초록 ▼

Provided is a method and mechanism for automating updating of computer programs. Conventionally, computer programs have been distributed on a recording medium for users to install on their computer systems. Each time fixes, additions and new versions for the programs were developed, a new CD or disk

Provided is a method and mechanism for automating updating of computer programs. Conventionally, computer programs have been distributed on a recording medium for users to install on their computer systems. Each time fixes, additions and new versions for the programs were developed, a new CD or diskette was required to be delivered to users to enable them to install the update. More recently some software has been downloadable across a network, but the effort for users obtaining and installing updates and the effort for software vendors to distribute updates remains undesirable. The invention provides an updater agent which is associated with a computer program and which accesses relevant network locations and automatically downloads and installs any available updates to its associated program if those updates satisfy predefined update criteria of the updater agent. The updater agents are able to communicate with each other and so a first updater agent can request updates to programs which are prerequisites to its associated program.

대표청구항 ▼

[What is claimed is:] [1.]means for initiating access to one or more identifiable locations within the network where one or more required software update resources are located, to retrieve the required software update resources;means for performing a comparison between software update resources avai

[What is claimed is:] [1.]means for initiating access to one or more identifiable locations within the network where one or more required software update resources are located, to retrieve the required software update resources;means for performing a comparison between software update resources available from said one or more identifiable network locations and computer programs installed on said computer system, to identify available relevant update resources, and for comparing the available relevant update resources with predefined update criteria corresponding to applicable software licence terms and conditions;means for initiating retrieval of software update resources which satisfy said predefined criteria; andmeans for applying a software update to one of the installed computer programs using the one or more retrieved software resources.