic construction of the information processing device based on the setting information linked to the device-specific information.

8. The method includes a device-specific information acquisition step, an orderer information acquisition step, an information transmission step, a setting information acquisition step, and a management step, The device specific information acquisition step acquires device specific information of the information processing device ordered by the orderer from a manufacturer terminal of the information processing device; The orderer information acquisition step acquires orderer information of the information processing device from a manufacturer terminal of the information processing device, the information transmitting step transmits the device specific information to a terminal of a user identified as an orderer based on the orderer information; the setting information acquisition step acquires setting information of the information processing device based on the device specific information from the user terminal; The management step manages the device-specific information and the setting information in association with each other.

9. Using the setting preparation support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A construction-related information acquisition step and an automatic construction step are included, the construction-related information acquisition step acquires the device-specific information and the setting information from the setting preparation support device; The automatic construction support method for an information processing device, wherein the automatic construction step identifies an information processing device based on the device-specific information, and performs automatic construction of the information processing device based on the setting information linked to the device-specific information.

10. A program for causing a computer to execute each step of the setting preparation support method according to claim 8 or the automatic construction support method according to claim 9.

Images