Unified Logging Across Firewall for Cloud and MFP Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

In information processing systems where a multifunction peripheral and a cloud server store logs independently, checking processing results requires effort as details are not known unless logs are acquired from both entities, leading to inefficiency.

Innovation Solution

The system includes a first information processing apparatus (multifunction peripheral) and a second apparatus (cloud server) connected via a firewall, where both record logs with unique identifiers and link them for unified logging, enabling easy retrieval and comparison of processing results.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If logs are stored independently on both cloud service and multifunction peripheral, then data security and system autonomy are maintained, but checking processing results becomes inefficient and complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem autonomyVSAvoidlog checking efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges logs from the cloud service and multifunction peripheral into a unified log structure. The management server collects logs from both sources and integrates them with corresponding relationship information, allowing users to check processing results in one place rather than accessing separate log systems, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining system autonomy and improving log checking efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The management server acts as an intermediary that collects, integrates, and manages logs from both the cloud service and multifunction peripheral. This intermediary component maintains the independence of the original systems while providing unified log access, solving the contradiction by mediating between system autonomy and operational efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If logs are acquired from both cloud service and multifunction peripheral to check processing results, then complete information is obtained, but the effort and time required increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing result informationVSAvoidlog acquisition time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The management server preliminarily collects and integrates logs from both the cloud service and multifunction peripheral before the user needs to check them. By pre-integrating the logs with corresponding relationship information, the system eliminates the need for users to manually acquire and correlate logs from multiple sources, thus preventing information loss while reducing the time and effort required

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If separate logging systems are used on cloud service and multifunction peripheral, then system independence is maintained, but log correlation and verification become difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelogging system structureVSAvoidlog correlation difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The management server implements a feedback mechanism that collects logs from both systems and integrates them with corresponding relationship information. This feedback loop allows the system to automatically correlate logs from different sources, making verification and detection easier while maintaining the independence of the original logging systems, thus resolving the contradiction between system complexity and correlation difficulty

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20240056540A1Information processing system and non-transitory computer readable medium storing information processing program

Publication Date: 2024.02.15 FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP

AI summary

An information processing system includes a first information processing apparatus that executes a predetermined process, and a second information processing apparatus that is communicably connected to the first information processing apparatus via a firewall and that executes a part of the process in response to a request from the first information processing apparatus, in which the first information processing apparatus includes a first processor, the first processor is configured to record, in executing the process, logs of the process with a first identifier for identifying the process, the second information processing apparatus includes a second processor, the second processor is configured to record, in executing the process, logs of the process with a second identifier for identifying the process, and the first processor or the second processor is configured to link the first identifier to the second identifier and record the logs recorded by the first processor and the logs recorded by the second processor in a unified manner.