An information processing apparatus has a peripheral apparatus control unit which controls a peripheral apparatus and an operation control unit which controls the operation in the peripheral apparatus by using operation instructing information regarding such an operation. The peripheral apparatus control unit forms first operation instructing information having a non-hierarchical structure from operation setting information including a specific setting, sets the specific setting into a private area in the first operation instructing information, and forms second operation instructing information having a hierarchical structure and including the specific setting from the first operation instructing information.