Abstract: Information-technology discovery techniques are performed directly on virtual machine files. A discovery system sends directives to a remote host and receives data extracted from the virtual machine files as a result of the remote host responding to the directive. The discovery system extracts discovery information from the received data and sends the discovery information to a discovery repository. The discovery information may include static and dynamic virtualized hardware as well as executing software applications and services within a virtual machine and across multiple virtual machines.

Abstract: The claimed invention provides a single generic solution by treating live video capture as any other running application on the end-user screen. This allows the technique of capturing consecutive snapshots of a running application window to be applicable to live video capture as well. Specifically, the invention captures and generates video streams for the different content types as follows: (1) live video. Unlike prior art approaches where the capturing software interacts directly with an on-board camera, the invention interacts with and streams the camera playback window; (2) Static video. Rather than streaming directly off the video file, the invention enables the video file to be played on the screen and the playback window to be captured and streamed; and (3) View of running application and view of user desktop. The invention takes consecutive snapshots of an application window or desktop, generates video out of the snapshots, and streams it.