RESOURCE ASSESSMENT METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20080109783A1
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Badri, Madhvesh Navkal, GOVINDARAJAN, Narayanan, Dhas, Prashant Baktha Kumara
• Granted Patent: US 8,438,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A resource assessment method and system. The method comprises identifying at least one information technology resource, providing characteristics of the information technology resource, maintaining a database of characteristics of at least one software product, generating a data collector software tool based on the characteristics of the information technology resource and the characteristics of the software product, composing a resource assessment agent that includes the data collector software tool, adapted for installation on the information technology resource to collect data pertaining to the information technology resource, to perform an analysis of the data by reference to the characteristics of the software product and to return at least one result of the analysis, deploying the resource assessment agent on the information technology resource, receiving the result of the analysis from the information technology resource, and outputting the result of the analysis.

Claims

1. A resource assessment method, comprising:

identifying at least one information technology resource;

providing characteristics of said information technology resource;

maintaining a database of characteristics of at least one software product;

generating a data collector software tool based on said characteristics of said information technology resource and said characteristics of said software product;

composing a resource assessment agent that includes said data collector software tool, adapted for installation on said information technology resource to collect data pertaining to said information technology resource, to perform an analysis of said data by reference to said characteristics of said software product and to return at least one result of said analysis;

deploying said resource assessment agent on said information technology resource;

receiving said result of said analysis from said information technology resource; and

outputting said result of said analysis.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, including generating said data collector software tool with a data collector generator.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, including composing a resource assessment agent with an agent composer software tool.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, including deploying said resource assessment agent on said information technology resource with a deployment server software tool.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, including providing said resource assessment agent with an analysis engine for performing said analysis.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, including generating said data collector software tool with a data collector generator, composing a resource assessment agent with an agent composer software tool, deploying said resource assessment agent on said information technology resource with a deployment server software tool, and providing said first database, said second database, said data collector generator, said agent composer software tool and said deployment server software tool in a computing device or system.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, including providing said resource assessment agent with an analysis engine for performing said analysis.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said database includes characteristics of a plurality of software products and said method includes selecting said software product from said plurality of software products.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, including maintaining a further database of characteristics of one or more information technology resources.

16. A computer readable medium provided with program data that, when executed on a computing device or system, controls the device or system to perform the method of claim 1.

10. A resource assessment computing system, comprising:

an input for receiving data identifying at least one information technology resource;

a database of characteristics of at least one software product;

a data collector generator adapted to generate a data collector software tool based on characteristics of said information technology resource and said characteristics of said software product;

an agent composer software tool adapted to compose a resource assessment agent that includes said data collector software tool, adapted for installation on said information technology resource to collect data pertaining to said information technology resource, to perform an analysis of said data by reference to said characteristics of said software product and to return at least one result of said analysis;

a deployment server software tool adapted to deploy said resource assessment agent on said information technology resource; and

an output;

wherein said system is adapted to receive said result of said analysis from said information technology resource and is controllable to output said result of said analysis with said output.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, adapted to provide said resource assessment agent with an analysis engine for performing said analysis.

12. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said database includes characteristics of a plurality of software products.

13. A system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a further database including characteristics of one or more information technology resources.

14. A resource assessment software agent for assessing the suitability of an information technology resource for having a software product installed thereon, the resource assessment software agent comprising:

a data collector software tool;

software product data pertaining to the software product; and

an analysis engine;

wherein said resource assessment software agent is adapted to be installed on said information technology resource to collect data pertaining to said information technology resource, to perform an analysis of said data with said analysis engine by reference to said software product data and to output at least one result of said analysis.

15. A computer readable medium provided with program data comprising the resource assessment software agent of claim 14.