Patent ID: 6782527
Filing Date: 2004-08-24
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
A method of providing application services to a plurality of network-coupled computing appliances, the method comprising:defining a set of desired application functions; identifying a set of code resident on a network-connected application management server that when executed in a network appliance provide the desired application functions; executing a first application management agent in a first of the plurality of network-coupled computing appliances; executing a second application management agent in a second of the plurality of network-coupled computing appliances; repetitively checking for updates of the identified code using the first application management agent; downloading updates of the identified set of code from the network-connected application management server into the first of the plurality of network-coupled computing appliances as the updates become available; downloading the updates of the identified set of code from the first network-coupled computing device into the second of the plurality of network-coupled computing appliances; and wherein the plurality of network-coupled computing appliances are organized as a subnet and the second of the plurality of network-coupled computing appliances generates a broadcast request within the subnet identifying a desired update and the first of the plurality of network-coupled computing appliances responds to the broadcast request with an indication that the first of the plurality of network-coupled computing appliances is in the process of downloading the identified desired update.