Abstract: A discovery agent is running on a node within the network group. The network group is shielded from an administrative system by a communication limiting device. The communication limiting device prevents the administrative system from detecting nodes within the network group. The communication limiting device, however, does not prevent the node running the discovery agent from identifying other nodes within the network group. The discovery agent detects one or more nodes within the network group and transmits data identifying these nodes to the administrative system. Accordingly, the administrative system may identify and manage the newly detected nodes using a management agent installed on the nodes.

Abstract: A first node within a network group determines whether other nodes within the network group have previously downloaded software from a server. The server is outside the network group. If the software was previously downloaded to a second node within the network group, the software is transferred from the second node to the first node, avoiding the need to download the software directly from the server. If the software was not previously downloaded, a node within the network group is designated to download the software from the server, and then distributes the software to at least one requesting node.