IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, MANAGEMENT DEVICE, AND METHOD OF MATCHING AND MANAGING PLUGIN

摘要

PPROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To install a plurality of software functions to an MFP as plugins and to prevent functions usable until then from being turned to an inoperable state in the case of the addition or change of equipment in the MFP. PSOLUTION: When a manager replaces the hardware of the MFP, a control part acquires information of replaced new hardware, and acquires the list of plugin information present in the MFP at the present point of time from a storage part (301 to 304). The control part transmits hardware information (serial number or the like) and the plugin information to a server thereafter and requests the decision of plugin application propriety (305). The server decides whether or not the respective plugins present in the MFP at the present point of time are suited to the new hardware and notifies the information of the application propriety to the control part of the MFP. The control part of the MFP receives the information from the server, instructs updating of the plugin information list to the storage part of the present MFP, and makes the storage part update the plugin information list (307, 308). PCOPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI