Hash-based inventory identification

摘要

A mechanism for providing inventory information from distributed computing resources in an enterprise network in a manner that minimizes network traffic being sent from those computing resources to a centralized inventory server is provided. Bandwidth minimization is performed by generating a value corresponding to identifying information for each item inventoried on a computing resource and transmitting only those values to the inventory server. The generated value is shorter than a string containing the detailed information regarding the inventoried item, but is unique to that item. The inventory server then only requests more detailed information about an individual inventory item if a reported value has not previously been reported to the inventory server. In this manner, detailed information about a specific inventoried item is only transmitted through the network the first time that the item is inventoried and reported from any computer in the network. For any subsequent nodes reporting the same inventoried item, only the value is transmitted through the network and recorded within the inventory server. This avoids transmitting detailed information about each inventoried item for each computer during each computer report to an inventory server, thereby reducing network traffic.

主权项

1. A method comprising:receiving, at a server, a first inventory item value and a second inventory item value from a first remote node associated with a first node identifier, wherein the first inventory item value identifies a first item installed on the first remote node, the first inventory item value is shorter than first identifying information associated with the first item, the second inventory item value identifies a second item installed on the first remote node, the second inventory item value is shorter than second identifying information associated with the second item, and
the first and second inventory item values are generated from the first and second identifying information respectively using a hash function; during the receiving of values from the remote nodes, executing a bandwidth conservation by the server, by determining, by the server, that an entry for the first inventory item value is not stored in an inventory item list and that an entry for the second inventory item value is stored in the inventory item list, wherein the inventory item list is maintained by the server, the inventory item list comprises inventory item values corresponding to items installed on a plurality of remote nodes, the entry for the second inventory item value is associated with a second node identifier of a second remote node, and indicates that the second item is installed on the second remote node, and the determining comprises the server comparing, using a processor of the server, the first inventory item value with a plurality of entries in the inventory item list; responsive to determining that the entry for the first inventory item value is not stored in the inventory item list, scheduling, by the server, a time for a request; requesting, by the server, the first identifying information from the first remote node at the scheduled time; and creating, by the server, a first new entry in the inventory item list, wherein the first new entry comprises the first inventory item value and the first identifying information received from the first remote node in response to the requesting, and the creating comprises storing the first inventory item value in a first memory location and storing the first identifying information in a second memory location; and responsive to determining that the entry for the second inventory item value is stored in the inventory item list, creating, by the server, a second new entry in the inventory item list to be associated with the first node identifier of the first remote node, wherein the second new entry comprises the second inventory item value, and indicates that the second item is installed on the first remote node.