Patent ID: 7657499
Filing Date: 2010-02-02
Classification: G06Q,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a profile group managing server for managing a computer information database comprising: A. determining, by said profile group managing server, a multiple node tree structure of groups for a set of computers, in which each node is a group level and a top level is a root, based on primary grouping criteria and secondary grouping criteria that correspond to selected computer profile data for each computer, said computer profile data including one or more of hardware and software configuration, hot fixes, user defined entries and performance data; B. specifying in a group mapping table in the computer information database, one or more fields for the primary grouping criteria and one or more fields for the secondary grouping criteria wherein said secondary grouping criteria is unrelated or related to said primary grouping criteria, and including in the one or more fields of the primary grouping criteria and secondary grouping criteria, in respective table records of the group mapping table, values corresponding to the selected computer profile data that are utilized in the primary grouping criteria and the secondary grouping criteria with the values associated with either or both of the primary grouping criteria and the secondary grouping criteria being ranges that extend between a selected high value and a selected low value, C. further specifying, in the respective table records, information that identifies groups to which the computers that satisfy the primary grouping criteria and the secondary grouping criteria are assigned; D. receiving, at said profile group managing server, from each computer in the set of computers, for inclusion in the database, computer profile data from the set of computers; E. for the computer profile data received from a given computer, the profile group managing server performs the following: and F. manipulating the computer profile data from the database and producing, for a selected group level, reports that contain summaries of certain or all of the attributes of the computers that are in the selected group level or below in the multiple node tree structure.