1. A method for monitoring a node by a remote node state manager, comprising: during a network boot process of said node, obtaining a microkernel process from said remote node state manager; dynamically gathering, using at least one processing device, metadata about said node from said node using said microkernel process running in memory of said node during said network boot process of said node; and providing, using at least one processing device associated with said microkernel, said metadata gathered by said microkernel process to said remote node state manager for storage.