Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for remotely identifying software and software versions using a maintained software audit file. The disclosed system management tool identifies software installed on each network node by comparing the name and size of installed files to a software audit file. The system management tool performs an inventory scan of the software on each network node and obtains a list of each file and the corresponding file size. The software audit file provides identifying information, such as the file name and corresponding size, for each known file. Known files can be quickly identified using a match criteria based, for example, on the file name and size. The software audit file is maintained by investigating any unknown files with a sample of the user population having the unknown file. In one implementation, a targeted query is automatically transmitted to a sample of the user population having the unknown file requesting header information for the unknown file.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for remotely identifying the user of a computer connected to a network and associating the user with recorded inventory information. A unique user handle or username is used to identify a user associated with a particular network node. The user handle is used to access a user profile, such as a record in a corporate directory database, before an inventory scan is performed. The information recorded in the user profile is linked to inventory information obtained during an inventory scan of a network node. The user identification can be verified by presenting the retrieved personal record to the user to confirm that the record actually corresponds to the user and that the information contained therein is accurate. The present invention supplements the recorded inventory information associated with a conventional inventory scan with personal information corresponding to the user associated with the network node.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for remotely identifying software and software versions using a maintained software audit file. The disclosed system management tool identifies software installed on each network node by comparing the name and size of installed files to a software audit file. The system management tool performs an inventory scan of the software on each network node and obtains a list of each file and the corresponding file size. The software audit file provides identifying information, such as the file name and corresponding size, for each known file. Known files can be quickly identified using a match criteria based, for example, on the file name and size. The software audit file is maintained by investigating any unknown files with a sample of the user population having the unknown file. In one implementation, a targeted query is automatically transmitted to a sample of the user population having the unknown file requesting header information for the unknown file.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for remotely identifying software and software versions using a maintained software audit file. The disclosed system management tool (SMT) identifies software installed on each network node by comparing the name and size of installed files to a software audit file. The system management tool (SMT) performs an inventory scan of the software on each network node and obtains a list of each file and the corresponding file size. The software audit file provides identifying information, such as the file name and corresponding size, for each known file. Known files can be quickly identified using a match criteria based, for example, on the file name and size. The software audit file is maintained by investigating any unknown files with a sample of the user population having the unknown file. In one implementation, a targeted query is automatically transmitted to a sample of the user population having the unknown file requesting header information for the unknown file.