Print scheduling and processing method, apparatus and system

1. A print scheduling method, comprising:

receiving, by a print scheduling apparatus, a print task from a user, and determining a cluster of print processing apparatuses satisfying the print task of the user,

wherein the cluster comprises at least one print processing apparatus; and receiving, by the print scheduling apparatus, a print request sent from an idle print processing apparatus,

wherein the print request indicates that the idle print processing apparatus is currently in an idle status and able to perform print processing; determining, by the print scheduling apparatus, whether the idle print processing apparatus, which sends the print request, is included in the cluster satisfying the print task of the user, and if so, notifying the idle print processing apparatus of the print task of the user, so that the idle print processing apparatus determines a virtual print parameter template corresponding to a corresponding virtual print parameter template ID from the received print task,

determines a physical print parameter template corresponding to the virtual print parameter template according to a pre-created correspondence relationship between the virtual print parameter template and the physical print parameter template;

and determines the physical print parameters included in the physical print parameter template; wherein the physical print parameter template includes an ID of the template, a length in bytes of a name of a printer to which the template belongs, the name of the printer to which the template belongs, a length in bytes of print parameters and contents of the print parameters;

wherein the print task comprises a virtual print parameter template, then determining the cluster of print processing apparatuses satisfying the print task of the user comprises: receiving the virtual print parameter template selected by the user through a print client,

wherein each virtual print parameter template corresponds to a cluster of print processing apparatuses, each virtual print parameter template includes virtual print parameters representing print characteristics,

and the virtual print parameters in each virtual print parameter template represent print characteristics common to printers corresponding to all the print processing apparatuses in the cluster corresponding to the virtual print parameter template;

and taking a cluster of print processing apparatuses corresponding to the determined virtual print parameter template as the cluster of print processing apparatuses satisfying the print task of the user.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein notifying the idle print processing apparatus of the print task of the user comprises: notifying the idle print processing apparatus of the ID of the virtual print parameter template corresponding to the determined virtual print parameter template and print contents.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein before the idle print processing apparatus is notified of the print task of the user, the method further comprises: splitting the print task into a plurality of print sub-tasks upon determining that the print task needs to be split; and wherein notifying the idle print processing apparatus of the print task of the user comprises: notifying the idle print processing apparatus of the ID of the virtual print parameter template corresponding to the determined virtual print parameter template and a print subtask which has not been sent to any print processing apparatus.

4. A print processing method, comprising: sending, by a print processing apparatus in an idle status, a print request to a print scheduling apparatus, wherein the print request indicates that the print processing apparatus is currently in an idle status and able to perform print processing; and receiving, by the print processing apparatus, a print task notified of from the print scheduling apparatus in response to the print request, determining physical print parameters and print contents from the received print task,

and sending the physical print parameters and the print contents to a corresponding printer for print processing; wherein determining the physical print parameters from the received print task comprises: determining, from the received print task,

a virtual print parameter template corresponding to a corresponding virtual print parameter template ID, and determining the physical print parameters from the virtual print parameter template, the physical print parameters are in a binary format, wherein determining the physical print parameters from the virtual print parameter template comprises:

determining a physical print parameter template corresponding to the virtual print parameter template according to a pre-created correspondence relationship between the virtual print parameter template and the physical print parameter template; and

determining the physical print parameters included in the physical print parameter template;

wherein the physical print parameter template includes the ID of the template, the length in bytes of the name of a printer to which the template belongs, the name of the printer to which the template belongs, the length in bytes of print parameters and contents of the print parameters.

5. A print scheduling apparatus, comprising: a processor configured to receive a print task from a user, and determine a cluster of print processing apparatuses satisfying the print task of the user, wherein the cluster comprises at least one print processing apparatus;

and to receive a print request sent from an idle print processing apparatus, wherein the print request indicates that the idle print processing apparatus is currently in an idle status and able to perform print processing;

the processor is further configured to determine whether the idle print processing apparatus, which sends the print request, is included in the cluster satisfying the print task of the user, and if so, to notify the idle print processing apparatus of the print task of the user,

so that the idle print processing apparatus determines a virtual print parameter template corresponding to a corresponding virtual print parameter template ID from the received print task,

determines a physical print parameter template corresponding to the virtual print parameter template according to a pre-created correspondence relationship between the virtual print parameter template and the physical print parameter template;

and determines the physical print parameters included in the physical print parameter template; wherein the physical print parameter template includes an ID of the template, a length in bytes of a name of a printer to which the template belongs, the name of the printer to which the template belongs, a length in bytes of print parameters and contents of the print parameters

wherein the scheduler is particularly configured:

to receive a virtual print parameter template selected by the user through a print client, wherein each virtual print parameter template corresponds to a cluster of print processing apparatuses, each virtual print parameter template includes virtual print parameters representing print characteristics, and the virtual print parameters in each virtual print parameter template represent print characteristics common to printers corresponding to all the print processing apparatuses in the cluster corresponding to the virtual print parameter template; and

to take a cluster of print processing apparatuses corresponding to the determined virtual print parameter template as the cluster of print processing apparatuses satisfying the print task of the user.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured: to notify the idle print processing apparatus of the ID of the virtual print parameter template corresponding to the determined virtual print parameter template and print contents.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured: to split the print task into a plurality of print sub-tasks upon determining that the print task needs to be split; and to notify the idle print processing apparatus of the ID of the virtual print parameter template corresponding to the determined virtual print parameter template and a print sub-task which has not been sent to any print processing apparatus.