Hyperic's System Information Gatherer (SIGAR) is a cross-platform API
for collecting software inventory data.  SIGAR is core of HQ's
auto-discovery functionality, and you can use it to extend
auto-discovery behavior.

SIGAR includes support for Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, Solaris, AIX, HP-UX
and Mac OSX across a variety of versions and architectures.  Users of
the SIGAR API are given portable access to inventory and monitoring data
including:

   * System memory, swap, cpu, load average, uptime, logins
   * Per-process memory, cpu, credential info, state, arguments,
     environment, open files
   * File system detection and metrics
   * Network interface detection, configuration information and metrics
   * TCP and UDP connection tables
   * Network route tables

This information is available in most operating systems, but each OS has
its own way(s) providing it.  SIGAR provides developers with one API to
access this information regardless of the underlying platform.

WWW: http://support.hyperic.com/display/SIGAR/Home