Patent ID: 7971202

Claim:
A computer implemented method for managing a software installation using a software installation application program, the computer implemented method comprising: displaying a graphical user interface for receiving user input to manage the software installation using the software installation application program having a plurality of software installation tasks, wherein a user is presented with a plurality of screens on the graphical user interface, including a screen dedicated to each one of the plurality of software installation tasks; and responsive to receiving a selection of a particular software installation task from the plurality of software installation tasks, initiating the particular software installation task; responsive to receiving a selection of an option for execution of the particular software installation task, customizing performance of the particular software installation task based on the selection of the option; and wherein at least one of the plurality of software installation tasks may be scheduled and initiated independently from others of the plurality of software installation tasks, and wherein the particular software installation task is a distributing software installation task that sends the software to a plurality of remote clients for installation of the software on the plurality of remote clients, and wherein the graphical user interface comprises a task status screen that displays status of the particular software installation task run on each of the plurality of remote clients.