Patent ID: 7200652

Claim:
A method for providing automatic notification of end of lease and location of a client computer system within a network, wherein said network includes a server computer system and a plurality of client computer systems, said method comprising: sending a message from said server computer system to said plurality of client computer systems inquiring lease status of each of said plurality of client computer systems; in response to said message from said server computer system, determining at one of said plurality of client computer system whether or not a current date falls within a predetermined amount of days from the end of lease date; in response to a determination that said current date falls within said predetermined amount of days from the end of lease date for said client computer system, obtaining a physical location of said client computer system from an Ethernet wall plate at which said client computer system is attached by capturing a media access controller (MAC) address of said client computer system; generating an alert message by said client computer system, wherein said alert message includes said physical location of said client computer system; transmitting said alert message from said client computer system to said server computer system; and in response to a determination that said current date does not fall within said predetermined amount of days from the end of lease date for said client computer system, proceeding to a next client computer system.