The remote monitoring server 200, which is implemented by an information processing apparatus such as a computer, includes a processor 212 that controls entire operation of the apparatus, a ROM 213 that stores a boot program and a firmware program etc., a RAM 214 that operates as a work area for executing the programs, an auxiliary memory 215 that stores an operating system (OS) and various applications etc., an input/output interface 216 that connects external input/output devices, and a network interface 218 for connecting to the network 70.

Each of the functions of the described embodiments may be implemented by one or more processing circuits or circuitry. Processing circuitry includes a programmed processor, as a processor includes circuitry. A processing circuit also includes devices such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), digital signal processor (DSP), field programmable gate array (FPGA), and conventional circuit components arranged to perform the recited functions.

In case any of the above-described functions is achieved using an executable computer program, such computer program may be described in any programming language such as C, C++, C#, Java (registered trademark), and JavaScript (registered trademark). The computer program may be recorded in any desired computer readable recording medium such as a hard disk device, a compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM), a magneto optical disc (MO), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a flexible disk, an electrically erasable and programmable read only memory (EEPROM), and erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM). Further, the computer program may be distributed through a network in any format readable by any device.