Image forming apparatus including firmware, method of controlling image forming apparatus, and storage medium

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a printing unit;

a main controller configured to control the image forming apparatus and execute a module for the main controller included in firmware of the image forming apparatus, wherein the main controller includes a processor;

a print engine controller configured to control the printing unit and disposed in the printing unit, wherein the print engine controller is configured to execute a module for the print engine controller included in the firmware of the image forming apparatus;

a plurality of storage devices, wherein one of the plurality of storage devices is disposed in the main controller, and another of the plurality of storage devices is disposed in the print engine controller;

a first acquisition unit configured to identify a module requiring an update and acquire a corresponding update module from a supply source of modules constituting the firmware of the image forming apparatus;

a second acquisition unit configured to acquire module information based on the update module;

an identification unit configured to identify a storage device from the plurality of storage devices as an installation destination where the update module acquired by said first acquisition unit is to be installed, based on the module information acquired by said second acquisition unit;

a calculation unit configured to calculate update processing information representing an update processing time period required to install the update module acquired by said first acquisition unit in the storage device identified by said identification unit and a number of reboots involved in an update process, wherein the calculation unit is configured to calculate the update processing information based on which of the plurality of storage devices was identified by said identification unit; and

an output unit configured to output, before said output unit receives an instruction to start the update process, the update processing time period required to install the acquired update module based on the update processing information calculated by said calculation unit;

wherein said calculation unit is configured to calculate the update processing time period by adding (1) a time period of a number of stages required to install the acquired update module, the calculation unit configured to calculate the time period of the number of stages in accordance with a file size of the update module, and (2) a reboot time period required according to the number of reboots involved in the update process.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein each of the plurality of storage devices comprises at least two storage units, and

wherein said calculation unit is configured to calculate the number of reboots based on identification of a storage unit in which installation will take place, in a single update process, by said identification unit.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the module information includes information indicative of a module installation destination, and information indicative of an installation time period associated with the installation destination.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said output unit is configured to output information on a storage device in which an update process is in progress, during an update process.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said output unit is configured to output reboot occurrence timing information during an update process.

6. A method of controlling an image forming apparatus including a printing unit, a main controller configured to control the image forming apparatus, a print engine controller configured to control the printing unit and disposed in the printing unit, and a plurality of storage devices, wherein one of the plurality of storage devices is disposed in the main controller, and another of the plurality of storage devices is disposed in the print engine controller, the method comprising:

the main controller executing a module for the main controller included in firmware of the image forming apparatus;

the print engine controller executing a module for the print engine controller included in the firmware of the image forming apparatus;

identifying a module requiring an update and acquiring a corresponding update module from a supply source of modules constituting the firmware of the image forming apparatus;

acquiring module information based on the update module;

identifying a storage device from the plurality of storage devices as an installation destination where the acquired update module is to be installed, based on the acquired module information;

calculating update processing information representing an update processing time period required to install the acquired update module in the identified storage device and a number of reboots involved in an update process, wherein the update processing information is calculated based on which of the plurality of storage devices was identified; and

outputting, before receiving an instruction to start the update process, the update processing time period required to install the acquired update module based on the calculated update processing information,

wherein the update processing time period is calculated by adding (1) a time period of a number of stages required to install the acquired update module, the time period of the number of stages calculated in accordance with a file size of the update module, and (2) a reboot time period required according to the number of reboots involved in the update process.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for controlling an image forming apparatus including a printing unit, a main controller configured to control the image forming apparatus, a print engine controller configured to control the printing unit and disposed in the printing unit, and a plurality of storage devices, wherein one of the plurality of storage devices is disposed in the main controller, and another of the plurality of storage devices is disposed in the print engine controller, the program comprising:

main controller executing instructions configured to cause the main controller to execute a module for the main controller included in firmware of the image forming apparatus;

print engine controller executing instructions configured to cause the print engine controller to execute a module for the print engine controller included in the firmware of the image forming apparatus;

first acquisition instructions configured to identify a module requiring an update and acquire a corresponding update module from a supply source of modules constituting the firmware of the image forming apparatus;

second acquisition instructions configured to acquire module information based on the update module;

identification instructions configured to identify a storage device from the plurality of storage devices as an installation destination where the update module acquired according to said first acquisition instructions is to be installed, based on the module information acquired according to said second acquisition instructions;

calculation instructions configured to calculate update processing information representing an update processing time period required to install the update module acquired according to said first acquisition instructions in the storage device identified according to said identification instructions and a number of reboots involved in an update process, wherein the calculation instructions are configured to calculate the update processing information based on which of the plurality of storage devices was identified according to said identification instructions; and

output instructions configured to output, before receiving an instruction to start the update process, the update processing time period required to install the update module based on the update processing information calculated according to said calculation instructions,

wherein said calculation instructions are configured to calculate the update processing time period by adding (1) a time period of a number of stages required to install the update module acquired according to said first acquisition instructions, the calculation instructions configured to calculate the time period of the number of stages in accordance with a file size of the update module, and (2) a reboot time period required according to the number of reboots involved in the update process.