automatic asset info collection

[nmap-lists () ied com]

 Hi,

  I'm looking for a tool / tools that I would put on a "collection box"
(maybe a linux box) onto a network, and it would come back with as much
info about each attached computer or network device as possible (be it HW
info, SW info or configuration info);

  Apparently the first step would be to determine the existence of the
network devices ( for that is best to use arpwatch, right ? ), the second
step would be determining what kind of device it is ( I guess here is
where nmap's OS fingerprinting would come in handy ), but the third step
-- collection of hardware info, configuration info and installed software
info -- is where I'm running short on ideas.

  I am *not* trying to hack into the boxes, I assume the passwords for
root/Administrator will be provided. Has anybody heard of a tool /
collection of tools that can be installed/run on a variety of boxes,
that would come back with a plethora of info about the box ? (HW config
info - model #, serial #s, RAM, CPUs, SCSIs, etc and SW config info)
e.g. a tool for all windows versions (95,98,NT,2k,XP) and a tool for
HPUXes, Suns, Linuxes, DECs, AIXes, that would give me all the HW config
and SW installations info.

  I guess to collect info about installed software on the detected HW
devices (and to collect more info about the HW, such as motherboard S/N,
HD types and sizes, etc), I might have to install a piece of software on
each server and workstation, which would collect all the pertinent info
and forward it to the "collection box" for processing. Alternatively, I
would have to grant the "collection box" filesystem access to each server
and workstation to search through the files and from it determine
installed software. (note that the OSes are various Unixes and Windows)

  I know networking, perl, C++, etc well, so I'm not afraid to have to
piece together various separate tools.

  Can anyone please email me *any* pointers to such tools or pointers to
newsgroups / mailing lists where I could learn more about such tools ?
(Preferably free software, or useful shareware, but not
thousands-of-dollars licensed software.)


    Thank you !

      John


-- 
-- Gospel of Jesus is the saving power of God for all who believe --
               ## To some, nothing is impossible. ##
                     http://Honza.Vicherek.com/


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