Patent ID: 8245218

Claim:
An update service node for administering the distribution of software updates, the update service node comprising a processor: an update store for storing software updates; an update web service through which the update service node obtains software updates from a parent update service node over a communication network, the update service node checking the parent update service node for newly available updates hourly, and through which the update service node distributes software updates to child update service nodes over the communication network, the update web service being operable to create a catalog of software updates, receive a request for the catalog from a particular child update service node, and responsively provide a catalog listing a limited set of software updates based on a distribution group to which the particular child update service node belongs; and an administration application programming interface (API) through which an administrator defines distribution groups, and establishes distribution rules associated with each group, the distribution rules specifying the distribution of software updates to child update service nodes and client computers included in the respective distribution groups, wherein the administration API is an object exposing a plurality of interface calls through which the administrator establishes said rules.