Abstract: A method for updating software is disclosed. The method includes accessing system data associated with a client and determining known issues to be resolved associated with the client based on the system data. The method also includes accessing system update preferences associated with the client, the system update preferences representing a minimum system status level and determining if the client satisfies the minimum system status level based on the update preferences and based on the system data.

Abstract: A method and system for selecting patches to recommend for installation on a given computer system. The method, for example, comprises selecting one or more patch analyzer programs from a collection of such programs and then executing each selected program, causing it to generate issues by processing a set of patches compatible with the selected program and with the computer system's installed operating system, programs, and patches. Goals are then identified for as many of these issues as practicable, each goal calling for the installation of a patch or one of its successors. Mutually consistent patch installation recommendations are then generated that satisfy as many of the goals as possible and that also satisfy any dependencies of any recommended patch on the prior installation of other patches, guided by patch attributes and successor relationships.

Abstract: A system and/or method determines applicability of patches for installation on a computer system. The method includes determining whether a set of patches is stored in memory of a computer system and, if the set of patches is stored, returning the cached set of patches as an applicability result; and, if the set of patches is not stored, traversing patch chains to encounter patches in the patch chains. Traversing the patch chains begins with start patches, and encountered patches are added to the applicability result.

Abstract: A system and/or method selects program patches for installation into computer systems, where the patches are organized into patch chains each having a root. The method includes obtaining a base context identifier, searching for a patch in a context corresponding to the base context identifier, obtaining a system description, corresponding to a system where the system description includes more than hardware version and operating system version information, and filtering patches found in the search to remove patches not applicable to the system.