Agent-less discovery of software components

• US 20060149408A1
• Filed: 08/16/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Charles A. Bullis, David B. Duncan, Marco G. Framba, Thomas H. Speeter, Venkateshwar Talla
• Original Assignee: Charles A. Bullis, David B. Duncan, Marco G. Framba, Thomas H. Speeter, Venkateshwar Talla
• Inventors: Talla, Venkateshwar, Duncan, David B., Speeter, Thomas H., Framba, Marco G., Bullis, Charles A.
• Application Number:
  US11/206,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20060149408A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/126
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

Discovery of software components including selecting agent-less indicators for a software component, probing one or more target computers according to the selected agent-less indicators, and receiving the results of the probe. The results of the probe are compared to a component blueprint to determine if there is one or more software components that match the results of the probe. In the event of a match, agent-less verification rules are selected and applied. The results of the application of the agent-less verification rules are compared to the expected results of the agent verification rules from the component blueprint to verify the existence of the software component.

Claims

1. A method of performing discovery of a software component, comprising:

selecting agent-less indicators for a software component;

probing at least one target computer according to the selected agent-less indicators;

receiving the results of the probe according to the selected agent-less indicators;

comparing the results of the probe according to the selected agent-less indicators at least one component blueprint to determine if there is one or more software components that match the results of the probe;

in the event the determination is made that one or more software components match the results of the probe, selecting at least one agent-less verification rule, the selected one or more verification rules corresponding to the one or more software components that match the results of the probe;

applying the at least one or more selected verification rules;

receiving the results of the application of the agent-less verification rules; and

comparing the results of the application of the agent-less verification rules to at least one expected result of the agent verification rules to verify the existence of a software component corresponding to the selected agent-less verification rules.

2. The method of creating a rule set of claim 1, wherein the at least one expected result of the agent verification rules is retrieved from the component blueprint.

3. The method of creating a rule set of claim 1, wherein at least one of the selected agent-less verification rules specifies running an executable.

4. The method of detecting a software component of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a list of target computers to be included in the discovery of the software application;

determine what software application is to be discovered;

retrieve a component blueprint associated with the software application determined for discovery; and

retrieving the selected agent-less indicators for a software component from said retrieved component blueprint.

5. A method of performing discovery of a software component, comprising:

determining whether the discovery is by an agent-less process or a process using an agent;

in the event the determination is made that the discovery is by an agent-less process, selecting agent-less indicators for a software component;

probing at least one target computer according to the selected agent-less indicators;

receiving the results of the probe according to the selected agent-less indicators;

comparing the results of the probe according to the selected agent-less indicators at least one component blueprint to determine if there is one or more software components that match the results of the probe;

in the event the determination is made that one or more software components match the results of the probe, selecting at least one agent-less verification rule, the selected one or more verification rules corresponding to the one or more software components that match the results of the probe;

applying the at least one or more selected verification rules;

receiving the results of the application of the agent-less verification rules; and

comparing the results of the application of the agent-less verification rules to at least one expected result of the agent verification rules to verify the existence of a software component corresponding to the selected agent-less verification rules.

6. The method of detecting a software component of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a list of target computers to be included in the discovery of the software application;

determine what software application is to be discovered;

retrieve a component blueprint associated with the software application determined for discovery; and

retrieving the selected agent-less indicators for a software component from said retrieved component blueprint.

7. The method of detecting a software component of claim 6, wherein the discovery rules include at least one nesting rule, said nesting rule specifying the relationship between at least two software components.

8. The method of detecting a software component of claim 5, further comprising:

setting at least one discovery parameter specifying a limitation on the discovery process.

9. The method of detecting a software component of claim 5, further comprising:

in the event neither agent or agent-less discovery is specified for the discovery process, selecting agent-less indicators for a software component.