Patent ID: 8903765

Claim:
A method for recording, managing and tracking life cycle changes to objects in a computer system, the objects comprising hardware components of the computer system, said method comprising: creating a master record for a computer system; creating a transactional record for the master record, the transactional record being created for an object in the computer system, the master record including a current status of the object and a current status for all objects associated to the object, said creating of the transactional record including setting a status of the object to one of: ordered, shipped to the recipient, received by the recipient, installed on the computer system, removed from the computer system, deactivated, and lost on the computer system; storing the master record and the transactional record in an electronic database; updating the transactional record in the electronic database, said updating of the transactional record including changing the status of the object to one of: ordered, shipped to the recipient, received by the recipient, installed on the computer system, removed from the computer system, deactivated, and lost on the computer system; updating the master record when the transactional record is updated, the master record being updated in the electronic database with a processor, wherein said updating of the master record comprises: deactivating the transactional record when an upgrade is installed on the object; and activating a second transactional record for the object, the second transactional record indicating the installation of the upgrade; linking the master record to all transactional records of objects associated to the object with the processor; and updating the master record with the processor when a transactional record of the objects associated to the object is one of updated and added.