Patent ID: 8196134

Claim:
A method for distributing limited distribution release software changes to client computing devices from a server computing device via a network, said method comprising: receiving, by the server computing device, a search request from a client computing device for limited distribution release software changes for software installed at the client computing device; obtaining, by the server computing device, authentication information about the client computing device submitting the search request; authenticating, by the server computing device, the client computing device with the obtained authentication information; forming, by the server computing device, a query in accordance with the received search request and the obtained authentication information; querying, by the server computing device, a database of limited distribution release software changes with said query; receiving, by the server computing device, data from the database associated with the limited distribution release software changes for the software installed at the client computing device based upon said query; filtering, by the server computing device, the returned data according to a screening criteria, wherein said filtering the returned data comprises removing data not suitable for the client computing device, and wherein said removing data not suitable for the client computing device comprises removing data the client computing device is not authorized to receive, wherein said removing data the client computing device is not authorized to receive comprises removing data associated with private limited distribution release software changes if the search request requests only data associated with public limited distribution release software changes; and providing, by the server computing device, the returned data to the client computing device.