Opportunity analysis system and method for updating a computer inventory

• US 20020184367A1
• Filed: 07/23/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Katchapalayam, Babu, Balasubramaniam, Chandrasekar, Lingarkar, Ravi, Revashetti, Siddaraya B.
• Application Number:
  US10/202,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20020184367A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0244 Optimization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0245 Surveys
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for conducting an opportunity analysis for updating a computer inventory. Initially, a client computer inventory associated with a client computer is generated based on a scan. Next, an opportunity analysis is performed to identify update opportunities for the client computer inventory. In use, the opportunity analysis involves rules of a rule knowledge base.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating a client computer inventory associated with a client computer based on a scan of the client computer; and

performing an opportunity analysis to identify update opportunities for the client computer inventory;

said performing the opportunity analysis utilizing rules of a rule knowledge base.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the scan includes scanning for software files.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the scan includes scanning for an operating system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the scan includes scanning for hardware peripherals.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the scan includes scanning for hardware components.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rule knowledge base includes a rule file defining an opportunity and a condition for an item in the inventory for the opportunity.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the condition includes a predefined value selected from the group consisting of absent, present, optional, and value of a measurable characteristic of the item in the inventory.

8. The method according to claim 1, and further comprising displaying at least one aspect of the update opportunities to a user of the client computer.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rules of the rule knowledge base involve a user profile associated with the client computer.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rules of the rule knowledge base involve a configuration environment of the client computer.

11. A computer program product, comprising:

computer code for generating a client computer inventory associated with a client computer based on a scan of the client computer; and

computer code for performing an opportunity analysis to identify update opportunities for the client computer inventory, the opportunity analysis utilizing rules of a rule knowledge base.

12. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the scan includes scanning for software files.

13. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the scan includes scanning for an operating system.

14. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the scan includes scanning for hardware peripherals.

15. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the scan includes scanning for hardware components.

16. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the rule knowledge base includes a rule file defining an opportunity and a condition for an item in the inventory for the opportunity.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the condition includes a predefined value selected from the group consisting of absent, present, optional, and value of a measurable characteristic of the item in the inventory.

18. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the rules of the rule knowledge base involve a user profile associated with the client computer.

19. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the rules of the rule knowledge base involve a configuration environment of the client computer.

20. A method, comprising:

scanning a client computer;

generating a client computer inventory based on the scanning;

performing an opportunity analysis to identify update opportunities for the client computer inventory utilizing rules of a rule knowledge base;

displaying at least one aspect of the update opportunities to a user of the client computer; and

updating the client computer inventory based on the update opportunities;

wherein the rules of the rule knowledge base involve at least one of a user profile and a configuration environment associated with the client computer.