U.S. patent application number 12/041480 was filed with the patent office on 2008-09-04 for system and method for hardware and software monitoring with integrated resource acquisition.
This patent application is currently assigned to Spiceworks. Invention is credited to Francis Sullivan.
Application Number | 20080215726 12/041480 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39733927 |
Filed Date | 2008-09-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080215726 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sullivan; Francis |
September 4, 2008 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE MONITORING WITH
INTEGRATED RESOURCE ACQUISITION
Abstract
A method, system, and network providing hardware and software
inventorying and monitoring provide the status of a local network
of interconnected information technology devices. A user downloads
and installs a local network monitoring software program from an
online source onto a host computer system. The local network
monitoring software system initiates an inventory of all
information technology devices associated with said local network
of information technology devices. Also, the local network
monitoring software determines the operational status of the
information technology devices and the status of software programs
installed on the information technology devices. The results of the
inventory and status determinations are presented to the host
computer system. The presented information permits the user of said
host computer system to initiate maintenance and support actions
for the information technology devices in response to the
operational status and status of software programs using the local
network monitoring software.
Inventors: |
Sullivan; Francis; (Round
Rock, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HULSEY IP INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWYERS, P.C.
919 Congress Avenue, Suite 919
AUSTIN
TX
78701
US
|
Assignee: |
Spiceworks
Austin
TX
|
Family ID: |
39733927 |
Appl. No.: |
12/041480 |
Filed: |
March 3, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60892831 |
Mar 2, 2007 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
709/224 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 67/125 20130101;
H04L 67/34 20130101; H04L 41/5064 20130101; H04L 41/0213 20130101;
H04L 41/20 20130101; H04L 41/22 20130101; H04L 41/5012 20130101;
H04L 41/12 20130101; H04L 43/04 20130101; H04L 43/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/224 |
International
Class: |
G06F 15/173 20060101
G06F015/173 |
Claims
1. A method for providing the status of a local network of
interconnected information technology devices, comprising the steps
of: downloading a local network monitoring software program from an
online source onto a host computer system associated with said
local network; installing said local network monitoring software on
said host computer; initiating an inventory of all information
technology devices associated with said local network of
information technology devices; determining the operational status
of a plurality of said information technology devices; determining
the status of software programs installed on said information
technology devices; presenting to the host computer system
information relating to the operational status and status of
software programs on said information technology devices; and
permitting the user of said host computer system to initiate
maintenance and support actions in response to said operational
status and said status of software programs using said local
network monitoring software.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said inventory initiating step
further comprises the step of initiating an inventory of all
computer systems associated with said local network.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said inventory initiating step
further comprises the step of initiating an inventory of all
peripheral printing devices associated with said local network.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said inventory initiating step
further comprises the step of initiating an inventory of all server
devices associated with said local network.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein step of determining the
operational status of a plurality of said information technology
devices further comprises the step of determining changing
conditions of a computer system memory device for a computer
associated with said local network.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein step of determining the
operational status of a plurality of said information technology
devices further comprises the step of determining the installation
of software of a plurality of computing systems associated with
said local network.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein step of determining the
operational status of a plurality of said information technology
devices further comprises the step of determining the installation
of software of a plurality of computing systems associated with
said local network.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein step of determining the
operational status of a plurality of said information technology
devices further comprises the step of determining the presence of
antivirus software on computer stations associated with said local
network.
9. A system for providing the status of a local network of
interconnected information technology devices, comprising: a host
computer for operating computing instructions and storing said
computing instructions on a computer readable medium, said host
computer associated with a local network of information technology
devices; instructions for downloading from a local network
monitoring software program from an online source onto said host
computer system; instructions for installing said local network
monitoring software on said host computer; instructions operable on
said host computer for communicating between said host computing
system and said information technology devices for initiating an
inventory of all information technology devices associated with
said local network of information technology devices; instructions
operable on said host computing system and said information
technology devices for determining the operational status of a
plurality of said information technology devices; instructions
operable on said host computing system for communicating with said
information technology devices for determining the status of
software programs installed on said information technology devices;
instructions operable on said host computing system for presenting
information relating to the operational status and status of
software programs on said information technology devices; and
instructions operable on said host computing system for permitting
a user of said host computer system to initiate maintenance and
support actions in response to said operational status and said
status of software programs using said local network monitoring
software.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein said instructions for initiating
an inventory further comprise instructions for initiating an
inventory of all computer systems associated with said local
network.
11. The system of claim 9, wherein said instructions for initiating
an inventory further comprise instructions for initiating an
inventory of all peripheral printing devices associated with said
local network.
12. The system of claim 9, wherein said instructions for initiating
an inventory further comprise instructions for initiating an
inventory of all server devices associated with said local
network.
13. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions for
determining the operational status of said information technology
devices further comprises instructions for determining changing
conditions of a computer system memory device for a computer
associated with said local network.
14. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions for
determining the operational status of said information technology
devices further comprises instructions for determining the
installation of software of a plurality of computing systems
associated with said local network.
15. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions for
determining the operational status of said information technology
devices further comprises instructions for determining the
installation of software of a plurality of computing systems
associated with said local network.
16. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions for
determining the operational status of said information technology
devices further comprises instructions for determining the presence
of antivirus software on computer stations associated with said
local network.
17. A local network of information technology devices having the
ability to inventory and determine the status of interconnected
information technology devices, comprising: a plurality of
communication paths forming a local network of interconnected
information technology devices comprising a host computer and a
plurality of computer workstations and at least one peripheral
device; said host computer for operating computing instructions and
storing said computing instructions on a computer readable medium,
said host computer associated through said local network of
information technology devices; instructions for downloading from a
local network monitoring software program from an online source
onto said host computer system; instructions operable on said host
computer for communicating between said host computing system and
said information technology devices for initiating an inventory of
all information technology devices associated with said local
network of information technology devices; instructions operable on
said host computing system and said information technology devices
for determining the operational status of a plurality of said
information technology devices; instructions operable on said host
computing system for communicating with said information technology
devices for determining the status of software programs installed
on said information technology devices; instructions operable on
said host computing system for presenting information relating to
the operational status and status of software programs on said
information technology devices; and instructions operable on said
host computing system for permitting a user of said host computer
system to initiate maintenance and support actions in response to
said operational status and said status of software programs using
said local network monitoring software.
18. The local network of information technology devices of claim
17, wherein said instructions for initiating an inventory further
comprise instructions for initiating an inventory of all computer
systems associated with said local network.
19. The local network of information technology devices of claim
17, wherein said instructions for initiating an inventory further
comprise instructions for initiating an inventory of all peripheral
printing devices associated with said local network.
20. The local network of information technology devices of claim
17, further comprising instructions for determining the operational
status of said information technology devices further comprises
instructions for determining the installation of software of a
plurality of computing systems associated with said local network.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This U.S. Patent Application claims priority of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/892,831, filed Mar. 2,
2007.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates in general to the field of
software, and more particularly to information technology
management software.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Existing information technology (IT) management software
packages have several shortcomings. Existing IT management software
packages are often complicated. Often, such software packages are
geared toward professional IT personnel in large businesses,
neglecting small and medium sized businesses. While the
presentation of large amounts of information may be beneficial in
certain contexts, it is often unnecessary and overwhelming for less
sophisticated IT management personnel.
[0004] Existing IT management software packages may not integrate
important data into a single interface. One IT management software
package may be more effective for managing one issue, while another
may be more effective for another issue. An IT manager may need to
review many disparate sources of information in order to
effectively manage the IT infrastructure. Common management issues
are often mixed with the less commonly encountered issues, making
it tedious and time consuming to filter the common issues from the
less common issues.
[0005] Accordingly, there is a need for an IT management software
package that addresses the shortcomings of existing IT management
software noted above.
[0006] There is a further need for an IT management software
package that is easy to use, integrated and directed to common IT
management issues.
SUMMARY
[0007] In one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a
system for hardware and software monitoring with integrated
resource acquisition.
[0008] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method,
system, and network providing hardware and software inventorying
and monitoring provide the status of a local network of
interconnected information technology devices. A user downloads and
installs a local network monitoring software program from an online
source onto a host computer system. The local network monitoring
software system initiates an inventory of all information
technology devices associated with said local network of
information technology devices. Also, the local network monitoring
software determines the operational status of the information
technology devices and the status of software programs installed on
the information technology devices. The results of the inventory
and status determinations are presented to the host computer
system. The presented information permits the user of said host
computer system to initiate maintenance and support actions for the
information technology devices in response to the operational
status and status of software programs using the local network
monitoring software.
[0009] Other aspects and advantages of the disclosure will be
apparent from the following description and the appended
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The features, nature, and advantages of the disclosed
subject matter may become more apparent from the detailed
description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the
drawings in which like reference characters identify
correspondingly throughout and wherein:
[0011] FIGS. 1 through 11 show views of the inventory tab of one
embodiment of the disclosed subject matter;
[0012] FIGS. 12 and 13 show views of the help desk tab of one
embodiment of the disclosed subject matter;
[0013] FIG. 14 through 16 show views of the reports tab of one
embodiment of the disclosed subject matter;
[0014] FIGS. 17 and 18 show views of the settings tab of one
embodiment of the disclosed subject matter;
[0015] FIG. 19 shows a view of the community tab of one embodiment
of the disclosed subject matter;
[0016] FIG. 20 shows a high level schematic architecture of the
disclosed subject matter;
[0017] FIG. 21 shows how the presently disclosed network management
system allows an IT administrator to browse an IT network and see
network content, while IT equipment and software vendors obtain
targeting opportunities for potential purchasers;
[0018] FIG. 22 depicts how the process of the present disclosure
promotes purchase opportunities for buyers and sellers in an IT
network environment;
[0019] FIG. 23 shows how the presently disclosed system supports
the activities of an IT network administrator;
[0020] FIG. 24 shows an initial graphical user interface screen
shot showing information with which a network administrator may
download the presently disclosed IT network management system;
[0021] FIG. 25 presents a flow diagram for the asset and
configuration discovery features of the disclosed subject matter;
and
[0022] FIG. 26 presents a flow diagram for a watcher flow functions
of the disclosed subject matter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0023] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are
illustrated in the drawings, like numbers being used to refer to
like and corresponding parts of the various drawings.
[0024] The disclosed subject matter relates to IT management
software. Features of the disclosed subject matter include the
ability to inventory a network, run an IT help desk, monitor a
network for trouble, report on a network, troubleshoot issues on a
network, collaborate with IT professionals, and provide feedback
for software improvement.
[0025] The disclosed subject matter allows for an inventory of all
hardware, software and other assets on a network. The software
allows for discovery of the Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs and
servers, routers, printers and any other IP-based devices on your
network. All relevant technical data plus the software, patches and
services on each machine may be gathered. Other data such as number
of licenses, purchase price and physical location may also be
added. Other assets such as mobile phones and office furniture may
also be added. All of this information may be gathered without the
use of agents. All inventory information may be stored locally and
securely on the network, avoiding any concerns about sensitive
information being communicated over the internet.
[0026] FIG. 1 shows a view 100 of an embodiment of an inventory tab
102 of the present disclosure. The inventory tab 102 allows a user
to determine the hardware and software installed in an environment
and to take action on that data. The top half of the screen 104
shows the major categories that assets are automatically sorted
into upon discovery. In the embodiment shown, the categories
include Workstations 106, Servers 108, Printers 110, Networking
112, Other 114, Unknowns 116, Software 118 and User-Defined 120.
The bottom half of the screen 122 shows Overview tab 124,
displaying the assets discovered in the environment and allowing a
user to quickly see any issues. In the embodiment shown, the
Overview tab 124 shows the top manufacturers, operating systems,
anti-virus vendors and status information along with the number of
assets discovered in each category. In one embodiment, underlined
data indicates that a user may perform some kind of action on that
data. For example, under the Manufacturers (Top 4) tab 126, if a
user wishes to see assets manufactured by Dell, a user may click
the Dell link to receive a filtered view of environment data.
Similarly, to see all assets not manufactured by Dell, a user may
hover over the Dell link and see `Others not like this` (not
shown).
[0027] FIG. 2 shows a view 130 of Alerts tab 132 on the bottom half
122 of the screen. The Alerts tab 132 allows a user to see, at a
glance, different alerts that have been fired for the entire
network. In one embodiment, default alerts may include whether a
machine is offline, is running out of disk space, or if anti-virus
software is not up to date.
[0028] FIG. 3 shows a view 140 of Storage tab 142 on the bottom
half 122 of the screen. The Storage tab 142 allows a user to see
all assets in the environment and how much hard disk space remains.
A user may view that an asset is running out of disk space and
proactively try to manage the issue before it becomes a
problem.
[0029] FIG. 4 shows a view 150 of DNS tab 152 on the bottom half
122 of the screen. The software will attempt to query a DNS server
and make sure that it is configured correctly.
[0030] FIG. 5 shows a view 160 of one embodiment of the data a user
may view related to a workstation upon clicking the Workstations
106 category under the inventory tab 102. In the embodiment shown,
the General Info tab 162 at the bottom half 122 of the screen shows
information collected by the software related to a workstation.
Such information may include manufacturer, model, serial number and
other information about the workstation. A user may manually enter
information about the workstation by clicking the Edit tab 164. In
the embodiment shown, such information may include purchase price,
purchase date, asset tag and location.
[0031] FIG. 6 shows a view 170 of Configuration tab 172 at the
bottom half 122 of the screen. In the embodiment shown, reboot
information, amount of memory, last login, BIOS among other
information.
[0032] FIG. 7 shows a view 180 of Software tab 182 at the bottom
half 122 of the screen. In the embodiment shown, all of the
software installed on the device, what the version number, and when
it was installed.
[0033] FIG. 8 shows a view 190 of Notes tab 192 at the bottom half
122 of the screen. In the embodiment shown, a user may enter notes
about a workstation using Edit tab 164. For example, a user may
want to make a note of problem issues associated with that
workstation.
[0034] FIG. 9 shows a view 200 of one embodiment of the data a user
may view related to a workstation upon clicking the Software 118
category under the inventory tab 102. In the embodiment shown, the
name 202 of the software, the oldest version 204 of the software on
the network, the latest version 206 of the software on the network,
the licenses 208 and number of installs 210 are displayed.
[0035] On the bottom half 122 of the screen, the General tab 212,
Installed On tab 214, Not Installed tab 216, and Notes tab 218 are
useful in managing licenses. For license compliance, a user may
input the number of licenses available for a given software
package. In the event that the number of installed versions of
software exceeds the number of available licenses, an alert may be
issued, indicating that the threshold for license compliance has
been crossed. This may be a very powerful tool for a user to take
to management to request purchases of additional required licenses.
In addition, it may be useful for a user to be able to ensure that
for a volume license, the same key is being used for each instance
of installed software.
[0036] An IT administrator may also need to manage things that are
not easily detectable on a network. In that case, there is a `User
Defined` category. FIG. 10 shows a view 220 of one embodiment of
the data a user may view related to a workstation upon clicking the
User-Defined tab 120 category under the inventory tab 102. For
example, in order to track a new projector (not easily detectable
on a network), a user may click the `New Asset` tab 222. FIG. 11
shows a view 230 of one embodiment of a user pop-up 232 for
entering information related to a new asset. For example, a user
may enter Name 234 and Serial Number 236 as well as select a Type
238 from pre-defined categories. In one embodiment, the pre-defined
categories in the Type 238 pulldown include Copier, desktop, Fax,
Hub, Laptop, Printer, Router, Server, SnmpDevice, Switch,
VoIPDevice and Wireless Access Point. Alternatively, a user may
create a new type 240 by manually defining a category.
[0037] The disclosed subject matter also provides for an
information technology (IT) help desk. Daily projects and user
requests may be managed from one interface. A ticket may be created
upon discovery of a network asset that requires attention while
browsing a network. Clients may submit tickets with attachments via
email or the Web and may then view the status of those tickets
online. Tickets may be assigned across an IT team or attached to
hardware on the network, be run on the tickets to easily view due
dates and which assets (or even departments) cause the most
issues.
[0038] An internal help desk may greatly reduce the amount of time
spent tracking work and responding to users and also makes it easy
to report on the amount of time spent doing IT related activities.
In one embodiment, the presently disclosed software is
pre-configured with several of the most commonly used help desk
options.
[0039] FIG. 12 shows a view 300 of an embodiment of a help desk tab
302 of the present disclosure. As shown, the help desk is divided
into two regions. The top half of the screen 304 shows current help
requests while the bottom half of the screen 306 shows the details
of a particular help request. In one embodiment, there are several
ways to create a help request.
[0040] An administrator may create a help request within the
presently disclosed software using the New Ticket tab 308. FIG. 13
shows a view 310 of a form for creating a new ticket 312 that
appears when an administrator clicks on the New Ticket tab 308. In
the embodiment shown, the form 312 includes Contact, Summary,
Description, Related To, Assigned To, Due Date and Priority input
fields. The form 312 also allows for the attachment of files using
the Browse button. Alternatively, users may submit help desk
requests by directly using the web interface (not shown) of the
presently disclosed subject matter. This is available to anyone
with a web browser, making it easy to submit a request, check on
the status of a request, as well as reply. Alternatively, the help
desk may automatically create help desk requests by allowing a user
to send an email. This may be done by clicking the Setup tab
314.
[0041] In one embodiment, help desk tab 302 allows an administrator
to select the tickets to be viewed 316 as unassigned tickets, open
tickets, closed tickets, past due tickets, all tickets, tickets
assigned to that administrator, and tickets where a purchase is
required. Further, an administrator may make changes to a help desk
request and correspond with a user using the features available on
the bottom half of the screen 306.
[0042] The disclosed subject matter provides for reports for
sharing IT information. include software installed on machines,
disk usage across the network, trouble tickets recently created,
among others. Further, custom be created using a simple interface.
be published or exported to PDF or Excel. Useful custom be shared
with other users.
[0043] FIG. 14 shows a view 400 of an embodiment of a reports tab
402 of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, default reports
404 include Applications by Computer, Computers without Anti-Virus,
Computers with Anti-Virus, Configuration Summary, Disk Usage, Event
Summary, Fixed Assets Schedule, Google desktop/WeatherBug,
inventory Summary, IP Phones, Low Disk Space, Network Adapters
Summary, Printers and Copiers, Server Event Summary, Services on
Computers, Tickets by Device, Installed Applications, Software
Compliance, Tickets by Software, All Tickets, Closed Tickets, Open
Tickets, Reopened Tickets and Tickets Pending Purchase.
[0044] Note that the Public column 406 may be used to mark a report
as available to other users. For example, a supervisor or
accounting personnel may need to view reports regularly. Making a
report public allows such a user to view the report from within the
software of the disclosed subject matter.
[0045] FIG. 15 shows a view 410 of one embodiment of a default
report, a Fixed Assets Schedule. A user has the options to Print
412, export to PDF 414, Export as CSV file 416, or export to Excel
418. Further, a user may edit a report by clicking the Edit Report
tab 420.
[0046] FIG. 16 shows a view 430 of one embodiment of the options
available for editing a report. The Name dropdown 432 displays a
list of available items to be included in the report. Add and
Delete buttons 434 enable a user to add or delete items in the
report. In one embodiment, criteria dropdown 436 may include such
operators as is, is not, contains, does not contain, begins with,
and ends with. Text input field 438 allows a user to manually input
data. A user may select the columns for display in the report using
the Columns to display dropdown 440.
[0047] The disclosed subject matter may also be used to monitor a
network for trouble. A user may view, and set up alerts for,
Windows events that occur across the environment for easily
detecting, diagnosing and troubleshooting issues that disrupt a
network. Further, the disclosed subject matter allows for automatic
identification of PCs and servers with low disk space, the presence
of unwanted software on the network, the status of anti-virus
updates, printers with low toner and ink levels, and offline
servers. Email alerts may be used for notification of potential
issues. Further, valuable monitors are all consolidated in one
centralized location.
[0048] FIG. 17 shows a view 500 of an embodiment of settings tab
502 of the present disclosure, including a link to Monitors and
Alerts 504, shown in view 510 of FIG. 18.
[0049] A monitor is any condition which can be automatically
evaluated by the software of the present disclosure. In one
embodiment, the default monitors include Disk Space 512 (amount of
free disk space), Online/Offline Status 514 (online/offline status
for a device or group of devices), Anti-Virus 516 (when anti-virus
software is present and up to date), and Troublesome Software 518
(when specified software is removed or installed, including Google
desktop and WeatherBug).
[0050] To add a new monitor, a user may click `Add` 520. For
example, an administrator may want to monitor when a new version of
Microsoft Office Outlook is installed or uninstalled. This will
result in an alert being fired in the event that Microsoft Outlook
is installed or uninstalled. This is a powerful way of monitoring
an environment without the need for manually checking each system
in the environment.
[0051] The disclosed subject matter allows the user to report on
the network. The software allows the user to see software installed
on machines, disk usage, and trouble tickets. Custom reports can be
created and published so that others in the network can be informed
of network updates, and issues, reports may then be exported in
file formats such as PDF and Excel. Finally, the user can share and
receive report templates from other users of the software.
[0052] The disclosed subject matter allows a user to troubleshoot
issues on the network. When problems arise, the software allows for
identification of cause and resolution of the problem. For example,
a user may see what software is running on a machine causing it to
run slowly. A remote control tool may be launched from within the
software. Two machines may be compared to determine what settings
are different. The software allows for pinging a machine to see if
it is online and running a traceroute to identify the flow of data.
Further, the software allows a user to identify when a server is
running out of capacity.
[0053] A user may troubleshoot a workstation with an issue by
comparing that workstation with another workstation that is working
correctly. The Compare tab allows a side by side comparison of a
first machine versus a second machine. The software highlights in
red any difference found in hardware, configuration, software,
services or hotfixes. A user may also perform remote administration
of machines via the Remote Control tab. The software uses two
methods of remote control including Microsoft's Remote desktop
protocol and VNC screen-sharing protocol.
[0054] FIG. 19 shows a view 540 of an embodiment of community tab
542 of the present disclosure. The disclosed subject matter allows
a user to collaborate with other IT professionals. For example, a
user may receive ratings and recommendations, ask questions, get
tips and support, or join discussions. The collaboration may allow
a user to help author IT Wikipedia articles, all with an audience
that is familiar with small and medium sized business IT issues.
Further, a user may submit useful online IT news and
information.
[0055] The disclosed subject matter allows a user to become a
virtual extension of the software development team. A user may
request and vote on new features, view other users' ratings of
features, submit feedback on existing features, and preview
upcoming releases.
[0056] FIG. 20 shows a high-level architectural view 550 of one
embodiment of the disclosed subject matter. The different contexts
supporting the disclosed subject matter include an environment
context 552, an asset context 554, a workflow context 556, and an
event context 558. These contexts make up the integrated asset and
configuration discovery 560 of the disclosed subject matter. All of
the information is available to an IT administrator or other user
via a one-click management interface 562, along with in-stream
advertising platform 564.
[0057] The asset context engine 554 allows a user to view the
network assets on an individual, group or global basis and generate
reports, flags and alerts.
[0058] The event context engine 558 provides a user with insight
into the system, such as access to critical or proprietary
information, web-server activity as a security measure, or general
activity of personnel after business hours.
[0059] The workflow context engine 556 is a smart engine providing
the user with information based on the processes that user is
currently running. The workflow context engine 556 analyzes the
current work by the user and presents this data through the data
pivoting interface. For instance, if an end of year inventory
program is running, the workflow content engine 556 may direct the
user to websites where identified or needed computer or network
hardware, software or peripherals and be researched and purchased.
Additionally the workflow content engine 556 may simply drive
advertisements to the user relating to the user's perceived needs.
The data pivoting will be further discussed later in the
disclosure.
[0060] FIG. 21 shows how the disclosed subject matter allows an IT
administrator to browse a network for network content, while IT
equipment and software vendors obtain targeting opportunities for
potential purchasers. The integrated asset and configuration and
discovery software module, subroutine or engine 562 scans the
network and provides information relating to the system and its
components, such as type of computer, operating system, and other
information. Additionally, the present system provides the user
with system status (such as low ink); the system then alerts the
user, reports on the problem (such as number of licenses; finally,
a work order or purchase order tickets may be assigned.
[0061] FIG. 22 depicts how the process of the present disclosure
promotes purchase opportunities for buyers and sellers in an IT
network environment. For the advertiser/vendor community, the
disclosed subject matter provides an in-stream advertising platform
that tailors advertisements and product information to the
particular needs of an enterprise network, the survey, product
education and switch promotion steps. The disclosed subject matter
allows for confidentiality and security within any network.
Advertisements provide the user with options to purchase necessary
components, such as software, memory or disk drives, represented by
the brands and purchase or lead steps. Advertisement revenue allows
the software to be distributed for free or at a reduced cost to the
end user.
[0062] FIG. 23 shows how the disclosed subject matter supports the
activities of an IT network administrator. FIG. 23 depicts a user
interface 572, typically manned by the IT administrator of the
network. Software modules 574 and 576 are typically installed on a
network to provide the functionality offered by the aspects of the
present disclosure. Software engine 576 is typically hosted
off-site from the user and gathers information from multiple users.
Although in a far-flung world-wide organization, engine 576 may be
implemented by a third-party for the benefit of the organization or
by the IT department of the organization. The application engine
578 contains subroutines that provide the user with such
functionality as views, setting, application services, collection
of services and a host of other services. This list is meant to be
exemplary and not limiting in any manner.
[0063] The collection engine 580 provides the user with server
proxy, finder, watcher and third party functionality as aspects of
the present disclosure. Engines 578 and 580 may be employed jointly
in a network or separately. In a typical installation, engine 580
will be installed at multiple sites in a distributed network 582 or
in a network that has several firewalls or security measures,
downstream of them and then to provide retrieved information to the
application engine 578. Although an IT administrator may change
these settings, typically the application dynamically determines
the appropriate IP addresses, domain names or other information
required to gather the information.
[0064] FIG. 24 shows an initial graphical user interface screen
shot showing information on how a network administrator may
download the software of the disclosed subject matter using a web
browser.
[0065] FIG. 25 presents a flow diagram for the asset and
configuration discovery features of the presently disclosed IT
network management system;
[0066] FIG. 25 depicts a schematic flow diagram of the asset and
configuration engine. In the scanning and discovery process,
algorithms and parameters are initiated and launched as represent
by start 602. Control then passes to obtain network settings 604.
At this step information has been determined automatically but also
may be provided to the application by the IT administrator, such as
off-site IP addresses, domain names etc. that are part of the
system and needs to be aggregated by central services engine are
made accessible to be view by application engine.
[0067] This initial information may also include, any required
security passwords or logins required to access some or all of the
systems on the network. At step 604 the network settings are obtain
as well as checking of the domain name and the DNS lookup in both
directions. Any DNS errors found are aggregated into a top level
view so that they later may be corrected by the IT administrator if
desired.
[0068] An identifier for a computer or device on a TCP/IP network.
Networks using the TCP/IP protocol route messages based on the IP
address of the destination. The format of an IP address is a 32-bit
numeric address written as four numbers separated by periods. Each
number may be zero to 255. For example, 2.160.10.240 could be an IP
address.
[0069] Within an isolated network, IP addresses may be assigned at
random as long as each one is unique. However, connecting a private
network to the Internet requires using registered IP addresses
(called Internet addresses) as specified by networking standards.
The four numbers in an IP address are used in different ways to
identify a particular network and a host on that network. Four
regional Internet registries--ARIN, RIPE NCC, LACNIC and
APNIC--assign Internet addresses from the following three classes.
Class A--supports 16 million hosts on each of 126 networks; Class
B--supports 65,000 hosts on each of 16,000 networks; and Class
C--supports 254 hosts on each of 2 million networks.
[0070] In a 32-bit IP address, the number of bits used to identify
the network and the host vary according to the network class of the
address. In a Class C network, the first 3 bits, or the high-order
bits, are always "110." The next 21 bits are used to define the
Class C network, and the final eight bits are used to identify the
host. The IP address is represented in dotted decimal notation of
four 8-bit fields, or octets, that have been converted from binary
to decimal numbers.
[0071] The number of valid networks and hosts available is always
2.sup.N (where N equals the number of bits used) minus 2 (one for
the all zeros address and one for the all ones address). Thus, for
a class C address wherein 8 bits are available for hosts, the
number of hosts is 2.sup.8-2, or 256-2, which is 254. Future
version of this software will support Ipv6 which allows for a much
greater range of IP addresses.
[0072] At step 604 a determination is made as to how wide the
system is and to allocate search protocols based on this measure.
For instance in a Class C network there are 254 potential hosts.
Each device has or should have a unique IP address or sub-mask
address. If an IP address or name is provided by the IT
administrator, a DNS lookup takes place. The present disclosure
confirms the DNS name and IP address associated with it and assures
that the IP address defaults to the DNS name and vice-versa. If an
IP address or name is not provide the search engine 606 will the
set the range based on the how wide the system is and ping each
element to see if it responds. If an element does respond then it
is probed to see if it is listed on one of the ports or is a unique
name or IP address device.
[0073] Having "ping"-ed an element and it responds, control then
passes to step 608 where the element is probed. Although the
following steps are listed in a logical and efficient manner for
probing elements on a network, other groupings or searching
hierarchies may be employed or plugged in later and not depart from
the scope of the present disclosure.
[0074] At step 610 the device is probed to see if it responds to
WMI. Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) is a set of
extensions to the Windows Management Instrumentation that provides
an operating system interface through which instrumented components
may provide information and notification. If the device is
identified as a WMI device data is collected at step 612 and
control passes to step 634 where a determination as to whether the
device responds to HTTP is made(i.e., has a web server interface).
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a method used to transfer or
convey information on the World Wide Web.
[0075] If the device is found to be a WMI at step 610 the remaining
steps 610 through 630 are skipped, since by default the device will
not respond to any of the other protocols. At step 614 the device
is probed to see if it responds to SNMP. The simple network
management protocol (SNMP) forms part of the internet protocol
suite as defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
SNMP is used by network management systems to monitor
network-attached devices for conditions that warrant administrative
attention. It consists of a set of standards for network
management, including an Application Layer protocol, a database
schema, and a set of data objects.
[0076] If at step 614 the device responds, it is identified as a
SNMP device data is collected at step 616 and control passes to
step 634 where a determination as whether the device responds to
HTTP. The remaining steps 618-630 are skipped. The simple network
management protocol (SNMP) forms part of the internet protocol
suite as defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
SNMP is used by network management systems to monitor
network-attached devices for conditions that warrant administrative
attention. It consists of a set of standards for network
management, including an Application Layer protocol, a database
schema, and a set of data objects.
[0077] At step 618 if the device responds, it is identified as a
SSH device, data is collected at step 620 and control passes to
step 634 where a determination as whether the device responds to
HTTP is made. Steps 622-630 are skipped. Secure Shell or SSH is a
set of standards and an associated network protocol that allows
establishing a secure channel between a local and a remote
computer. It uses public-key cryptography to authenticate the
remote computer and (optionally) to allow the remote computer to
authenticate the user. Shell commands are then used to obtain the
needed information from the asset.
[0078] At step 622 if the device responds, it is identified as a
JetDirect device, data is collected at step 624 and control passes
to step 634 where a determination as whether the device responds to
HTTP is made. Steps 626-630 are skipped. JetDirect is the name of a
technology sold by Hewlett-Packard that allows computer printers to
be directly attached to a Local Area Network. The most common
communication uses TCP/IP port 9100.
[0079] At step 626 if the device responds, it is identified as a
VoIP SIP, data is collected at step 628 and control passes to step
634 where a determination as to whether the device responds to HTTP
is made. Voice over Internet Protocol, also called VoIP, IP
Telephony, Internet telephony, Broadband telephony, Broadband Phone
and Voice over Broadband is the routing of voice conversations over
the Internet or through any other IP-based network.
[0080] At step 630 if the device responds, it is identified as an
HTTP and data is collected at step 632. Control then passes to step
638, wherein if no response is received and exception report or
alert is generated and forwarded to the IT administrator providing
the directions as to how to handle these occurrences.
[0081] The reason the device failed to respond or did not respond
fully, after being identified as being on the system could be
numerous. In this instance the port is identified as being open but
is identified as not showing anything on it. This could occur for
various reasons, such as the user may not have the security
clearance to access the system/device in question or a separate
login is required that was not provided. The device may be behind a
firewall or other device such a hub that will not respond.
[0082] Once the data is collected control then passes to step 636
wherein the data collect is posted with each device found on the
network. Process steps 606 may be repeated again at a later time to
discovery new network devices, but a report will only be generated
for devices previously identified if the device configuration has
changed. This information is stored on the system so that a history
of the device may be created and used to compare with itself or
other devices similarly configured and equipped.
[0083] This provides for a very efficient way of trouble shooting
devices by being able to access a snap shot of a device that was
previous working. It also provides the IT administrator the
functionality and ability to ensure that each user on the system is
appropriately configured with the software, hardware, peripheral
access and etc. that their security level or access level requires
or allows. Therefore, it a system bios or other parameters are
changed and a problem occurs, the IT administrator may utilize this
tool to identify the change in the systems configuration at take
appropriate measures to resolve it.
[0084] FIG. 26 presents a flow diagram for a watcher flow functions
of using a schematic diagram of a watcher or monitoring engine.
This aspect of the present disclosure monitors identified devices
on the system at periodic times. It mainly looks for devices that
switch states between online and offline and sends flags these
events for the IT administrator as discussed below. For large
organizations, the monitoring engine may segment the total number
of devices and monitor each segment in a rotating fashion as not to
over tax the operating systems. Although, this should not be a
concern, since the data gathered and transmitted is on the order of
10s of K and require very little system resources to run.
Therefore, in most instances the user will not even be aware of the
programming scanning operation. Alternately, the present disclosure
may be directed to only run when system resources are above a
certain level (i.e. 60% or 80%) to ensure that productivity is not
hampered by the scanning and transmitting of data process.
[0085] At step 902 the monitoring or watcher flow engine is
initiated with the parameters set by the IT administrator. Control
then passes to step 904 where each known device is processed.
Control then passes to step 906 for each monitor where a check
status request is initiated at step 908. If the result of the check
status is a positive, i.e., the status has changed, the status
change is posted to set 912. If the check status request is a
negative, i.e., a no result, the process terminates.
[0086] Once the change is posted at step 912, control then passes
to step 914, where a determination is made, in compliance with the
IT administrator set up instructions, to send an email or some
other type alert, such as creating an exception report, or log. If
the determination at step 914 is a no, then the process terminates,
although the data is still stored with the device showing the time
of the last scan and its results. This data may remain indefinitely
on the system or be periodically culled using a FIFO method over a
set time period. If the instructions are affirmative at step 914 to
send an email, control passes to step 916 where an email or some
other type alert is direct to the party or parties designated by
the IT administrator.
[0087] The watcher flow or monitoring engine continually performs
the various described functions at the period intervals set up for
the monitoring process until the process is terminated or altered
by the IT administrator.
[0088] While the present disclosure has been described with respect
to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art,
having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other
embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the scope of
the present disclosure as described herein. Accordingly, the scope
of the present disclosure should be limited only by the attached
claims.
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