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Tracking Hardware Configurations in a Heterogeneous Network with syslogd


Rex Walters
IBM Microelectronics Division

Abstract

Keeping track of the RAM, disk drives, and various SCSI, network, and display adaptors currently installed in dozens (or even hundreds) of workstations can be a nearly impossible task, particularly in environments where hardware is frequently ``borrowed'' from one workstation and moved to another, or where machines frequently come and go. This paper describes a novel method of using syslog(3) to allow the workstations themselves to log their current hardware configuration with a central host every time they boot. The application reuses existing tools wherever possible, and thus provides a good degree of platform independence. The programs work with nearly any UNIX system, and should be extendable to other non-UNIX (but TCP/IP enabled) systems with only modest effort.


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