Patent ID: 7120652

Claim:
A method for determining system information from a computer system having at least one attached storage device, comprising: processing resource information indicating at least one program and at least one storage device, wherein the resource information further indicates files and wherein the resource information indicates directories in a file system in the computer system in which to search for the at least one program and file, wherein the resource information is one of the group consisting of coded in a program that performs the steps of processing the resource information, querying and searching the computer system, and generating the system information, and wherein the resource information is capable of being configured to modify at least one of the storage devices and programs indicated in the resource information; and maintained in a file separate from a program that performs the steps of processing the resource information, querying and searching the computer system, and generating the system information, and wherein the resource information is capable of being configured to modify at least one of the storage devices and programs indicated in the resource information; querying the computer system to determine whether the at least one storage device indicated in the resource information is coupled to the computer system; when the response to said querying indicates the at least one storage device is coupled to said system then searching the computer system to determine whether at least one program indicated in the resource information is installed in the computer system and to determine whether the computer system includes the at least one file indicated in the resource information; searching for the at least one program and the at least one file indicated in the system information at locations in the file system not indicated in the resource information; generating system information indicating the at least one storage device the at least one program in the computer system and the at least one file in the computer system; determining a version of the at least one storage device and the at least one program; including the version information for the at least one storage device and the at least one program in the system information; and rendering the system information, said system information indicating version information relating to the at least one storage device, the at least one program and the at least one file wherein the rendered system information is capable of being presented in a human observable format, including at least one of displayed on a monitor, rendered in a file stored on a storage device and transmitted to a remote location over a network.