Inventory updating of an internet protocol (IP) alias within a highly available computing cluster

A method for inventory management in a highly available cluster, the method comprising:

• creating an inventory of addressing data pertaining to computers in a cluster by a systems management tool executing in memory of a host computing system, wherein the addressing data for each computer in the cluster includes both a boot Internet Protocol (IP) address referring to a network interface of the computer at which the computer is accessed and also an alias IP address referring to a service IP address at which a service executing within the computer is accessed;
• receiving notification in the systems management tool from the cluster of a change to alias IP address data for computers in the cluster by detecting a change in status of a flag by the cluster, the status of the flag being based upon a hash value of the addressing data maintained by the system management tool;
• and,
• responsive to the notification, updating the inventory by the systems management tool to reflect the change.