Method and system for enterprise-wide migration
View Patent ↗Disclosed are a method, system and computer program for collecting inventory data about a group of machines at an office. This method comprises the steps of running an inventory tool on each of the machines, and the tool presenting dialog displays on each of the machines, filling in or changing data in the dialogs presented by the tool, and submitting the collected information to a server. Also disclosed are a method, system and computer program for customizing an inventory data collection tool for a plurality of logical groups of users. Each of the logical groups of users is provided with a copy of the inventory data collection tool and with a first copy of a common control file. Each of the groups of users uses the first copy of the common control file to customize the tool for the group of users.
1. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for collecting inventory data about a group of machines at an office, the method steps comprising:
running an inventory tool on each of said machines;
the tool presenting dialogue displays on each of the machines;
receiving data in the dialogues presented by the tool; and
submitting the collected information to a server; and wherein:
said running includes said inventory tool generating a respective one inventory file for each of the machines, and the inventory tools sending all of the respective inventory files to an identified dedicated client machine; and
using the identified dedicated client machine to receive and to process the respective inventory files for all of the machines in said group of machines.
2. A program storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the step of running an inventory tool includes the step of downloading the inventory tool over a network to at least one of the machines of said group.
3. A program storage device according to claim 2 , wherein said method steps further comprise the step of downloading over the network a common control file for the tool.
4. A program storage device according to claim 3 , wherein said method steps further comprise the step of updating the common control file.
5. A program storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the submitting step includes the step of a specified one of the machines collecting inventory data from other machines in said group.
6. A program storage device according to claim 5 , wherein the submitting step includes the step of said specified one of the machines submitting the collected information to the server.
7. A method of deploying a computer program product for collecting inventory data about a group of machines at an office, wherein when execute, the computer program performs the steps of:
running an inventory tool on each of said machines;
the tool presenting dialogue displays on each of the machines;
receiving data in the dialogues presented by the tool; and
submitting the collected information to a server and wherein:
said running includes said inventory tool generating a respective one inventory file for each of the machines, and the inventory tools sending all of the respective inventory files to an identified dedicated client machine; and
using the identified dedicated client machine to receive and to process the respective inventory files for all of the machines in said group of machines.
8. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the step of running an inventory tool includes the step of downloading the inventory tool over a network to at least one of the machines of said group.
9. A method according to claim 8 , wherein said method steps further comprise the step of downloading over the network a common control file for the tool.
10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein said method steps further comprise the step of updating the common control file.
11. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the submitting step includes the step of a specified one of the machines collecting inventory data from other machines in said group.
12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the submitting step includes the step of said specified one of the machines submitting the collected information to the server.