Cloud-Local Task File Version Restoration via Update Accumulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming systems struggle to efficiently combine cloud-side and local-side tasks in a workflow, leading to inefficiencies in processing and storage, particularly in managing task files and maintaining user authorization and security.
Innovation Solution
An information processing system comprising a cloud apparatus and a local apparatus, where the cloud apparatus allocates tasks between itself and the local apparatus based on user authorization and workflow requirements, and the local apparatus executes and stores tasks while sending execution results and update information back to the cloud, allowing for automated task processing and version management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all task files are stored on the cloud apparatus, then centralized management and version control are improved, but storage costs and network bandwidth consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential version control information (update information) and stores it on the cloud apparatus, while keeping the actual task files on local apparatuses. This separation allows centralized version management without requiring centralized storage of all file data, thus reducing cloud storage costs while maintaining version control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses update information as a form of copy that represents the essential changes to task files. Instead of storing complete file copies on the cloud, the system stores differential update information that can be used to reconstruct or compare versions, significantly reducing the amount of data that needs to be stored centrally.
2Quantity of substance
If task files are stored locally on the apparatus, then storage costs are reduced, but the ability to restore previous versions becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where local apparatuses send update information back to the cloud apparatus after modifying task files. The cloud apparatus accumulates this update information and uses it to maintain version control. When version restoration is needed, the system can retrieve the appropriate update information from the cloud and apply it to the local file, enabling easy version restoration without storing complete file histories locally.
3Reliability
If the cloud apparatus manages all workflow tasks, then centralized control is improved, but processing efficiency and responsiveness decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the workflow processing by dividing tasks between cloud apparatuses and local apparatuses. The cloud apparatus handles workflow management, task allocation, and version control, while local apparatuses execute the actual task processing. This segmentation allows centralized coordination to be maintained while enabling parallel processing across multiple local devices, thereby improving overall processing efficiency.
4Reliability
If update information is accumulated on the cloud apparatus, then version management capability is improved, but data transmission and processing load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary update information (changes/differences) rather than transmitting complete task files. This extraction approach minimizes the amount of data that needs to be transmitted between cloud and local apparatuses while still providing complete version management capability. The update information is sufficient to reconstruct or compare versions without requiring full file transmissions.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an information processing system that can restore an old version of a task file via an image forming workflow. The information processing system has a cloud server and a local server to execute the image forming workflow for a document. The cloud control unit allocates each of tasks of the workflow to the cloud server or the local server. The update accumulation unit accumulates update information of task files allocated to the local server by the cloud control unit. The client control unit sends and receives an execution result of a task allocated to the local server from the cloud server and update information of a file related to the task to and from the cloud server. The local storage unit stores the file related to the task allocated by the local server.