Lee Markup builds a SQL Server inventory:
Today, we will be looking at using T-SQL and a Central Management Server to create a SQL Server inventory. Let’s say that you’re new at this company or in this role and all you have right now is the list of SQL Servers that people know about. you haven’t been able to run the MAP Toolkit or maybe you’ve been told that you can’t run it for some reason. the list of SQL Servers that people “just know about” probably isn’t anywhere near complete, but you have to start somewhere.
These things are a life-saver, especially once you have more than a couple of instances to worry about.