Cloud Storage Job Counting via Segmented Aggregation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to accurately count print job executions for each piece of cloud storage due to mismatched user accounts, making detailed aggregation and billing challenging.
Innovation Solution
An information processing system with a management server and image forming apparatus that communicates job logs, including a job counter value and identification information, to aggregate job execution data for each cloud storage, enabling detailed reporting and billing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a user ID is used as a unit of aggregation for print results, then the aggregation can be performed in a simple manner, but the number of job executions cannot be individually counted for each piece of cloud storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the aggregation unit from user ID to cloud storage ID. The job log aggregation unit now aggregates job counter values separately for each cloud storage (first cloud storage, second cloud storage, etc.) rather than consolidating all jobs under a single user ID. This segmentation enables precise tracking of job executions per cloud storage while maintaining the overall aggregation framework.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cloud storage identification information as an intermediary parameter in the job log aggregation process. The job log aggregation unit uses this intermediary identifier to distinguish and separately aggregate job counter values from different cloud storages. This intermediary element bridges the gap between simple user-level aggregation and detailed cloud-storage-level tracking.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cloud storages are integrated with a single user account, then the system can manage diverse storage services, but detailed billing and reporting for each cloud storage becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the job log data by cloud storage identification information while maintaining the unified user account structure. The job log aggregation unit processes job logs containing cloud storage identifiers and generates separate aggregated values for each cloud storage (first aggregated value, second aggregated value, etc.). This segmentation preserves information granularity needed for detailed billing and reporting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension of aggregation - cloud storage level - to the existing user-level aggregation. Instead of a single-dimensional user ID aggregation, the system now performs two-dimensional aggregation: first by user, then by cloud storage within each user. This dimensional expansion enables both unified management and detailed tracking.
Data Source
AI summary
A job processing unit of an image forming apparatus notifies a management server of a first file selected from a file list by a user, a file supply unit of the management server acquires the first file from first cloud storage and transmits the acquired first file to the image forming apparatus, the job processing unit of the image forming apparatus executes a job using the first file and transmits a job log including a job counter value and identification information of the first cloud storage to the management server, and a job log aggregation unit of the management server is configured to aggregate a job counter value for identification information of each piece of cloud storage and counts up the job counter value included in the job log.