Patent ID: 8819663

Claim:
A method of modifying software stored by network devices, the method comprising: transmitting a modification message by a first network device in response to software executed by the first network device being modified, the first network device identified by a first product identifier; transmitting second software identification information by a second network device in response to receiving the modification message from the first network device, the second software identification information identifying software executed by the second network device, the second network device identified by a second product identifier; providing a database comprising the first product identifier, the second product identifier, first software identification information, and the second software identification information received from the second network device, the first software identification information identifying software stored by the first network device; modifying the software executed by the second network device according to the first software identification information of the database; and maintaining the database at the first network device, wherein the first network device is a master network device for at least one connected network device, including the second network device, having a same product identifier as the first network device, and wherein modifying the software executed by the second network device is performed by the first network device.