Patent ID: 7472179

Claim:
A device management method for a data center having plural host computers and network devices and a management module, the management module monitoring the host computers and network devices to collect information on configurations of the host computers and network devices, the management module managing the host computers and network devices based on the collected configuration information, the method comprising the steps of: detecting a physical location of a host computer or network device connected to a network device that is to be monitored; collecting a globally unique first identifier which is unique to a host computer or network device equipment connected to the network device to be monitored and is not shared by the equipments; and creating the configuration information from the first identifier and from the physical connection location of the network device to be monitored, wherein the network device to be monitored connects the host computers while dividing the host computers into plural virtual networks, and wherein upon detecting addition of a new host computer to the network device to be monitored, the management module adds the added host computer to a virtual network previously set and chosen out of the plural virtual networks.