“Device cloning” has invented to duplicate setting of a device to others in order to realize simultaneous and uniform setting of plural devices and for ease of burden in separate setting for each device. When the device cloning is enforced between plural devices that use different versions of firmware, particularly when the device in the receiving side uses an older version than the device in the sending end and besides the number of setting items in the receiver device is less than that of the sender device, the receiver device may have some difficulties in operating completely like the sender device or may not start up in the first place. Incidentally, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Tokukaihei 08-251336/1996 (published on Sep. 27, 1996) describes a structure that performs shifting of parameter data, upgrading (updating) of the program etc. However, because these operations for shifting parameter data and for upgrading the program are not associated in the structure, those operations need to be performed separately. Therefore, the user has a concern for necessity of concurrent upgrading of the program whenever the parameter shifting is performed.
As described, in the structure of Tokukaihei 08-251336, the shifting of parameter data and upgrading of the program need to be performed separately because those operations are not associated. For example, if the parameter is shifted between two different versions of program, the device may not work properly. Specifically, the Tokukaihei 08-251336 has a problem that the user needs to care of necessity of concurrent upgrading operation of the program whenever the parameter shifting is performed.