Information providing device, information providing method, information providing program, information management device, and information management program

Abstract

To enable effective management of applications for each user.SOLUTION: An overall management server 10 acquires a usage request for an application from a first user, sets up a management area for building the application requested by the first user, and provides the requested application to the management area set up for the first user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information providing device, an information providing method, an information providing program, an information management device, and an information management program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, web applications (simply referred to as "applications" as appropriate) that display measurement values, setting values, etc. transmitted from hardware, etc., are known. For example, a management company purchases an application from a development company and provides a service using the application to each user who installs sensors, etc., in managed systems, plants, etc., managed by the management company. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-050323 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional technologies have room for improvement in providing applications to users. For example, management companies must uniformly operate complex, feature-rich applications regardless of the number of users, which places a heavy operational burden on users and increases the application costs.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has as its object to effectively manage applications for each user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides an information providing device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires a request to use an application from a first user; a setting unit that sets a management area for the first user to execute the requested application; and a providing unit that provides the requested application to the management area set for the first user.

[0007] The present invention also provides an information provision method in which a computer executes a process in which it acquires a request to use an application from a first user, sets a management area for the first user to execute the requested application, and provides the requested application to the management area set for the first user.

[0008] The present invention also provides an information provision program that causes a computer to execute a process of obtaining a request to use an application from a first user, setting up a management area for the first user to execute the requested application, and providing the requested application to the management area set up for the first user.

[0009] The present invention also provides an information management device comprising: a receiving unit that receives settings for a management area for executing an application from an information providing device that provides the application; an execution unit that executes multiple applications provided by the information providing device in the management area; and an granting unit that grants usage rights to each of the multiple applications for each user executing each application.

[0010] The present invention also provides an information management program that causes a computer to execute a process that receives settings for a management area for executing an application from an information providing device that provides the application, executes multiple applications provided by the information providing device in the management area, and grants usage rights to each of the multiple applications for each user executing the application. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively manage applications for each user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of each device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a management information storage unit of the overall management server according to the first embodiment; FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an application information storage unit of the application server according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of information processing according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific example of a display screen of an application provider according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific example of a display screen of an application administrator according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific example of a display screen of an application user according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of information processing according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An information providing device, an information providing method, an information providing program, an information management device, and an information management program according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0014] [Embodiment 1] In the first embodiment, a management process for distributed applications will be described. The configuration of an information processing system 100-1 according to the first embodiment, the configuration of each device, and the process flow will be described in order below, and finally, the effects of the first embodiment will be described.

[0015] 1. Configuration of Information Processing System 100-1 The configuration of an information processing system 100-1 according to the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing system 100-1 according to the embodiment. Below, an example of the overall configuration of the information processing system 100-1, processing by the information processing system 100-1, and problems with the information processing system of the reference technology will be described in this order, and finally, the effects of the information processing system 100-1 will be described. Note that in the first embodiment, factory production remote monitoring using plant equipment, which is a device installed in a plant, will be described as an example, but the device and field of use are not limited thereto, and the present invention can also be applied to environmental measurement remote monitoring such as power monitoring, wind power generation, water and sewage monitoring, and river monitoring.

[0016] (1-1. Example of the overall configuration of the information processing system 100-1) The information processing system 100-1 has an overall management server 10, which is an information providing device, application servers 20 (20A, 20B, 20C, ...), which are information management devices, and user terminals 30 (30A, 30B, 30C, ...). Here, the overall management server 10 and the application servers 20 are constructed in a cloud environment. Furthermore, the application servers 30A, 30B, 30C, ... are installed in management areas A, B, C, ... respectively, created by an application provider (simply referred to as "provider" as appropriate) P, who manages the entire information processing system 100-1.

[0017] 1 may include multiple overall management servers 10. The overall management server 10 may also be integrated with an application server 20. The overall management server 10 and the application server 20 are not limited to server devices built in a cloud environment, and may also be physical servers, virtual machines, containers, etc. built in an on-premise environment.

[0018] (1-2. Overall Processing of Information Processing System 100-1: Application Division and Provision Processing) The following describes the process of dividing and providing an application in the information processing system 100-1 described above.

[0019] (1-2-1. Application setting process) The overall management server 10 installs applications for each management area of ​​the cloud environment (see FIG. 1(1)). For example, the overall management server 10 installs applications requested by an application administrator (simply referred to as "administrator" as appropriate) M, such as an agency that has a contract with a provider P, for each management area set by the administrator M.

[0020] (1-2-2. Application area setting process) The overall management server 10 can further divide the management area of ​​the cloud environment into multiple application areas that make up the applications requested by the administrator M, and install the divided applications in each application area (see FIG. 1(2)). For example, the overall management server 10 sets multiple application areas corresponding to the contract status (e.g., subscription contract, etc.) of the application users (or simply "users" as appropriate) U it accommodates. In this case, the application server 20 can grant usage rights to the accommodated users U based on their contract status. For example, the application server 20A grants usage rights to three screens, five users, and 50 pieces of data to users UA-a1, ..., accommodated in application area Aa, and grants usage rights to at least six screens, ten users, or 100 pieces of data to users UA-b1, ..., accommodated in application area Ab.

[0021] (1-2-3. Data transmission and reception processing) The application server 20 transmits and receives data to and from the user terminals 30 used by the users U on an application area basis (see FIG. 1(3)). For example, the application server 20A transmits and receives data to and from the user terminals 30A-a1, ... used by the users UA-a1, ... accommodated in the application area Aa, and transmits and receives data to and from the user terminals 30A-b1, ... used by the users UA-b1, ... accommodated in the application area Ab.

[0022] (1-3. Reference Technology Information Processing) Below, an overview of the information processing as a reference technology will be explained, and then problems with the reference technology will be explained.

[0023] (1-3-1. Overview of information processing in reference technology) In the information processing of the reference technology, an application administrator creates an application and provides services to many application users through one application. In this case, one application corresponds to one platform.

[0024] In the information processing of the reference technology, the application administrator purchases an application for an ordered application user from the application provider and performs engineering work for that application user. At this time, if there are multiple orders from the application user, the application administrator processes the order and performs engineering work for each order.

[0025] (1-3-2. Problems with information processing in the reference technology) The information processing of the reference technology has the following problems. First, in the information processing of the reference technology, application administrators must create complex, feature-rich applications and incorporate many requests, even if there are only a few application users. Second, in the information processing of the reference technology, application administrators find it difficult to maintain the system for the long term without a large number of application users. Third, in the information processing of the reference technology, all application users use the same application. Therefore, if a specific application user causes system instability by placing a heavy load on the application while using it, all application users are simultaneously affected. Fourth, in the information processing of the reference technology, when a function is extended for a specific application user, it is applied to all application users, and other application users end up paying for unnecessary functions. Fifth, in the information processing of the reference technology, even if an application administrator wants to provide the application directly to the application user, the application provider must issue the application user with management areas and license information to manage those management areas. For these reasons, it is difficult to effectively manage applications for each user with the information processing of the reference technology.

[0026] (1-4. Improvements to the Information Processing System 100-1) In the following, an overview of the information processing system 100-1 according to the first embodiment will be described, and then improvements to the information processing system 100-1 will be described.

[0027] (1-4-1. Overview of Information Processing System 100-1) In the information processing system 100-1, the overall management server 10 acquires a request for application use from an administrator M, sets a management area for the administrator M in which the application is to be constructed, and provides the requested application to an application server 20 constructed in the management area of ​​the administrator M.

[0028] In addition, in the information processing system 100-1, the application server 20 receives license information related to the management of applications from the overall management server 10, and based on the license information, executes multiple applications installed in each of the application areas in the management area divided by the overall management server 10, and sets user U's usage rights for each of the multiple applications.

[0029] That is, the information processing system 100-1 is a system in which multiple applications are installed, each application is provided with a service, and the applications are monitored. The information processing system 100-1 is also a system in which application management can be entrusted to an administrator M, such as an agent, without requiring specialized knowledge of cloud environments, etc.

[0030] (1-4-2. Improvements to the information processing system 100-1) The information processing system 100-1 is expected to offer the following improvements. First, the information processing system 100-1 allows for the installation of multiple applications on a small scale, with limited application functionality. Second, the information processing system 100-1 offers cost benefits, even for a small number of users U, by eliminating the need to maintain a large platform. Furthermore, since multiple applications can be installed, the information processing system 100-1 can accommodate a large number of users U. Third, even if an application stops due to a software malfunction or overload, the applications are distributed, so not all applications will stop at the same time. Fourth, the information processing system 100-1 allows specific functional extensions to be applied on a small scale or on a per-user-U basis. Fifth, the information processing system 100-1 allows for the sale of management areas piecemeal to administrators M, such as agents, facilitating business expansion of the entire system. As described above, the information processing system 100-1 allows for effective management of applications for each user.

[0031] 2. Configuration of each device in information processing system 100-1 The functional configuration of each device included in the information processing system 100-1 shown in Fig. 1 will be described using Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of each device according to embodiment 1. Below, an example of the overall configuration of the information processing system 100-1 according to embodiment 1 will be described, and then example configurations of the overall management server 10, application server 20, and user terminal 30 according to embodiment 1 will be described in detail.

[0032] (2-1. Example of the overall configuration of the information processing system 100-1) 2, the information processing system 100-1 includes an overall management server 10, multiple application servers 20, and multiple user terminals 30. The overall management server 10 and the application servers 20 are communicatively connected via a predetermined communication network in a cloud environment. The user terminals 30 are communicatively connected via a communication network N such as the Internet.

[0033] The overall management server 10 and the application server 20 are not limited to server devices built in a cloud environment, but may be physical servers, virtual machines, containers, etc. built in an on-premise environment.

[0034] (2-2. Example of the overall management server 10 configuration) First, a configuration example of the overall management server 10, which is an information providing device, will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The overall management server 10 has a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13. The overall management server 10 may also have an input unit (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, etc.) that accepts various operations from the system provider of the information processing system 100-1, and a display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display, etc.) that displays various information.

[0035] (2-2-1. Communications Department 11) The communication unit 11 controls data communication with other devices. For example, the communication unit 11 performs data communication with each communication device via a router or the like. The communication unit 11 can also perform data communication with an operator's terminal (not shown).

[0036] (2-2-2. Storage section 12) The storage unit 12 stores various types of information that the control unit 13 references when it operates and various types of information that the control unit 13 acquires when it operates. The storage unit 12 includes a management information storage unit 12a. Here, the storage unit 12 can be realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a random access memory (RAM) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. In the example of FIG. 2, the storage unit 12 is installed inside the overall management server 10, but it may also be installed outside the overall management server 10, or multiple storage units may be installed.

[0037] (2-2-2-1. Management information storage unit 12a) The management information storage unit 12a stores management information such as administrator license information notified by a notification unit 13f of the control unit 13, which will be described later. An example of information stored in the management information storage unit 12a will now be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the management information storage unit 12a of the overall management server 10 according to the first embodiment. In the example of Fig. 3, the management information storage unit 12a has items such as "management area identification information," "application identification information," "administrator license information," and "administrator identification information."

[0038] "Management area identification information" indicates identification information for identifying a management area, such as an identification number or identification symbol of the management area. "Application identification information" indicates identification information for identifying an application, such as an identification number or identification symbol of the application server 20. "Administrator license information" indicates license information granted to administrator M that enables management of applications, such as specified command information. "Administrator identification information" indicates identification information for identifying administrator M, such as an agency identification number or identification symbol.

[0039] 3 shows an example in which, for a management area identified by management area identification information "management area A," an application identified by application identification information "application A" is installed, the administrator license information granted to administrator M is "ML-A001," and administrator M is identified by administrator identification information "MID-A." Similarly, for a management area identified by management area identification information "management area B," an application identified by application identification information "application B" is installed, the administrator license information granted to administrator M is "ML-B001," and administrator M is identified by administrator identification information "MID-B." Also shown is an example in which, for a management area identified by management area identification information "management area C," an application identified by application identification information "application C" is installed, the administrator license information granted to administrator M is "ML-C001," and administrator M is identified by administrator identification information "MID-C."

[0040] (2-2-3. Control unit 13) The control unit 13 is responsible for overall control of the overall management server 10. The control unit 13 has an acquisition unit 13a, a setting unit 13b, a provision unit 13c, a collection unit 13d, a generation unit 13e, and a notification unit 13f. Here, the control unit 13 can be realized by, for example, an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0041] (2-2-3-1. Acquisition part 13a) The acquisition unit 13a acquires a request to use an application from an administrator M who is a first user. To explain using a specific example, the acquisition unit 13a acquires a request to use application A from an agency A who is the administrator M, acquires a request to use application B from an agency B who is the administrator M, and acquires a request to use application C from an agency C who is the administrator M. The acquisition unit 13a may also acquire information about necessary resources from the administrator M. For example, the acquisition unit 13a may acquire information about resources such as the number of users and the amount of data to be accommodated from the administrator M.

[0042] (2-2-3-2. Setting section 13b) The setting unit 13b sets a management area for executing the requested application for the administrator M, who is the first user. For example, the setting unit 13b divides and allocates resources of a cloud system that provides a cloud environment, and generates management areas. The setting unit 13b also divides the management area generated for the administrator M, who is the first user, and generates multiple areas (application areas) within the management area.

[0043] To explain using a specific example, the setting unit 13b sets a management area A for executing application A in a cloud environment according to resources requested by agency A, who is administrator M, sets a management area B for executing application B in a cloud environment according to resources requested by agency B, who is administrator M, and sets a management area C for executing application C in a cloud environment according to resources requested by agency C, who is administrator M. Furthermore, the setting unit 13b divides the management area A in accordance with a request from agency A, who is administrator M, to generate application areas Aa and Ab within the management area A.

[0044] (2-2-3-3.Providing part 13c) The providing unit 13c provides the requested application to the management area set for the administrator M, who is the first user. At this time, the providing unit 13c may install the requested application in the application server 20 constructed in the management area of ​​the administrator M, or may transmit the requested application information to the application server 20 and have the application server 20 install the application.

[0045] Furthermore, in a cloud environment, the providing unit 13c installs an application on a virtual machine generated as an application server 20 using resources allocated to a management area. Meanwhile, the providing unit 13c may install each of a plurality of applications constituting an application requested by the administrator M, who is a first user, on each of a plurality of application servers 20, which are physical servers constructed in each of the plurality of areas. In this case, the providing unit 13c may also install different applications for each of the plurality of areas. To explain using a specific example, the providing unit 13c may install application A in application area a within management area A and application B in application area b.

[0046] (2-2-3-4. Collection section 13d) The collection unit 13d collects various types of information from the application server 20. Details of the processing by the collection unit 13d will be described later in the second embodiment.

[0047] (2-2-3-5. Generation unit 13e) The generation unit 13e generates contact information to be notified to the application server 20 and the user terminal 30. Details of the processing by the generation unit 13e will be described later in the second embodiment.

[0048] (2-2-3-6. Notification section 13f) The notification unit 13f notifies the application server 20 and the user terminal 30 of the contact information. Details of the processing by the notification unit 13f will be described later in the second embodiment.

[0049] (2-3. Example of application server 20 configuration) An example configuration of application server 20, which is an information management device, will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Application server 20 has a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a control unit 23. Note that application server 20 may also have an input unit (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, etc.) that accepts various operations from the system provider of information processing system 100-1, and a display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display, etc.) that displays various information.

[0050] (2-3-1. Communications Department 21) The communication unit 21 controls data communication with other devices. For example, the communication unit 21 performs data communication with each communication device via a router or the like. The communication unit 21 can also perform data communication with an operator's terminal (not shown).

[0051] (2-3-2. Storage section 22) The storage unit 22 stores various types of information that the control unit 23 references when it operates and various types of information that the control unit 23 acquires when it operates. The storage unit 22 has an application information storage unit 22a. Here, the storage unit 22 can be realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as RAM or flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or optical disk. Note that, in the example of FIG. 2, the storage unit 22 is installed inside the application server 20, but it may be installed outside the application server 20, or multiple storage units may be installed.

[0052] (2-3-2-1. Application information storage unit 22a) The application information storage unit 22a stores application information such as usage authority of the user U granted by the granting unit 23c of the control unit 23, which will be described later. An example of information stored in the application information storage unit 22a will now be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the application information storage unit 22a of the application server 20 according to the embodiment. In the example of Fig. 4, the application information storage unit 22a has items such as "application identification information," "application area identification information," "usage authority," "user identification information," "user license information," and "user location information."

[0053] "Application identification information" indicates identification information for identifying an application, such as the identification number or identification symbol of the application server 20. "Application area identification information" indicates identification information for identifying an application area, such as the identification number or identification symbol of the application area, or the hierarchical structure of the application area. "Usage authority" indicates the range of application use rights granted to user U, such as the number of screens used, the number of users, and the amount of data used. "User identification information" indicates identification information for identifying user U, such as user U's identification number or identification symbol. "User license information" indicates license information granted to user U that allows the use of an application, such as a specified password. "User location information" indicates the location information of the application use screen that user U accesses when using the application, such as the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of user U's "Customer Page."

[0054] That is, Figure 4 shows an example in which, for an application identified by application identification information "Application A," the usage permissions for the application area identified by application area identification information "Application Area a" are "3 screens," "5 users," and "50 data items," and user U with {user identification information "UID-a001," user license information "UL-a001," user location information "URL-a001," ...}, {user identification information "UID-a002," user license information "UL-a002," user location information "URL-a002," ...}, ... is accommodated. Similarly, for an application identified by application identification information "Application B," the usage permissions for the application area identified by application area identification information "Application Area B" are "6 screens," "10 users," and "100 data items," and an example is shown in which user U with {user identification information "UID-b001," user license information "UL-b001," user location information "URL-b001," ...}, {user identification information "UID-b002," user license information "UL-b002," user location information "URL-b002," ...}, ... is accommodated.

[0055] (2-3-3. Control unit 23) The control unit 23 is responsible for overall control of the application server 20. The control unit 23 has a receiving unit 23a, an executing unit 23b, an assigning unit 23c, and a transmitting unit 23d. Here, the control unit 23 can be realized by, for example, an electronic circuit such as a CPU or an MPU, or an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA.

[0056] (2-3-3-1. Receiving unit 23a) The receiving unit 23a receives the setting of the management area for executing the application from the overall management server 10, which is an information providing device that provides the application. To explain using a specific example, the receiving unit 23a receives the administrator license information "UL-a001" transmitted from the overall management server 10, which allows the application A to be executed and managed in the application area a.

[0057] The receiving unit 23a also receives various types of information from devices. For example, the receiving unit 23a receives sensor values ​​transmitted from plant equipment such as sensor devices installed in the plant. The receiving unit 23a also receives various types of information from the user terminal 30. For example, the receiving unit 23a receives a request from the user terminal 30 to change the calculation method for plant information acquired in the plant.

[0058] (2-3-3-2. Executive Unit 23b) The execution unit 23b executes, in the management area, a plurality of applications provided by the overall management server 10. To explain using a specific example, the execution unit 23b executes application A installed in application area a and application A installed in application area b, both of which are transmitted from the overall management server 10.

[0059] (2-3-3-3. Granting unit 23c) The granting unit 23c grants, to each of the multiple applications, user authority for each user who executes each application. For example, the granting unit 23c grants, to each of the multiple applications, usage authority that sets at least one of the number of usable screens, the number of users, or the number of usable data provided by the application according to the number of users of each application. Explaining this using a specific example, the granting unit 23c grants, to user Ua accommodated in application area a, usage authority that is the minimum unit {number of usable screens: "3 screens," number of users: "5 users," and number of usable data: "50 data"}, and grants, to user Ub accommodated in application area b, usage authority that is twice the minimum unit of resources {number of usable screens: "6 screens," number of users: "10 users," and number of usable data: "100 data"}.

[0060] (2-3-3-4. Transmitting unit 23d) The transmitter 23d transmits to the overall management server 10 the usage authority set for each of the multiple applications, user information on the users U who use each of the multiple applications, and change information indicating that the users U who use each of the multiple applications have been changed. The transmitter 23d also transmits data output by the execution of an application requested by each of the multiple users U, to the multiple users U accommodated in each of the multiple applications. To explain using a specific example, when users UA-a1, UA-a2, ... are accommodated in application A installed in application area a, the transmitter 23d transmits calculation data calculated by the calculation methods A1, A2, ... of the plant information used in the execution of application A, which are requested by users UA-a1, UA-a2, ..., respectively.

[0061] (2-4. Example of configuration of user terminal 30) An example of the configuration of the user terminal 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. For example, the user terminal 30 may be realized by a notebook PC (Personal Computer), a desktop PC, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), etc. The user terminal 30 has a transmission / reception unit 31.

[0062] (2-4-1. Transmitter / receiver 31) The transmitting / receiving unit 31 transmits various types of information. For example, the transmitting / receiving unit 31 transmits a request to change the usage authority to the application server 20. The transmitting / receiving unit 31 also receives various types of information. For example, the transmitting / receiving unit 31 receives plant information (measured values, set values, calculated values, etc. of plant equipment) of the plant transmitted by the application server 20.

[0063] 3. Processing Flow of Information Processing System 100-1 The processing flow of the information processing system 100-1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the information processing flow according to the first embodiment. Note that the processing of the following steps S101 to S108 may be executed in a different order. Also, some of the processing of the following steps S101 to S108 may be omitted.

[0064] (3-1. Management area division processing) The overall management server 10 divides the management area (step S101). For example, the overall management server 10 divides the management area into management area A, management area B, management area C, etc. on the cloud platform corresponding to agents A, B, C, etc., who are administrator M. The overall management server 10 can also further divide the management area assigned to administrator M. For example, the overall management server 10 can further divide the management area A on the cloud platform corresponding to agent A, who is administrator M, and generate application area Aa and application area Ab.

[0065] (3-2. Application provision process) The overall management server 10 provides applications (step S102). For example, the overall management server 10 installs application A, application B, application C, etc. on the application servers 20 constructed in management area A, management area B, management area C, etc. on the cloud platform. At this time, the overall management server 10 may transmit application installation information to the application servers 20 and cause the application servers 20 to install the applications.

[0066] (3-3. Usage authority setting process) The application server 20 sets usage authority for each application area (step S103). For example, in response to an order (such as a license purchase) from user U, the application server 20 sets usage authority such as the number of screens to be used, the number of users, and the amount of data to be used for each of application area a and application area b.

[0067] (3-4. License status notification processing) The application server 20 notifies the overall management server 10 of the license status (step S104). For example, the application server 20 periodically notifies the overall management server 10 of the license status (license allocation status for user U) managed by the application server 20. Therefore, the overall management server 10 can view all license information for user U under the application provision.

[0068] (3-5. Data transmission and reception processing) The application server 20 and the user terminals 30 (30-a, 30-b) transmit and receive data (step S105). For example, the application server 20 transmits and receives calculation data Aa to and from the user terminal 30-a, and transmits and receives calculation data Ab to and from the user terminal 30-b.

[0069] 4. Effects of the First Embodiment Finally, a description will be given of the effects of embodiment 1. Below, effects 1 to 4 corresponding to the processing according to the embodiment will be described.

[0070] (4-1. Effect 1) First, in the process according to the first embodiment described above, a request to use an application is obtained from an administrator M, a management area for executing the requested application is set for the administrator M, and the requested application is provided to the management area set for the administrator M. Therefore, in this process, applications can be effectively managed for each user.

[0071] (4-2. Effect 2) Second, in the process according to the first embodiment described above, the management area created for the administrator M is divided to create multiple application areas within the management area, and multiple applications that make up the requested application are installed in each of the multiple application areas. Therefore, in this process, by further dividing the management area on the cloud platform, applications can be effectively managed for each user.

[0072] (4-3. Effect 3) Thirdly, in the process according to the first embodiment described above, resources of a cloud system that provides a cloud environment are divided and allocated to generate management areas, and the application is installed on a virtual machine generated as an application server 20 using the resources allocated to the management areas. Therefore, in this process, applications can be effectively managed for each user on the cloud platform.

[0073] (4-4. Effect 4) Fourth, in the process according to the first embodiment described above, the management area is divided to generate multiple application areas within the management area, and multiple applications requested by the administrator M are installed in each of the multiple application servers 20 constructed in each of the multiple application areas. Therefore, in this process, by further dividing the management area within the physical server, applications can be effectively managed for each user.

[0074] [Embodiment 2] In the second embodiment, a description will be given of the notification processing of various types of information in the application management processing of the first embodiment. Below, the configuration of the device management system 100-2 according to the second embodiment, the configuration of each device, and the processing flow will be described in order, and finally, the effects of the second embodiment will be described. Note that a description of the configuration and processing common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0075] 1. Configuration of Information Processing System 100-2 The configuration of the information processing system 100-2 according to the second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing system 100-2 according to the second embodiment. Below, an example of the overall configuration of the information processing system 100-2, the processing of the information processing system 100-2, and problems with the device management system of the reference technology will be described in this order, and finally, the effects of the information processing system 100-2 will be described.

[0076] (1-1. Example of the overall configuration of the information processing system 100-2) The information processing system 100-2 has an overall management server 10, which is an information providing device, application servers 20 (20A, ...), which are information management devices, and user terminals 30 (30A, ...). Here, the overall management server 10 and the application servers 20 are constructed in a cloud environment. Furthermore, the application servers 30A, ... are installed in management areas A, ... created by a provider P who manages the entire information processing system 100-2.

[0077] 6 may include a plurality of overall management servers 10. The overall management server 10 may also be integrated with an application server 20. The overall management server 10 and the application server 20 are not limited to server devices built in a cloud environment, and may also be physical servers, virtual machines, containers, etc. built in an on-premise environment.

[0078] (1-2. Overall Processing of Information Processing System 100-2: Information Notification Processing) The following describes notification processing of various types of information in the information processing system 100-2 described above.

[0079] (1-2-1. Data transmission and reception processing) The application server 20 transmits and receives data to and from the user terminals 30 used by the users U on an application area basis (see FIG. 6(1)). For example, the application server 20A transmits and receives data to and from the user terminals 30A-a1, ... used by the users UA-a1, ..., and transmits and receives data to and from the user terminals 30A-b1, ... used by the users UA-b1, ....

[0080] (1-2-2. Information acquisition process) The overall management server 10 acquires user information and application operation information from the application server 20 (see FIG. 6(2)). For example, the overall management server 10 acquires user information such as the user name, URL, and password of user U accommodated in the application server 20A from the application server 20A. The overall management server 10 also acquires application operation information such as the number of data usages per day of user U accommodated in the application server 20A from the application server 20A.

[0081] (1-2-3. Contact information notification processing) The overall management server 10 notifies the user U of contact information on the application usage screen (see FIG. 6(3)). For example, if the expiration date of the license information of the user U of an application it accommodates is approaching, the overall management server 10 notifies the user U of contact information urging the user U to update the license information. The overall management server 10 can also notify the administrator M of contact information on the application management screen, or on the administrator M's application management screen and the user U's application usage screen. For example, if there is update information for an application it provides, the overall management server 10 notifies the administrator M of contact information urging the administrator M to update the application. Furthermore, when emergency maintenance is performed on the management area of ​​the cloud environment, the overall management server 10 notifies the administrator M and the user U of contact information informing them of the start and end times of the maintenance to address the failure.

[0082] (1-3. Problems with information processing in reference technology) In the information processing of the reference technology, when an application provider wants to notify an application administrator and an application user, the notification to the application user is an indirect communication from the application administrator to the application user, which makes it difficult to communicate information urgently, immediately, and over a wide area. As a result, in the information processing of the reference technology, it is difficult to effectively manage applications for each user.

[0083] (1-4. Improvements of the Information Processing System 100-2) In the following, an overview of an information processing system 100-2 according to the second embodiment will be described, followed by an explanation of improvements to the information processing system 100-2.

[0084] (1-4-1. Overview of Information Processing System 100-2) The information processing system 100-2 collects administrator information of the administrator M and user information of the user U who uses the application, and based on the contact information to be notified, performs one of the following: notification to the administrator M, notification to the user U, or notification to both the administrator M and the user U.

[0085] That is, the information processing system 100-2 is a system that can transmit information contact notifications directly from the provider P, such as "provider P → user U" or "provider P → administrator M."

[0086] (1-4-2. Improvements to the information processing system 100-2) In the information processing system 100-2, mutual information between the user U, the administrator M, and the provider P enables urgent, immediate, and wide-area information communication, which is expected to improve the smooth operation of web applications. In other words, in the information processing system 100-2, applications can be effectively managed for each user.

[0087] 2. Configuration of Devices in Information Processing System 100-2 The following describes the functional configuration of the overall management server 10 of the information processing system 100-2 shown in Fig. 6. Note that the configuration example of the overall information processing system 100-2, the application server 20, and the user terminal 30 is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 2, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0088] (2-1. Example of the overall management server 10 configuration) The overall management server 10 has a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13. The overall management server 10 may also have an input unit (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, etc.) that accepts various operations from the system provider of the device management system 100-2, and a display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display, etc.) that displays various information.

[0089] (2-1-1. Communications Department 11) The communication unit 11 controls data communication with other devices. Note that the communication unit 11 performs the same processing as in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0090] (2-1-2. Storage section 12) The storage unit 12 stores various information that the control unit 13 refers to when it operates and various information that the control unit 13 acquires when it operates. Note that the storage unit 12 performs the same processing as in the first embodiment shown in Fig. 2, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0091] (2-1-3. Control unit 13) The control unit 13 is responsible for overall control of the overall management server 10. As in Fig. 2, the control unit 13 has an acquisition unit 13a, a setting unit 13b, a provision unit 13c, a collection unit 13d, a generation unit 13e, and a notification unit 13f. Here, the control unit 13 can be realized by, for example, an electronic circuit such as a CPU or MPU, or an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA.

[0092] (2-1-3-1. Acquisition part 13a) The acquiring unit 13a acquires various types of information. Note that the details of the processing by the acquiring unit 13a are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described again.

[0093] (2-1-3-2. Setting section 13b) The setting unit 13b sets the management area. Note that the details of the processing by the setting unit 13b are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described here.

[0094] (2-1-3-3.Providing part 13c) The providing unit 13c provides an application. Note that the details of the processing by the providing unit 13c are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described again.

[0095] (2-1-3-4. Collection section 13d) The collection unit 13d collects first user information of an administrator M who is a first user, and second user information of a user U who is a second user who uses the application. For example, the collection unit 13d collects location information of an application management screen of the administrator M, location information of an application usage screen of the user U, etc.

[0096] To explain a specific example, the collection unit 13d collects, via the application server 20A, the URL "URL-A" of the "customer management page" of agency A, who is administrator M of application A, the URL "URL-a001" of the "customer page" of user UA-a1, the URL "URL-b001" of the "customer page" of user UA-b1, etc.

[0097] (2-1-3-5. Generation unit 13e) The generation unit 13e generates contact information. For example, the generation unit 13e generates, as the contact information, maintenance information regarding regular or emergency maintenance, user license information regarding the expiration date of the license of the user U, or application update information regarding an update of an application.

[0098] (2-1-3-6. Notification section 13f) The notification unit 13f executes at least one of a notification to the administrator M or a notification to the user U who uses the application, based on the type of notification to be sent to the administrator M or the user U (e.g., maintenance information, license expiration date, application update).

[0099] For example, when a failure occurs in the execution of an application, the notification unit 13f notifies the administrator M and the user U of maintenance information related to maintenance to address the failure. To explain a specific example, when a failure occurs in the cloud infrastructure, the notification unit 13f notifies the administrator M and the user U of maintenance information such as "Emergency maintenance will be performed" on the application management screen of the administrator M and the application usage screen of the user U.

[0100] Furthermore, the notification unit 13f notifies the user U of information prompting the user to renew the license a predetermined period before the expiration date of the license of the application used by the user U. To explain a specific example, the notification unit 13f notifies the user U of user license information such as "The license for application A will expire at 0:00 on XX month △ day" on the application usage screen of the user U one month before the expiration date of the license of the user U.

[0101] Furthermore, the notification unit 13f notifies the administrator M of information related to updates to applications managed by the administrator M. To explain a specific example, when an application update is possible, the notification unit 13f notifies the application update information, such as "The latest version of application A has been released," on the application management screen of the administrator M.

[0102] (2-2. Specific examples of display screens) 7 to 9, a description will be given of specific examples of display screens generated by the generation unit 13e of the overall management server 10. The display screen of the application provider P, the display screen of the application administrator M, and the display screen of the application user U will be described below in that order.

[0103] (2-2-1. Application provider P's display screen) A specific example of the display screen of the application provider P will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a specific example of the display screen of the application provider P according to embodiment 2. The following describes in order "Notification destination," "Management area," "Notification destination list," and "Notification message" on the "Application providing system management screen."

[0104] (2-2-1-1.Notification destination) As shown in Fig. 7, the overall management server 10 displays a selectable notification destination for contact information. In the example of Fig. 7, the overall management server 10 displays the notification destinations, "agency" as the administrator M and "user" as the user U, each selectable by a radio button. In this case, the provider P can select the notification destination from "agency," "user," "agency," and "user."

[0105] (2-2-1-2. Management area) As shown in Fig. 7, the overall management server 10 displays a selectable management area as the notification destination. In the example of Fig. 7, the overall management server 10 displays a pull-down menu from which the identification number of a management area such as "management area A" can be selected.

[0106] (2-2-1-3. Notification list) As shown in Fig. 7, the overall management server 10 displays a list of the administrators M and users U of the application selected in the notification destination and management area. In the example of Fig. 7, the notification destination "User" and management area "Management area A" are selected, so the overall management server 10 displays a list of users U (user ID, user license ID, user URL, etc.) who use application A of the application server 20 set in management area A. At this time, the provider P can select the users U to notify by checking check boxes, etc.

[0107] (2-2-1-4. Notification message) As shown in Fig. 7, the overall management server 10 displays an input screen for contact information to be sent to the destination selected from the destination list. In the example of Fig. 7, the overall management server 10 displays a text box in which the provider P can input a notification message. At this time, the provider P can directly input a message such as "The license for application A will expire at 0:00 on XX month, XX day" into the text box.

[0108] (2-2-1-5. Other) The overall management server 10 can also determine the notification destination based on the content of the notification message. For example, if a failure occurs in the cloud environment, the overall management server 10 can determine that the contact information for performing emergency maintenance should be sent to administrator M and user U. The overall management server 10 can also automatically generate contact information using user information for user U. For example, the overall management server 10 can generate a notification message for each user U one month before the expiration date of the user license for user U's application, prompting the user U to renew the user license.

[0109] (2-2-2. Application Administrator M's Display Screen) A specific example of the display screen of the application administrator M will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a specific example of the display screen of the application administrator M according to embodiment 2. The following describes in order "User management information" and "Notification management information" on the "Customer management page Agent A (management area A)".

[0110] (2-2-2-1.User management information) As shown in Fig. 8, the overall management server 10 displays user information of a user U accommodated in an application managed by an administrator M. In the example of Fig. 8, the overall management server 10 displays user information (user ID, user license ID, user URL, etc.) of a user U accommodated in application A of an agency A, who is the administrator M, for each "application area a" and "application area b."

[0111] (2-2-2-2.Notification management information) As shown in FIG. 8, the overall management server 10 displays the notification message sent to the administrator M. In the example of FIG. 8, the overall management server 10 displays a "Message from the overall management server," which is a notification message from the provider P, and a "Message from the customer," which is a notification message from the user U. If there is no notification message, the overall management server 10 displays a message such as "There are no new received messages." At this time, the administrator M can inquire of the overall management server 10 whether there are any received messages by clicking the "Check notification" button. The administrator M can also click the "Create notification" button to display a screen for creating a notification message for the user U and create a notification message.

[0112] (2-2-2-3. Other) Administrator M can also display the user information settings screen for user U by clicking on the user information for user U in the "User Management Information" and change the settings for user information and application usage permissions.

[0113] (2-2-3. Application User U's Display Screen) A specific example of the display screen of the application user U will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a specific example of the display screen of the application user U according to the second embodiment. The following describes the "display screen" and "confirm received message" in the "application A customer page" order.

[0114] (2-2-3-1.Display screen) As shown in Fig. 9, the overall management server 10 displays a selectable display screen related to an application. In the example of Fig. 9, the overall management server 10 displays the following display screens, each selectable by a radio button: "Application," which displays the execution status of the application; "Received Message," which displays notification messages received from the provider P or the administrator M; and "Customer Information," which displays user information about the user U. At this time, the provider P can also select multiple display screens.

[0115] (2-2-3-2. Check received messages) As shown in FIG. 9 , the overall management server 10 displays notification messages received from the provider P and the administrator M. In the example of FIG. 9 , the overall management server 10 displays "Message from the System," which is a notification message from the provider P, and "Message from the Application," which is a notification message from the administrator M, based on the selection of the "Received Message" display screen. If there are no notification messages, the overall management server 10 displays a message such as "There are no new received messages." In the example of FIG. 9 , the overall management server 10 receives a notification message from the provider P, which is a message created on the display screen of the application provider P in FIG. 7 , stating, "The license for application A will expire at 0:00 on the XXth day." At this time, the user U can inquire about the presence or absence of received messages from the overall management server 10 or the application server 20 by clicking the "Confirm Notification" button. The user U can also click the "Create Notification" button to display a screen for creating a notification message for the administrator M and create a notification message.

[0116] (2-2-3-3. Other) Administrator M can select "Customer Information" as the display screen to display the user information setting screen for user U and change the user information settings. Administrator M can also request a change in application usage authority or report a malfunction of an application by sending a notification message to Administrator M.

[0117] 3. Processing Flow of Information Processing System 100-2 The processing flow of the information processing system 100-2 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the information processing flow according to the second embodiment. Note that the processing of the following steps S201 to S207 may be executed in a different order. Also, some of the processing of the following steps S201 to S207 may be omitted.

[0118] (3-1. Data transmission and reception processing) The application server 20 and the user terminals 30 (30-a, 30-b) transmit and receive data (step S201). For example, the application server 20 transmits and receives calculation data Aa to and from the user terminal 30-a, and transmits and receives calculation data Ab to and from the user terminal 30-b.

[0119] (3-2. Information collection and processing) The overall management server 10 collects user information from the application server 20 (step S202). For example, the overall management server 10 collects location information of the application usage screen of user U as user information of user U from the application server 20. The overall management server 10 also collects operation information from the application server 20 (step S203). For example, the overall management server 10 collects data on the number of applications used by user U per day from the application server 20.

[0120] (3-3. Contact information generation process) The overall management server 10 generates contact information (step S204). For example, the overall management server 10 generates contact information regarding maintenance, license expiration dates, and application updates.

[0121] (3-4. Notification destination selection process) The overall management server 10 selects the recipients of the contact information (step S205). For example, the overall management server 10 selects recipients based on the content of the notification, such as administrator M and user U for contact information related to maintenance, user U for contact information related to license expiration dates, and administrator M for contact information related to application updates. At this time, provider P can also specify the recipients of the contact information.

[0122] (3-5. Contact information notification processing) The overall management server 10 notifies the application server 20 of the contact information (step S206). For example, the overall management server 10 notifies the application server 20 of contact information related to maintenance or application updates. The overall management server 10 also notifies the user terminal 30 of the contact information (step S207). For example, the overall management server 10 notifies the user terminal 30 of contact information related to maintenance or license expiration dates.

[0123] 4. Effects of the Second Embodiment Finally, a description will be given of the effects of embodiment 2. Below, effects 1 to 4 corresponding to the processing according to the embodiment will be described.

[0124] (4-1. Effect 1) First, in the process according to the embodiment described above, based on the type of notification, at least one of a notification to the administrator M or a notification to the user U is executed. Therefore, in this process, by communicating information urgently, immediately, and over a wide area, applications can be effectively managed for each user.

[0125] (4-2. Effect 2) Secondly, in the process according to the above-described embodiment, if a failure occurs in the execution of an application, maintenance information regarding maintenance to address the failure is notified to the administrator M and the user U. Therefore, in this process, by urgently, immediately, and widely communicating information to the administrator M and the user U, it is possible to effectively manage applications for each user. (4-3. Effect 3) Third, in the process according to the above-described embodiment, information urging the user U to renew the license of the application used by the user U is notified to the user U a predetermined period before the expiration date of the license. Therefore, in this process, by providing the user U with urgent, immediate, and wide-area information, applications can be effectively managed for each user. (4-4. Effect 4) Fourth, in the process according to the embodiment described above, information regarding updates to applications managed by the administrator M is notified to the administrator M. Therefore, in this process, by urgently, immediately, and widely communicating information to the administrator M, applications can be effectively managed for each user.

[0126] 〔others〕 Some examples of combinations of the disclosed technical features are set out below.

[0127] (1) An information providing device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires a request to use an application from a first user; a setting unit that sets a management area in which the requested application is to be constructed for the first user; and a providing unit that provides the requested application to the management area set for the first user.

[0128] (2) The information providing device described in (1), wherein the setting unit divides the management area generated for the first user to generate multiple areas within the management area, and the providing unit installs each of the multiple applications that constitute the requested application into each of the multiple areas.

[0129] (3) The information providing device described in (2), wherein the setting unit generates the management area by dividing and allocating resources of a cloud system that provides a cloud environment, and the providing unit installs the application on a virtual machine generated as an information management device using the resources allocated to the management area.

[0130] (4) The information providing device described in (1), wherein the setting unit divides the management area to generate multiple areas within the management area, and the providing unit installs each of the multiple applications requested by the first user in each of the multiple information management devices constructed in each of the multiple areas.

[0131] (5) The information providing device according to any one of (1) to (4), further comprising a notification unit that executes at least one of a notification to the first user and a notification to the second user based on the type of notification.

[0132] (6) The information providing device described in (5), wherein, when a failure occurs in the execution of the application, the notification unit notifies the first user and the second user of maintenance information regarding maintenance corresponding to the failure.

[0133] (7) An information providing device described in (5) or (6), wherein the notification unit notifies the second user of information prompting the renewal of the license for the application used by the second user a predetermined period before the expiration date of the license.

[0134] (8) The information providing device according to any one of (5) to (7), wherein the notification unit notifies the first user of information relating to updates to the application managed by the first user.

[0135] (9) An information provision method in which a computer executes a process to obtain a request to use an application from a first user, set up a management area for constructing the requested application for the first user, and provide the requested application to the management area set up for the first user.

[0136] (10) An information providing program that causes a computer to execute a process of obtaining a request to use an application from a first user, setting up a management area for constructing the requested application for the first user, and providing the requested application to the management area set up for the first user.

[0137] (11) An information management device comprising: a receiving unit that receives settings for a management area for executing an application from an information providing device that provides the application; an execution unit that executes multiple applications provided by the information providing device in the management area; and an granting unit that grants usage rights to each of the multiple applications for each user executing each application.

[0138] (12) The information management device according to (11), wherein the granting unit grants the usage authority with at least one of the number of screens to be used, the number of users, or the number of data to be used set according to the size of the multiple areas.

[0139] (13) The information management device according to (11) or (12) further includes a transmitting unit that transmits to the information providing device the usage rights set for each of the plurality of applications, user information regarding the users who use each of the plurality of applications, and change information indicating that the users who use each of the plurality of applications have been changed.

[0140] (14) The information management device described in (13), wherein the transmission unit transmits data output by execution of an application requested by each of the multiple users to each of the multiple users accommodated in the multiple applications.

[0141] (15) An information management program that causes a computer to execute a process that receives settings for a management area for executing an application from an information providing device that provides the application, executes multiple applications provided by the information providing device in the management area, and grants usage rights to each of the multiple applications for each user who executes the application.

[0142] 〔system〕 The information including the processing procedures, control procedures, specific names, various data and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be changed arbitrarily unless otherwise specified.

[0143] Furthermore, the components of each device shown in the figure are functional concepts and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown. In other words, all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

[0144] Furthermore, all or any part of the processing functions performed by each device may be realized by a CPU and a program analyzed and executed by the CPU, or may be realized as hardware using wired logic.

[0145] [Hardware] Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the overall management server 10, which is an information providing device, will be described. Note that other devices such as the application server 20 can also have a similar hardware configuration. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration. As shown in FIG. 11, the overall management server 10 has a communication device 10a, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 10b, a memory 10c, and a processor 10d. Furthermore, the components shown in FIG. 11 are interconnected by a bus or the like.

[0146] The communication device 10a is a network interface card or the like, and communicates with other servers. The HDD 10b stores programs and DBs that operate the functions shown in FIG.

[0147] The processor 10d reads out from the HDD 10b or the like a program that executes the same processes as the respective processing units shown in FIG. 2 and loads the program into the memory 10c, thereby operating a process that executes each function described in FIG. 2 or the like. For example, this process executes the same functions as the respective processing units of the overall management server 10. Specifically, the processor 10d reads out from the HDD 10b or the like a program that has the same functions as the acquiring unit 13a, the setting unit 13b, the providing unit 13c, the collecting unit 13d, the generating unit 13e, the notifying unit 13f, and the like. Then, the processor 10d executes a process that executes the same processes as the acquiring unit 13a, the setting unit 13b, the providing unit 13c, the collecting unit 13d, the generating unit 13e, the notifying unit 13f, and the like.

[0148] In this way, the overall management server 10 operates as a device that executes various processing methods by reading and executing programs. The overall management server 10 can also realize functions similar to those of the above-described embodiment by reading the programs from a recording medium using a media reader and executing the read programs. Note that the programs in these other embodiments are not limited to those executed by the overall management server 10. For example, the present invention can also be applied in the same way to cases where other computers or servers execute programs, or where these execute programs in cooperation with each other.

[0149] This program can be distributed via a network such as the Internet. In addition, this program can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-ROM, a magneto-optical disk (MO), or a digital versatile disk (DVD), and can be executed by being read from the recording medium by a computer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0150] 10. Central Management Server 11 Communications Department 12 Storage section 12a Management information storage unit 13 Control Unit 13a Acquisition part 13b Setting section 13c supply department 13d Collection Department 13e Generator 13f Notification section 20 Application Server 21 Communications Department 22 Memory section 22a Application information storage unit 23 Control Unit 23a Receiving section 23b Executive Department 23c Granting Section 23d Transmitter 30 30A 30B 30C User terminal 31 Transmitter / Receiver 100-1 100-2 Information Processing Systems

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires information regarding usage requests for applications used in each of a plurality of plants and information regarding required resources from a first user that manages the applications; a setting unit that sets a management area for executing the requested application to the first user in accordance with resources required by the first user; a providing unit that provides the requested application to the management area set for the first user; Equipped with The setting unit generating, as the management area set for the first user, the management area in which resources of a cloud system that provides a cloud environment are divided and allocated; Dividing the management area to generate a plurality of areas within the management area; The providing unit installing each of the plurality of applications constituting the application in each of the plurality of areas in response to a request from a second user who uses the application in the plant; Information provision device.

2. The providing unit: installing the application in a virtual machine generated as an information management device using the resources allocated to the management area; The information providing device according to claim 1 .

3. The setting unit Dividing the management area to generate a plurality of areas within the management area; The providing unit installing each of the plurality of applications requested by the first user in each of the plurality of information management devices constructed in each of the plurality of areas; The information providing device according to claim 1 .

4. a notification unit that executes at least one of a notification to the first user and a notification to the second user based on the type of notification; The information providing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

5. The notification unit If a failure occurs in the execution of the application, notify the first user and the second user of maintenance information regarding maintenance to address the failure.

5. The information providing device according to claim 4.

6. The notification unit notifying the second user of information prompting the second user to renew the license a predetermined period before the expiration date of the license of the application used by the second user; 5. The information providing device according to claim 4.

7. The notification unit notifying the first user of information regarding updates to the application managed by the first user; 5. The information providing device according to claim 4.

8. The computer obtaining, from a first user who manages an application, information regarding a usage request for an application used in each of a plurality of plants and information regarding a required resource; setting a management area for executing the requested application to the first user in accordance with resources required by the first user; providing the requested application to the management area set for the first user; Execute the process, generating, as the management area set for the first user, the management area in which resources of a cloud system that provides a cloud environment are divided and allocated; Dividing the management area to generate a plurality of areas within the management area; installing each of the plurality of applications constituting the application in each of the plurality of areas in response to a request from a second user who uses the application in the plant; Information provision method.

9. On the computer, obtaining, from a first user who manages an application, information regarding a usage request for an application used in each of a plurality of plants and information regarding a required resource; setting a management area for executing the requested application to the first user in accordance with resources required by the first user; providing the requested application to the management area set for the first user; Execute the process, generating, as the management area set for the first user, the management area in which resources of a cloud system that provides a cloud environment are divided and allocated; Dividing the management area to generate a plurality of areas within the management area; installing each of the plurality of applications constituting the application in each of the plurality of areas in response to a request from a second user who uses the application in the plant; Informational program.

10. a receiving unit that receives, from an information providing device that provides an application, a setting of a management area for executing the application; an execution unit that executes a plurality of applications provided by the information providing device in the management area; an authorization unit that grants, to each of the plurality of applications, a usage authority for each user who executes the application; Equipped with The information providing device an acquisition unit that acquires, from a first user who manages an application, information regarding a usage request for an application used in each of a plurality of plants and information regarding a required resource; a setting unit that sets a management area for executing the requested application to the first user in accordance with resources required by the first user; a providing unit that provides the requested application to the management area set for the first user, The setting unit generating, as the management area set for the first user, the management area in which resources of a cloud system that provides a cloud environment are divided and allocated; Dividing the management area to generate a plurality of areas within the management area; The providing unit installing each of the plurality of applications constituting the application in each of the plurality of areas in response to a request from a second user who uses the application in the plant; Information management device.

11. The granting unit granting, to each of the plurality of applications, the use authority in which at least one of the number of use screens, the number of users, or the number of use data provided by the application is set according to the number of users of each application; The information management device according to claim 10.

12. a transmission unit that transmits to the information providing device the usage authority set for each of the plurality of applications, user information regarding users who use each of the plurality of applications, and change information indicating that the users who use each of the plurality of applications have been changed; The information management device according to claim 10 or 11, further comprising:

13. The transmission unit transmitting data output by execution of an application requested by each of the plurality of users to each of the plurality of users accommodated in the plurality of applications; The information management device according to claim 12.

14. On the computer, receiving a setting of a management area for executing an application from an information providing device that provides the application; Executing a plurality of applications provided by the information providing device in the management area; granting a usage authority to each of the plurality of applications for each user who executes the application; Execute the process, The information providing device obtaining, from a first user who manages an application, information regarding a usage request for an application used in each of a plurality of plants and information regarding a required resource; setting a management area for executing the requested application to the first user in accordance with resources required by the first user; providing the requested application to the management area established for the first user; generating, as the management area set for the first user, the management area in which resources of a cloud system that provides a cloud environment are divided and allocated; Dividing the management area to generate a plurality of areas within the management area; installing each of the plurality of applications constituting the application in each of the plurality of areas in response to a request from a second user who uses the application in the plant; Information Management Program.

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