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.

1 . A method, performed by a host computer, comprising:
 obtaining a local network monitoring software program;   installing the local network monitoring software program on the host computer;   determining inventory of software programs that are installed on the information technology devices, including probing at least one of the information technology devices with a plurality of different protocols to determine a matching protocol based on which of the different protocols is responded to, and using the matching protocol to determine the inventory of software programs that are installed on the at least one of the information technology devices; and   displaying the inventory of software programs that are installed on the information technology devices.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the inventory of the software programs that are installed on the plurality of information technology devices includes pinging the at least one of the information technology devices when an IP address or name of the at least one of the information technology devices is not known, and probing the at least one of the information technology devices when the at least one of the information technology devices responds to the pinging. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein probing the at least one of the information technology devices with a plurality of different protocols includes probing each of the information technology devices with a first protocol and, for each of the information technology devices that does not respond, then probing the information technology devices that does not respond with a second protocol. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an inventory of all computer systems that are on the local network are determined. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an inventory of all peripheral printing devices that are on the local network are determined. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an inventory of all server devices that are on the local network are determined. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining and displaying a status of the information technology devices, wherein the status includes at least one of: whether an information technology device is offline or online, free disk space, last login info, ink or toner levels, amount of memory, IP address, and amount of memory. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the inventory of the software programs installed on the plurality of the information technology devices includes determining the presence of at least one of: antivirus software, software version numbers, when software is installed, and unwanted software. 
     
     
         9 . A host computer, configured to:
 obtain a local network monitoring software program;   install the local network monitoring software program on the host computer;   determine inventory of software programs that are installed on the information technology devices, including probing at least one of the information technology devices with a plurality of different protocols to determine a matching protocol based on which of the different protocols is responded to, and using the matching protocol to determine the inventory of software programs that are installed on the at least one of the information technology devices; and   display the inventory of software programs that are installed on the information technology devices.   
     
     
         10 . The host computer of  claim 9 , wherein determining the inventory of the software programs that are installed on the plurality of information technology devices includes pinging the at least one of the information technology devices when an IP address or name of the at least one of the information technology devices is not known, and probing the at least one of the information technology devices when the at least one of the information technology devices responds to the pinging. 
     
     
         11 . The host computer of  claim 9 , wherein probing the at least one of the information technology devices with a plurality of different protocols includes probing each of the information technology devices with a first protocol and, for each of the information technology devices that does not respond, then probing the information technology devices that does not respond with a second protocol. 
     
     
         12 . The host computer of  claim 9 , wherein an inventory of all computer systems that are on the local network are determined. 
     
     
         13 . The host computer of  claim 9 , wherein an inventory of all peripheral printing devices that are on the local network are determined. 
     
     
         14 . The host computer of  claim 9 , wherein an inventory of all server devices that are on the local network are determined. 
     
     
         15 . The host computer of  claim 9 , that is further configured to determine and display a status of the information technology devices, wherein the status includes at least one of: whether an information technology device is offline or online, free disk space, last login info, ink or toner levels, amount of memory, IP address, and amount of memory. 
     
     
         16 . The host computer of  claim 9 , wherein determining the inventory of the software programs installed on the plurality of the information technology devices includes determining the presence of at least one of: antivirus software, software version numbers, when software is installed, and unwanted software. 
     
     
         17 . A local network, comprising:
 a plurality of communication paths between a plurality of information technology devices including a host computer, wherein the host computer is configured to:   obtain a local network monitoring software program;   install the local network monitoring software program on the host computer;   determine inventory of software programs that are installed on the information technology devices, including probing at least one of the information technology devices with a plurality of different protocols to determine a matching protocol based on which of the different protocols is responded to, and using the matching protocol to determine the inventory of software programs that are installed on the at least one of the information technology devices; and   display the inventory of software programs that are installed on the information technology devices.   
     
     
         18 . The local network of  claim 17 , wherein determining the inventory of the software programs that are installed on the plurality of information technology devices includes pinging the at least one of the information technology devices when an IP address or name of the at least one of the information technology devices is not known, and probing the at least one of the information technology devices when the at least one of the information technology devices responds to the pinging. 
     
     
         19 . The local network of  claim 17 , wherein probing the at least one of the information technology devices with a plurality of different protocols includes probing each of the information technology devices with a first protocol and, for each of the information technology devices that does not respond, then probing the information technology devices that does not respond with a second protocol. 
     
     
         20 . The local network of  claim 17 , wherein an inventory of all computer systems that are on the local network are determined.