Patent ID: 7472040

Claim:
A method for use in a system comprising a computer in networked communication with an information collection facility, a transport mechanism implemented on the computer which is operable to transmit first information collected from the computer to the information collection facility upon the instrumentation of at least one program on the computer, and an instrumentation mechanism implemented on the computer which collects second information on the computer, wherein the transport mechanism transmits the first information using a first data structure which has a first format, and wherein the instrumentation mechanism stores the second information in a second data structure having a second format which does not comply with the first format, the method comprising steps of: (A) determining a portion for collection from the second information stored in the second data structure by the instrumentation mechanism implemented on the computer; (B) collecting the portion of the second information; and (C) writing a representation of the portion of the second information to the first data structure, so that the representation of the portion of the second information complies with the first format.