Patent ID: 8365165

Claim:
A method of adding a software product to a distribution server, comprising: identifying an external software product; loading an installation server database at the distribution server; determining whether the distribution server contains the external software product by checking index records of all added product databases of existing software products on the distribution server in the installation server database, wherein the distribution server has a hierarchical split architecture and the installation server database is hierarchically superior to all other databases on the distribution server; if the distribution server does not contain the external software product, then adding the external software product to the distribution server; isolating user interface tools from installation tools of the external software product; indexing components of the external software product including the user interface tools and installation tools in the installation server database, wherein the installation server database provides access to the distribution server for external users; receiving an administrator request to perform an action on a specified component of the external software product; checking relationships of the specified component with other components of the external software product and/or other software products stored in the distribution server to determine permissibility of the action; if the action is permissible, querying the administrator whether to perform the action in the distribution server; if a confirmation is received, performing the action in the distribution server and changing the specified component's index listing in the installation server to reflect the action's performance; and if the confirmation is not received, changing the specified component's index listing to reflect the action's performance without performing the action in the distribution server.