Patent ID: 7380177
Filing Date: 2008-05-27
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented system for assisting in the maintenance and servicing of computers comprising: a cluster database residing in a memory containing information relating to a plurality of computer clusters, the information relating to each cluster comprising one or more cluster descriptions and one or more representations of configuration information values that characterize typical computer members of each cluster; a tracker database residing in a memory containing configuration information values gathered automatically by one or more computers configured as collectors from and relating to one or more computers; and a cluster analysis computer having access to a display or printer and to the cluster and tracker databases upon which computer is installed a computer and cluster comparison routine that first compares cluster descriptions to descriptions gathered from at least one given computer, to thereby select one or more of the clusters whose descriptions most closely match that of the at least one given computer, and that then compares one or more of the representations of configuration information values relating to the selected one or more of the clusters to one or more of the corresponding configuration information values gathered from the at least one given computer and that then indicates in a displayed or printed report how closely the given computer's configuration conforms with the configuration of typical computer members of the selected one or more of the clusters.