Management Server for Cloud-MFP Connection via Firewall Relay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printing systems face delays and inefficiencies due to the need for client terminals to connect to the same LAN as printers, with firewalls blocking access from cloud servers to multi-function peripherals (MFPs) connected to the Internet, leading to delayed responses and restricted communication.
Innovation Solution
A management server is deployed outside the firewall to establish communication sessions with relay devices inside the firewall, allowing it to acquire and update device information for MFPs, determine executability of processes, and manage connections between MFPs and cloud servers, enabling seamless communication and process execution despite firewall restrictions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a cloud server tries to directly access an MFP inside a firewall, then the MFP can be controlled remotely, but the firewall blocks the access preventing communication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a management server as an intermediary between the cloud server and MFP. The management server establishes a communication session with the relay device inside the firewall, acquires device information, and manages the connection. This intermediary approach allows the cloud server to control the MFP indirectly through the management server, bypassing the firewall blocking issue while maintaining reliable communication.
2Speed
If a client terminal connects to the same LAN as the printer, then direct communication is possible, but the client terminal must perform processing that should be done by the print server causing delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the server-side processing functions from the client terminal and concentrates them in the management server. The management server performs device information acquisition, session management, and connection control, while the client terminal only needs to send simple connection requests. This extraction eliminates the burden of complex processing from the client terminal, improving both communication speed and response efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The management server autonomously performs device information acquisition and connection management without requiring the client terminal to execute complex queries. The server independently handles status checks and device control, enabling the system to operate efficiently without client-side processing overhead.
3Loss of information
If the client terminal performs status acquisition requests, then the printer status can be checked, but it takes time to acquire printer list data causing delayed response
Solution Approach 1:
The management server pre-acquires device information from the relay device and maintains it in its system. When a cloud server needs to control an MFP, the management server already has the necessary device information ready, eliminating the need for time-consuming status acquisition requests at the moment of control. This preliminary action significantly reduces data acquisition time while ensuring information availability.
Data Source
AI summary
A management server disposed outside a firewall and supporting connection of communications between a control target device disposed inside the firewall and a cloud server disposed outside the firewall, includes a server-side session establishing portion to, based on a request from a relay device disposed inside the firewall, establish a session with the relay device, a device information acquiring portion to acquire device information about the control target device from the relay device via the established session, and an update determining portion to, in response to reception of a request of connecting to the control target device from the cloud server, determine whether to update the device information. The device information acquiring portion includes an upon-session-establishment acquiring portion to acquire the device information when a session with the relay device is established, and an upon-session-request acquiring portion to acquire the device information after updating the device information is determined.