Light weight software and hardware inventory

• US 20070180059A1
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shiraishi, Yasufumi, Kumar, Rajive, Marl, Craig, Soy, Nirmal, Prabhu, Thanjavur, Shih, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 7,676,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method of inventorying software and/or hardware. The method may be practiced for example in a network computing environment including at least one client and at least one server. The method includes requesting a rule file from the server. The rule file is received from the server. Information is gathered about the software and/or hardware at the client based on rules in the rule file. The results of gathering information about the software and/or hardware at the client is sent to the server.

Claims

1. In a network computing environment including at least one client and at least one server, a method of inventorying software and/or hardware, the method comprising:

requesting a rule file from the server;

receiving a rule file from the server;

gathering information about the software and/or hardware at the client based on rules in the rule file; and

sending results of gathering information about the software and/or hardware at the client to the server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending results of gathering information about the software and/or hardware at the client to the server comprises sending an XML inventory file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein gathering information about the software and/or hardware at the client based on rules in the rule file comprises assembling XML code from different handlers into an XML inventory file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a rule file from the server comprises receiving a signed cabinet file, the method further comprising verifying the signature of the cabinet file to determine if the signature is valid.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising if the signature of the cabinet file is determined to be invalid, requesting the rule file again from the server.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising if the signature of the cabinet file is determined to be invalid, sending a message to the server indicating that the cabinet file signature is invalid.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a rule file from the server comprises receiving a cabinet file and a hash of the cabinet file, the method further comprising verifying the hash of the cabinet file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sending results of gathering information about the software and/or hardware at the client to the server comprises sending a full inventory report as specified in the rule file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein sending results of gathering information about the software and/or hardware at the client to the server comprises sending a delta report that includes new inventory information not previously sent to the server.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying that the rule file contains the most current rules;

and if the rule file does not contain the most current rules, downloading a rule file with the most current rules.

11. In a network computing environment including at least one client and at least one server, a method of inventorying software and/or hardware, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a rule file from the client;

sending a rule file to the client identifying desired information about software and/or hardware at the client; and

receiving an inventory file from the client including information about software and/or hardware as specified in the rule file.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the rule file is an XML file.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising updating a database at the server with the information about software and/or hardware as specified in the rule file.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising mining the database for inventory information using one or more APIs at the server.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein mining the database comprises gathering inventory information about a particular client.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein mining the database comprises gathering aggregated inventory information about a plurality of clients.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising attempting to update a database at the server with the information about software and/or hardware as specified in the rule file and if attempting to update the database fails, discarding the information about software and/or hardware as specified in the rule file and flagging the client for a full inventory.

18. In a network computing environment including at least one client and at least one server, a computer readable medium having a plurality of data fields on the medium arranged in a hierarchical fashion and representing a data structure for conveying inventory information, comprising:

a first data field containing data representing a class argument including data defining an object for which to collect data at the client;

a second data field hierarchically below the first data field representing an instance argument including data defining an occurrence of the class argument; and

a third data field hierarchically below the second data field representing a property argument including data defining an attribute of the instance argument.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the data structure comprises XML formatting.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, further comprising a fourth data field hierarchically above the first data field containing data representing a handler argument specifying a handler at the client for gathering information.