Abstract: A system for automatically updating program modules on a plurality of computers coupled to a server computer in a large-scale distributed network is described. In a network comprising disparate types of server computers, target server computers are first divided into logical groups based on server functionality. File updates are made available on a master update server. The master update server advertises the availability to the target servers. The master update server creates an advertising message and transmits or otherwise makes available the advertising message to the target server computers. Each target server computer determines whether the update is to be performed. If an update is to be performed, the target server computer accesses the file location of the update file specified in the advertising message and downloads the update program. If an update is not be performed, a decline message is transmitted to the update server.