Method and system for providing automatic notification of end of lease of computers and their locations

• US 20030014508A1
• Filed: 07/16/2001
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cromer, Daryl Carvis, Locker, Howard Jeffrey, Cheston, Richard Wayne, Ward, James Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,200,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies

Abstract

A method and system for providing automatic notification of an end of lease of a computer system and its location within a computer network is disclosed. The computer network includes a server computer system and multiple client computer systems. A message is initially sent from the server computer system to all the client computer systems to inquire the lease status of each of the client computer systems. At each of the client computer systems, a determination is made as to whether or not a current date falls within a predetermined amount of days from the end of lease date for the client computer system. If the current date falls within the predetermined amount of days from the end of lease date for the client computer system, the physical location of the client computer system is obtained from a storage device located at an Ethernet wall plate to which the client computer system is attached. An alert message, which includes the physical location of the client computer system, is then generated by the client computer system. The alert message is subsequently transmitted from the client computer system to the server computer system.

Claims

1. A method for providing automatic notification of end of lease and location of a client computer system within a network, wherein said network includes a server computer system and a plurality of client computer systems, said method comprising the steps of:

sending a message from said server computer system to said plurality of client computer systems inquiring lease status of each of said plurality of client computer systems;

at each of said plurality of client computer systems,

determining whether or not a current date falls within a predetermined amount of days from the end of lease date;

in response to a determination that said current date falls within said predetermined amount of days from the end of lease date for said client computer system, obtaining a physical location of said client computer system;

generating an alert message by said client computer system, wherein said alert message includes said physical location of said client computer system; and

transmitting said alert message from said client computer system to said server computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes proceeding to a next client computer system, in response to a determination that said current date does not fall within said predetermined amount of days from the end of lease date for said client computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes obtaining a physical location of said client computer system from an Ethernet wall plate at which said client computer system is attached.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said method further includes capturing a media access controller (MAC) address of said client computer system by said Ethernet wall plate.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said method further includes receiving said physical location of said Ethernet wall plate via wireless radio-frequency interface.

6. A computer program product residing on a computer usable medium for providing automatic notification of end of lease and location of a client computer system within a network, wherein said network includes a server computer system and a plurality of client computer systems, said computer program product comprising:

program code means for sending a message from said server computer system to said plurality of client computer systems inquiring lease status of each of said plurality of client computer systems;

at each of said plurality of client computer systems,

program code means for determining whether or not a current date falls within a predetermined amount of days from the end of lease date;

program code means for obtaining a physical location of said client computer system, in response to a determination that said current date falls within said predetermined amount of days from the end of lease date for said client computer system;

program code means for generating an alert message by said client computer system, wherein said alert message includes said physical location of said client computer system; and

program code means for transmitting said alert message from said client computer system to said server computer system.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein said computer program product further includes program code means for proceeding to a next client computer system, in response to a determination that said current date does not fall within said predetermined amount of days from the end of lease date for said client computer system.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein said computer program product further includes program code means for obtaining a physical location of said client computer system from an Ethernet wall plate at which said client computer system is attached.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said computer program product further includes program code means for capturing a media access controller (MAC) address of said client computer system by said Ethernet wall plate.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said computer program product further includes program code means for receiving said physical location of said Ethernet wall plate via wireless radio-frequency interface.

11. A system for providing automatic notification of end of lease and location of a client computer system within a network, wherein said network includes a server computer system and a plurality of client computer systems, said system comprising:

means for sending a message from said server computer system to said plurality of client computer systems inquiring lease status of each of said plurality of client computer systems;

at each of said plurality of client computer systems,

means for determining whether or not a current date falls within a predetermined amount of days from the end of lease date;

means for obtaining a physical location of said client computer system, in response to a determination that said current date falls within said predetermined amount of days from the end of lease date for said client computer system;

means for generating an alert message by said client computer system, wherein said alert message includes said physical location of said client computer system; and

means for transmitting said alert message from said client computer system to said server computer system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said system further includes means for proceeding to a next client computer system, in response to a determination that said current date does not fall within said predetermined amount of days from the end of lease date for said client computer system.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said system further includes means for obtaining a physical location of said client computer system from an Ethernet wall plate at which said client computer system is attached.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said system further includes means for capturing a media access controller (MAC) address of said client computer system by said Ethernet wall plate.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said system further includes means for receiving said physical location of said Ethernet wall plate via wireless radio-frequency interface.