Method and apparatus for remotely assessing software with automatic maintenance of a software audit file
View Patent ↗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. In this manner, previously unknown files, once identified, can be added to the software audit file. A technique is disclosed for quickly identifying a network node, in order to retrieve a list of instructions to be executed by the network node.
1. A method for retrieving an instruction set to be executed by a network node in a distributed computing system, comprising the steps of:
assigning a machine identifier to said network node, wherein said machine identifier is reducible to an integer;
maintaining a set of instructions to be executed by said network node, said set of instructions being indexed by said integer;
sorting said instruction set based on said integer to form a sorted instruction set;
maintaining an instruction index array comprised of an entry having said machine identifier and at least one index into said sorted instruction set;
obtaining said machine identifier from said network node; and
retrieving said set of instructions using said integer and said instruction index array.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said machine identifier comprises said integer and a unique identifier.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said unique identifier allows said network node to be identified if said integer is reassigned to another network node.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said instruction set contains a targeted query to identify an unknown software file.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said instruction set includes a request for header information for an unknown file installed on said network node.
6. A system for retrieving an instruction set to be executed by a network node in a distributed computing system, comprising:
a memory for storing computer readable code; and
a processor operatively coupled to said memory, said processor configured to:
assign a machine identifier to said network node, wherein said machine identifier is reducible to an integer;
maintain a set of instructions to be executed by said network node, said set of instructions being indexed by said integer;
sort said instruction set based on said integer to form a sorted instruction set;
maintain an instruction index array comprised of an entry having said machine identifier and at least one index into said sorted instruction set;
obtain said machine identifier from said network node; and
retrieve said set of instructions using said integer and said instruction index array.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said machine identifier comprises said integer and a unique identifier.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein said unique identifier allows said network node to be identified if said integer is reassigned to another network node.
9. The system of claim 6 , wherein said instruction set contains a targeted query to identify an unknown software file.
10. The system of claim 6 , wherein said instruction set includes a request for header information for an unknown file installed on said network node.
11. A system for retrieving an instruction set to be executed by a network node in a distributed computing system, comprising:
means for assigning a machine identifier to said network node, wherein said machine identifier is reducible to an integer;
means for maintaining a set of instructions to be executed by said network node, said set of instructions being indexed by said integer;
means for sorting said instruction set based on said integer to form a sorted instruction set;
means for maintaining an instruction index array comprised of an entry having said machine identifier and at least one index into said sorted instruction set;
means for obtaining said machine identifier from said network node; and
means for retrieving said set of instructions using said integer and said instruction index array.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein said machine identifier comprises said integer and a unique identifier.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein said unique identifier allows said network node to be identified if said integer is reassigned to another network node.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein said instruction set contains a targeted query to identify an unknown software file.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein said instruction set includes a request for header information for an unknown file installed on said network node.