Asset management system and method

• US 20060047810A1
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jackie Leshko, Juan Harrington, Kyle Herzog, Ren Mackey, Steven Berrett
• Original Assignee: Jackie Leshko, Juan Harrington, Kyle Herzog, Ren Mackey, Steven Berrett
• Inventors: Mackey, Ren, Harrington, Juan, Leshko, Jackie, Herzog, Kyle, Berrett, Steven
• Application Number:
  US10/932,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20060047810A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A computer asset management system permits users of computing devices to run a system profiler tool on their computing device, and an inventory of the computing device'"'"'s assets are uploaded to a database specific to the organization to which the computing device belongs. An IT manager from the organization can be associated with the organization-specific database, who can then review and track all the computer assets of the organization through the database. The profiler tool preferably runs on browser software, as does the asset database presentation tools that are available to the IT manager.

Claims

1. A method of managing computing device assets, comprising:

providing a profiler capable of retrieving data from a computing device representative of software, hardware, or both, of a computing device;

retrieving data from a plurality of computing devices using the profiler; and

collecting the retrieved data in a database.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

communicating a URL to a user of a computing device, the URL pointing to a source of the profiler.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein communicating comprises emailing an URL.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the profiler operates with browser software on the computing device.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

establishing an account for a plurality of computing devices in the database; and

associating at least one IT manager with the account.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising:

permitting the at least one IT manager to view all data in the database for said plurality of computing devices, query the database for data of at least one of said plurality of computing devices, or both.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the computing device is in communication with a source of the profiler via the internet.

8. A system useful for managing computing device assets, comprising:

profiler means for retrieving data from a computing device representative of software, hardware, or both, of a computing device;

means for retrieving data from a plurality of computing devices using the profiler; and

means for collecting the retrieved data in a database.

9. A system in accordance with claim 8, further comprising:

means for communicating a URL to a user of a computing device, the URL pointing to a source of the profiler.

10. A system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the means for communicating comprises means for emailing an URL.

11. A system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the profiler means is for operating with browser software on the computing device.

12. A system in accordance with claim 8, further comprising:

means for establishing an account for a plurality of computing devices in the database; and

means for associating at least one IT manager with the account.

13. A system in accordance with claim 12, further comprising:

means for permitting the at least one IT manager to view all data in the database for said plurality of computing devices, query the database for data of at least one of said plurality of computing devices, or both.

14. A system in accordance with claim 8, further comprising:

the computing device and a source of the profiler means, wherein the computing device is in communication with the source of the profiler via the internet.

15. A system useful for managing computing device assets, comprising:

profiler logic configured to retrieve data from a computing device representative of software, hardware, or both, of a computing device;

logic configured to retrieve data from a plurality of computing devices using the profiler; and

logic configured to collect the retrieved data in a database.

16. A system in accordance with claim 15, further comprising:

logic configured to communicate a URL to a user of a computing device, the URL pointing to a source of the profiler.

17. A system in accordance with claim 16, wherein the logic configured to communicate comprises logic configured to email an URL.

18. A system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the profiler logic is configured to operate with browser software on the computing device.

19. A system in accordance with claim 15, further comprising:

logic configured to establish an account for a plurality of computing devices in the database; and

logic configured to associate at least one IT manager with the account.

20. A system in accordance with claim 19, further comprising:

logic configured to permit the at least one IT manager to view all data in the database for said plurality of computing devices, query the database for data of at least one of said plurality of computing devices, or both.

21. A system in accordance with claim 15, further comprising:

the computing device and a source of the profiler logic, wherein the computing device is in communication with the source of the profiler via the internet.