SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INVENTORYING UN-PROVISIONED SYSTEMS IN A SOFTWARE PROVISIONING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20100217848A1
• Filed: 02/24/2009
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Likins, Adrian Karstan, Vidal, Seth Kelby, DeHaan, Michael Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,402,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

A provisioning server can utilize an inventory tool on new target machines in order to collect specification data from the target machines, prior to provisioning software. The inventory tool can be configured to operate on the new target machines without software, such as an operating system, being installed on the new target machines. The inventory tool can be configured to communicate with the hardware of the new target machines and collect data representing the specifications of the new target machines. The inventory tool can be configured to operate and execute on any new target machine regardless of the type and configuration of the new target machine.

Claims

1. A method of inventorying systems in a software provisioning environment, comprising:

providing, from a provisioning server, an inventory tool to at least one target machine in a network of target machines, wherein the inventory tool is configured to collect data representing specifications of the at least one target machine, absent software installed on the at least one target machine; and

receiving the data at the provisioning server.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

storing the received data in an inventory record.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises at least one of a network hardware identification of the at least one target machine and identification of hardware contained in the at least one target machine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data comprises:

instructing a network management server to collect the data from the inventory tool; and

receiving the data from the network management server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory tool is a disk image containing the inventory tool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the inventory tool comprises:

instructing a helper client on the at least one target machine to retrieve the inventory tool.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the inventory tool comprises:

transmitting the inventory tool to the at least one target machine over the network; and

sending instructions to alter a power state of the at least one target machine after transmitting the inventory tool.

8. A system for inventorying systems in a software provisioning environment, comprising:

a network interface to a network of target machines; and

a provisioning server, communicating with the network interface and a network management server, the provisioning server being configured to—

provide an inventory tool to at least one target machine in the network of target machines, wherein the inventory tool is configured to collect data representing specifications of the at least one target machine, absent software installed on the at least one target machine; and

receive the data at the provisioning server.

9. The system of claim 8, the provisioning server being further configured to-store the received data in an inventory record.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the data comprises at least one of a network hardware identification of the at least one target machine and identification of hardware contained in the at least one target machine.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein receiving the data comprises:

instructing the network management server to collect the data from the inventory tool; and

receiving the data from the network management server.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the inventory tool is a disk image containing the inventory tool.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein providing the inventory tool comprises:

instructing a helper client on the at least one target machine to retrieve the inventory tool.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein providing the inventory tool comprises:

transmitting the inventory tool to the at least one target machine over the network; and

sending instructions to alter a power state of the at least one target machine after transmitting the inventory tool.

15. A provisioning application, the provisioning application being embodied in a computer readable storage medium and comprising instructions for causing a processor to perform a method comprising:

providing, from a provisioning server, an inventory tool to at least one target machine in a network of target machines, wherein the inventory tool is configured to collect data representing specifications of the at least one target machine, absent software installed on the at least one target machine; and

receiving the data at the provisioning server.

16. The provisioning application of claim 15, the method further comprising:

storing the received data in an inventory record.

17. The provisioning application of claim 15, wherein the data comprises at least one of a network hardware identification of the at least one target machine and identification of hardware contained in the at least one target machine.

18. The provisioning application of claim 15, wherein receiving the data comprises:

instructing a network management server to collect the data from the inventory tool; and

receiving the data from the network management server.

19. The provisioning application of claim 15, wherein the inventory tool is a disk image containing the inventory tool.

20. The provisioning application of claim 15, wherein providing the inventory tool comprises:

instructing a helper client on the at least one target machine to retrieve the inventory tool.

21. The provisioning application of claim 15, wherein providing the inventory tool comprises:

transmitting the inventory tool to the at least one target machine over the network; and

sending instructions to alter a power state of the at least one target machine after transmitting the inventory tool.