Patent ID: 8244837

Claim:
A method for administering a resource for a user of a computer system, the method comprising: inputting a request in a central administration tool to manage an attribute of a resource, wherein the inputted request comprises a command and is originally not in a protocol compatible for transmission over communications networks and the resource is selected from the group consisting of a computer, a network element and a peripheral device, and wherein the command performs an action comprising only one of modifying the attribute, deleting the attribute and adding an attribute; arranging within the central administration tool the request into a file having a the protocol so as to be compatible for transmission over a communications network, wherein the file includes a command identifier that identifies the action to be performed by the command; logically validating the request to determine if the request protocol is consistent with a format of a server associated with the resource and the resource; determining if a user associated with the request is authorized to carry out the command identified by the command identifier in the file; and interpreting the request if the user associated with the request is authorized to carry out the command, wherein the command arranged in the protocol allows for operation or maintenance of the resource by executing the command to perform the action.