Method and apparatus for obtaining inventory and user information for a remote computer device

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for remotely identifying the user of a computer connected to a network and associating the user with recorded inventory information. A unique user handle or username is used to identify a user associated with a particular network node. The user handle is used to access a user profile, such as a record in a corporate directory database, before an inventory scan is performed. The information recorded in the user profile is linked to inventory information obtained during an inventory scan of a network node. The user identification can be verified by presenting the retrieved personal record to the user to confirm that the record actually corresponds to the user and that the information contained therein is accurate. The present invention supplements the recorded inventory information associated with a conventional inventory scan with personal information corresponding to the user associated with the network node. Thus, the present invention allows inventory information to be reported or searched based on user criteria or personal information, such as identifying the number of network nodes in a business group that are non-compliant or otherwise requiring an upgrade, replacement or additional servicing.