Patent ID: 8499296

Claim:
A method comprising: maintaining a specific updating branch and a general updating branch for an executable component installed on a plurality of client devices, the specific updating branch comprising specific updates that are particular to one or more first client devices from the plurality of client devices that have specific problems with the executable component, the general updating branch comprising general updates that are generally applicable to the plurality of client devices; providing individual specific updates to the one or more first client devices; providing individual general updates to one or more second client devices from the plurality of client devices; configuring a first installer to examine a first version number of a first instance of the executable component that is installed on an individual first client device and determine that the individual specific updates should be installed on the individual first client device based on the first version number; configuring the first installer to install the individual specific updates on the individual first client device instead of the individual general updates; and providing the first installer to the individual first client device, wherein at least the configuring the first installer to examine the version number and to install the individual specific updates is performed by a processing unit.