Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a system is provided for collecting data from diverse data sources at a remote site. The system includes data collection daemons at the remote site, each for retrieving data from one of the data sources and for translating the data into a common format. A remote query agent collects data in the common format from the data collection daemons, and aggregates the data in a serialized data stream. A central query agent at a central collection site receives the data stream from the remote query agent. A database aggregator initiates data retrieval by the data collection daemons and deposits data received from the central query agent into a collection database. In accordance with another embodiment, a method is provided for remote data collection from diverse data sources.