| 主权项 |
1. An image forming apparatus to be coupled via a network to an other image forming apparatus that includes a first interface providing a first execution environment for first programs and manages the first programs using the first interface in response to a first request that conforms to first interface specifications using a predetermined communication protocol, the image forming apparatus comprising:
a processing unit configured to execute a process including
managing second programs using a second interface having a structure different from that of the first interface and providing a second execution environment for the second programs, in response to a second request that conforms to second interface specifications different from the first interface specifications and is other than the first request;wherein the first execution environment within the other image forming apparatus and the second execution environment within the image forming apparatus are different and are incompatible with each other, andwherein the first programs are executed via the first interface in the first execution environment, and the second programs are executed via the second interface in the second execution environment,accepting the first request that conforms to the first interface specifications;first converting the first request that conforms to the first interface specifications and is accepted by the accepting into a converted request that conforms to the second interface specifications and is compatible with the second execution environment, and inputting the converted request to the managing, by communicating between the image forming apparatus and the other image forming apparatus according to a communication protocol that is neutral with respect to programming languages used in the first and second execution environments in order to acquire information of the second programs, including the second interface specifications; and returning result information of a process in accordance with the converted request, output by the managing, to an input source of the first request accepted by the accepting, wherein the returning includes second converting the result information into a format that conforms to the first interface specifications using the predetermined communication protocol before returning the result information to the input source, and wherein the managing includes controlling execution of at least one of installing the second programs, starting the second programs, stopping the second programs, uninstalling the second programs, and confirming list information of a list of second programs installed in the image forming apparatus. |
