Patent ID: 7546595
Filing Date: 2009-06-09
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. In an enterprise network comprising a plurality of client computers that are maintained by a system administrator, a method for obtaining information about the software state of the plurality of client computers which is used to determine updates to install on the plurality of client computers comprising: receiving a first command from the system administrator to perform an audit of one or more client computers of the enterprise network, wherein the audit generates audit data which describes the software state of each of the one or more client computers; in response to the command, downloading a catalog database from a download server to an update server of the enterprise network, wherein the catalog database contains a listing of software updates that are available to be downloaded to the client computers and rules which prescribe the conditions under which individual software updates should be installed; for each of the one or more client computers, determining whether a program module for producing audit data is installed on the client computer such that: receiving a second command from the system administrator to generate a report that describes the combined software state of the one or more client computers; generating the report, wherein the report lists: receiving a third command from the system administrator which selects one of the software updates in the report; displaying the further information corresponding to the selected software update, wherein the further information includes a listing of the one or more client computers with an indication of whether the selected software update has been installed on each of the one or more client computers, and wherein the further information indicates that a first software update has not been installed on a first client computer; receiving a fourth command from the system administrator that specifies that the first software update should be installed on the first client computer; in response to the fourth command, downloading the first software update from the download server to the first client computer; and installing the first software update on the first client computer.