Patent ID: 8706854
Filing Date: 2014-04-22
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for permitting a user to manage, monitor or run scans across a number of different computer workstations in a computer network, the scans being carried out by agents resident on the computer workstations, the method employing a graphical user interface (GUI) and comprising steps of: creating a series of scan objects that are selectively enabled and disabled, each scan object containing a scan name, description, and type of scan to be performed; establishing scan settings for each scan object, the scan settings including file paths to be searched, scanning intervals and start times; storing each scan object and associated settings in a database; listing each scan object individually in the database accessible by way of the GUI, permitting the user to modify and activate the scan objects by way of a scan object editor; creating application adapters based upon the scan objects; formatting the application adapters by way of an agent server protocol, the formatted application adapters interfacing with the agents and enabling the scans specified by the scan objects and sending the formatted application adapters to one or more agents via the computer network; determining at least one enabled scan object among the series of scan objects, and creating search parameters based upon the at least one scan object in response to enabling the at least one scan object, the search parameters being formatted by way of the agent server protocol, and sending the formatted search parameters to one or more agents via the computer network, whereby the agents carry out scans in accordance with the search parameters; and displaying scan activity by way of the GUI, the scan activity including a number of agents currently in the process of scanning, a number of agents that have successfully completed a scan, and a number of events recorded.