Method, system and apparatus for managing computer identity

• US 20050256973A1
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: James, David, Healy, Michael, Holtz, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide the ability to accurately match a particular computing device within a networked computing environment with an identity of that computing device. According to one aspect, a method for identifying a client computing device in a networked computing environment is provided. The method receives a discovery data record that includes a hardware identification and a logical identification, and in response, queries a plurality of client records for a matching client record. If a matching client record is identified by the query it is compared with the received discovery data record to identify the client computing device.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a client computing device in a networked computing environment, comprising:

receiving a discovery data record, wherein the discovery data record includes a hardware identification and a logical identification;

querying a plurality of client records for a matching client record; and

if a matching client record is identified in the query, comparing the matching client record with the received discovery data record to identify the client computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hardware identification is a unique identifier of the client computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the hardware identification is a serial number on a Basic Input/Output System of the client computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the hardware identification is a Media Access Control Internet-Protocol address of the client computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the hardware identification is an asset tag of the client computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the hardware identification is a combination of a plurality of hardware identifiers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical identification is a randomly generated number.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical identification is a unique identification for the client computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical identification can be changed.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the logical identification can be changed by reinstalling an operating system of the client computing device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the logical identification can be changed by changing a hardware component in the client computing device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the logical identification can be changed by a user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein querying a plurality of client records for a matching client record includes, comparing the received logical identification with a logical identification for each of the plurality of client records.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the matching client record with the received discovery data record includes determining if the received hardware identification matches a hardware identification of the matching client record.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if a matching client record is identified in the query, updating the matching client record to include additional information contained in the received discovery data record.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein updating the matching client record includes, updating the hardware identification of the matching client record to include the received hardware identification.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the matching client record with the received discovery data record includes determining if the received discovery data record includes a previous logical identification;

and

in response to a determination that the received discovery data record includes a previous logical identification, marking each of the plurality of client records that include a logical identification that matches the received previous logical identification as obsolete.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if a matching client record is not identified in the query, marking each of the plurality of client records that include a hardware identification that matches the received hardware identification as obsolete.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the matching client record with the received discovery data record includes determining if the received discovery data record includes a previous logical identification;

and

in response to a determination that the received discovery data record includes a previous logical identification, marking each of the plurality of client records that include a logical identification that matches the received previous logical identification as obsolete; and

creating a new client record.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to comparing the matching client record with the received discovery data record, setting the matching client record to active.

21. A method for generating a discovery data record for identifying a client computing device, comprising:

searching for an existing logical identification and hardware properties for a client computing device;

if existing logical identification and hardware properties are located, determining if the located hardware properties are similar to existing hardware properties; and

if it is determined that the located hardware properties are similar to the existing hardware properties, generating a discovery data record including the located logical identification and a hardware identification.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

if it is determined that the located hardware properties are not similar to the existing hardware properties;

creating a new logical identification;

creating a hardware identification; and

generating a discovery data record including the new logical identification and the hardware identification.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the generated discovery data record further includes the located logical identification.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the generated discovery data record further includes key data.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the generated discovery data record includes key data.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

if existing logical identification and hardware properties are not located, creating a new logical identification;

creating a hardware identification; and

generating a discovery data record including the new logical identification and the hardware identification.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the hardware identification is generated from existing hardware properties of the client computing device.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the logical identification is a randomly generated number.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the logical identification is a unique identification for the client computing device.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the logical identification can be changed.

31. In a computing device identity management system having a client computing device, a discovery data manager, and a communication path for transmitting information between the client computing device and the discovery data manager, a method for identifying a client computing device, comprising:

receiving from the client computing device a discovery data record;

determining if the discovery data record includes a logical identification;

if it is determined that the discovery data record includes a logical identification;

determining if the logical identification matches a logical identification of a client record;

obtaining the client record;

if it is determined that the discovery data record does not include a logical identification;

obtaining a client record that includes key data that matches key data of the discovery data record; and

identifying the client computing device based on the obtained client record.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

if it determined that the logical identification does not match a logical identification of a client record, determining if key data of the client record matches key data of the discovery data record; and

in response to determining that key data of the client record matches the key data of the discovery data record, obtaining the client record.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein obtaining the client record includes, in response to determining that all data of the client record matches the additional data of the discovery data record, determining if the client record includes a logical identification;

and

if it is determined that the client record includes a logical identification, obtaining the client record.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein obtaining a client record that includes additional data that matches key data of the discovery data record further comprises:

determining if the discovery data record includes more additional data than the client record; and

if it is determined that the discovery data record includes more additional data than the client record, replacing the client record with the discovery data record.