Remote management mediating apparatus, remote management system, and remote management method

1. A remote management mediating apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing program instructions that cause the processor to:

receive request data issued from a remote device management apparatus to a management target device, the management target device being a management target device remotely managed by the remote device management apparatus;

identify a first device mediating apparatus capable of communicating by a communication method supported by the management target device; and

transfer the received request data to the first device mediating apparatus, wherein

in a case where the first device mediating apparatus is replaced with a second device mediating apparatus, the processor is further configured to:

acquire settings information for remote management that is set in the first device mediating apparatus;

supply the settings information to the second device mediating apparatus; and

reset the settings information to the second device mediating apparatus, and

in a case where a third device mediating apparatus is provided, the processor is further configured to:

issue an identification number of association information of the third device mediating apparatus in response to the request data from the remote device management apparatus; and

register the association information associating the third device mediating apparatus with the remote device management apparatus from which the request data source was received in a management table in a case where an identification number input from the third device mediating apparatus matches the issued identification number.

2. The remote management mediating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the settings information includes at least one of;

task execution information in which an execution schedule for communication with the management target device is defined;

management target device information for which communication settings information related to the management target device is set; and

communication method definition information in which the communication method supported by the management target device is defined.

3. The remote management mediating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive response data according to the request data from the management target device through the first device mediating apparatus; and

transfer the response data to the remote device management apparatus associated with the first device mediating apparatus that is a transmission source of the response data in association information associating the first device mediating apparatus and the remote device management apparatus.

4. The remote management mediating apparatus of claim 1 wherein, in a case where the first device mediating apparatus is replaced, the processor is further configured to register in the management table, association information having the same content as the association information of the first device mediating apparatus before replacement, as the association information of the second device mediating apparatus.

5. The remote management mediating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the request data for the first device mediating apparatus from the remote device management apparatus;

transfer the received request data to the first device mediating apparatus;

receive the response data from the first device mediating apparatus in response to the request data; and

transfer the received response data to the remote device management apparatus associated with the first device mediating apparatus that is the source of the received response data.

6. The remote management mediating apparatus of claim 3 wherein the processor is further configured to transfer notification data sent from the management target device and transferred by the first device mediating apparatus to the remote device management apparatus associated with the first device mediating apparatus that is a transfer source of the notification data in the association information.

7. A remote management system comprising:

a remote device management apparatus configured to remotely manage one or more management target devices; and

a remote management mediating apparatus configured to mediate communication between the remote device management apparatus and one or more device mediating apparatuses, the remote management mediating apparatus including:

a memory that stores a plurality of instructions; and

a processor that executes the plurality of instructions, configured to:

receive request data issued from the remote device management apparatus to a management target device, the management target device being one of the one or more management target devices;

identify a first device mediating apparatus from among the one or more device mediating apparatuses that is capable of communicating by a communication method supported by the management target device;

transfer the received request data to the first device mediating apparatus, wherein

in a case where the first device mediating apparatus is replaced with a second device mediating apparatus the processor is further configured to:

acquire settings information for remote management set in the device mediating apparatus;

supply the settings information to the second device mediating apparatus; and

reset the settings information to the second device mediating apparatus, and

in a case where a third device mediating apparatus is provided, the processor is further configured to:

issue an identification number of association information of the third device mediating apparatus in response to the request data from the remote device management apparatus; and

register the association information associating the third device mediating apparatus with the remote device management apparatus from which the request data source was received in a management table in a case where an identification number input from the third device mediating apparatus matches the issued identification number.

8. A remote management method comprising:

receiving request data issued from a remote device management apparatus to a management target device, the management target device being one of one or more management target devices remotely managed by the remote device management apparatus;

identifying a first device mediating apparatus capable of communicating by a communication method supported by the management target device;

transferring the received request data to the first device mediating apparatus, wherein

in a case where the first device mediating apparatus is replaced with as second device mediating apparatus, the method further comprises:

acquiring settings information for remote management set in the device mediating apparatus;

supplying the settings information to the second device mediating apparatus; and

resetting the settings information to the second device mediating apparatus, and

in a case where a third device mediating apparatus is provided, the method further comprises:

issue an identification number of association information of the third device mediating apparatus in response to the request data from the remote device management apparatus; and

register the association information associating the third device mediating apparatus with the remote device management apparatus from which the request data source was received in a management table in a case where an identification number input from the third device mediating apparatus matches the issued identification number.