Patent ID: 7555551
Filing Date: 2009-06-30
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having executable computer program logic embodied therein for executing on a computer system to controllably release software updates to a sample of computers with updateable software, the computer program logic comprising: a value-generating module for generating a value for a computer, the value falling within a population range of possible values, the population range spanning a set of values for each computer that will be retrieving the software update; a specification module for receiving update information in an update deployment specification, the information specifying an eligibility window during which a specified portion of the population range is eligible to retrieve a software update; an eligibility determination module for applying rules to automatically determine eligibility of the computer to retrieve the software update, the computer being determined eligible when the value for the computer falls within the specified portion of the population range for the eligibility window; and an update module for permitting the computer to retrieve the software update.