Patent ID: 7562229

Claim:
In a computer system, a computer-implemented method for facilitating auditing of said computer system, comprising: receiving a request for a codeword from a user of said computer system; ascertaining first data from said computer system, said first data including at least one of a number of active components found in said computer system and a number of inactive components found in said computer system; ascertaining second data from said computer system, said second data including identification data, said identification data identifying at least one of said computer system and a software program executing on said computer system; forming said codeword using said first data and said second data, wherein said codeword includes said first data and said second data; providing said codeword to said user; and ascertaining third data from said computer system, said third data including historical compliance data for said computer system, said historical compliance data including a plurality of compliance data vectors collected over multiple rotations of a periodic inventory schedule, each of said compliance data vectors having one of a first state and a second state, said first state representing a state wherein said computer system is in compliance with a predefined set of parameters during a rotation of said periodic inventory schedule, said second state representing a state wherein said computer system is out of compliance with said predefined set of parameters during said rotation of said periodic inventory schedule; and utilizing said third data in said forming said codeword, wherein said codeword also includes said third data.