US Patent 6909992 Automatically identifying replacement times for limited lifetime components

A count down monitor may be configured to automatically generate an alert that one or more limited lifetime components included in multiple computer systems are due for replacement. For example, a system and method that provides up-to-date system configuration data for the multiple computer systems may include and/or interact with one embodiment of a count down monitor. The count down monitor may be configured to automatically generate an alert to indicate one or more of the limited lifetime components are due for replacement. The alert may be visual. The count down monitor may be configured to generate various types of alerts.