Means to reduce a load on a computer and efficiently manage printing jobs or printing devices jobs

摘要

Monitoring of a large number (for example, hundreds) of printing devices in parallel makes a processing load very heavy. Or, the monitoring extremely increases the cost of a monitoring computer. A connection-managing unit sequentially monitors the states of printing devices within the number of connections less than the number of printing devices. Meanwhile, a transfer-managing unit sequentially transfers printing jobs to the printing devices within the number of connections less than the number of printing devices. The state-monitored printing devices are sequentially switched without synchronizing the state monitoring of the printing devices with the end of the transfer of the printing jobs, i.e., without waiting for the end of the transfer of the printing jobs.