Method and Apparatus for Automatically Conducting Hardware Inventories of Computers in a Network

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for conducting an inventory of a data processing system. When a basic input output system (BIOS) is launched during a boot process for the data processing system, the basic input output system creates a hardware report of the data processing system. This report is sent to a remote data processing system on the network.

1 .- 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A data processing system for conducting an inventory of the data processing system, the data processing system comprising:
 launching means for launching a basic input output system comprising an inventory process during a boot process for the data processing system, wherein the basic input output system initiates the inventory process wherein the inventory process collects a hardware inventory of components in the data processing system, wherein the data recessing system is one in a plurality of data processing systems in a network;   identifying means for identifying hardware components in the data processing system to form an inventory prior to the launching of an operating system, responsive to launching the basic input output system during the boot process of the data processing system;   sending means for sending a report comprising the inventory to a listener server on the network using a communications interface, prior to launching the operating system, wherein a format type of the report is type in a group consisting of extensible mark up language, hypertext markup language, text in a flat file, and simple network management protocol, and wherein the listener server collects and receives the report from each data processing system on the network, and wherein the listener server is a default listener server.   
     
     
         16 .- 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The data processing system of  claim 15  further comprising:
 broadcasting means for broadcasting a network message to a plurality of listener servers;   requesting means for requesting each listener server on the network to announce themselves;   compiling means for compiling responses from the each listener server to form a list;   presenting means for presenting the list of the each listener servers, wherein user input is received containing a selection of a select a listener server from the plurality of listener servers, for reporting hardware changes in the data processing system; and   saving means for saving the selection as a default listener server.   
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The data processing system of  claim 19 , wherein the broadcasting means, compiling means, presenting means, and saving means are initiated in response to an absence of a default listener server being present on the network. 
     
     
         22 . The data processing system of  claim 15 , wherein the report is used to identify changes to the data processing system. 
     
     
         23 . The data processing system of  claim 15 , wherein the listener server runs asset management software. 
     
     
         24 . The data processing system of  claim 15 , wherein the sending means is a first sending means, and further comprising:
 waiting means for waiting for an acknowledgement of the report from the default listener server;   selecting means, responsive to an absence of the acknowledgment of the report, by the default server, for selecting a second remote data processing system; and   second sending means for sending the report to the second default listener server.   
     
     
         25 . A data processing system in a data processing system for identifying hardware in the data processing system, the data processing system comprising:
 identifying means responsive to booting of the computer, for identifying the hardware in the data processing system to form an inventory prior to passing control to an operating system;   creating means for creating report containing the inventory of the hardware prior to passing control to the operating system; and   sending means for sending the report to a default listener server on the network using a communications interface prior to passing control to the operating system.   
     
     
         26 .- 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A computer program product in a computer readable medium for conducting an inventory of the computer program product comprising:
 instructions for launching a basic input output system comprising an inventory process during a boot process for the data processing system, wherein the basic input output system initiates the inventory process, wherein the inventory process collects a hardware inventory of components in the data processing system, wherein the data processing system is one in a plurality of data processing systems in a network;   instructions for identifying hardware components in the data processing system to form an inventory prior to the launching of an operating system responsive to launching the basic input output system during the boot process of the data processing system; and   instructions for sending a report comprising the inventory to a listener server on the network using a communications interface, prior to launching the operating system, wherein a format type of the report is type in a group consisting of extensible mark up language, hypertext markup language, text in a flat file, and simple network management protocol, and wherein the listener server collects and receives the report from each data processing system on the network, and wherein the listener server is a default listener server.   
     
     
         30 .- 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The computer program product of  claim 29  further comprising:
 instructions for broadcasting a network message to a plurality of listener servers;   instructions for requesting each listener server on the network to announce themselves;   instructions for compiling responses from the each listener server to form a list;   instructions for presenting the list of the each listener servers, wherein user input is received containing a selection of a select listener server from the plurality of listener servers, for reporting hardware changes in the data processing system; and   instructions for saving the selection as a default listener server.   
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . The computer program product of  claim 33 , wherein the instructions for broadcasting instructions, compiling instructions, presenting instructions, and saving are initiated in response to an absence of a default listener server being present on the network. 
     
     
         36 . The computer program product of  claim 29 , wherein the report is used to identify changes to the data processing system. 
     
     
         37 . The computer program product of  claim 29 , wherein the listener server runs asset management software. 
     
     
         38 . The computer program product of  claim 29  further comprising:
 instructions for waiting for an acknowledgement of the report from the default listener server;   instructions, responsive an absence of the acknowledgment of the report, by the default server, for selecting a second default listener server; and   instructions for sending the report to the second default listener server.   
     
     
         39 .- 42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . A data processing system comprising:
 a bus system;   a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and   
       a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to launch a basic input output system comprising an inventory process during a boot process for the data processing system, wherein the basic input output system initiates the inventory process, wherein the inventory process collects a hardware inventory of components in the data processing system, wherein the data processing system is one in a plurality of data processing systems in a network identifies hardware components in the data processing system to form an inventory prior to the launching of an operating system responsive to launching the basic input output system during the boot process of the data processing system; and sends a report comprising the inventory to a listener server on the network using a communications interface, prior to launching the operating system, wherein a format type of the report is type in a group consisting of extensible mark up language, hypertext markup language, text in a flat file, and simple network management protocol, and wherein the listener server collects and receives the report from each data processing system on the network, and wherein the listener server is a default listener server.