Abstract: Techniques for secure software deployments are described. In one implementation, a software package is published to an installation portion of a networked environment and stored. Similarly, an applicability rule (or policy) associated with the software package is published to the installation portion and stored. During a periodic synchronization between a host device and the installation portion, the applicability rule is communicated, and a determination is made whether the host device is intended to receive the software package based on the applicability rule communicated during the periodic synchronization. If the applicability rule is satisfied, the software package is installed on the host device. In a further implementation, the software package may be installed on the host device via a communication channel that is normally designated for non-routine communications, such as security packet updates and other administrative functions.

Abstract: Access of sources of resources within standard request-response protocols such as HTTP is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method specifies a request for application against a resource, where the resource has a source and a response. Within a TRANSLATE header within the request, there is either a FALSE flag to indicate that the source is desired, or a TRUE flag to indicate that the response is desired. In one embodiment, the TRUE flag is the default for the TRANSLATE header. The request is output according to a predetermined request protocol such as HTTP, and in one embodiment, also according to a predetermined markup language such as XML.

Abstract: Standard database queries within standard request-response protocols is disclosed. A database query according to a predetermined query language such as SQL is first wrapped according to a predetermined markup language such as XML. The query is then also wrapped according to a predetermined transport protocol such as HTTP. The resulting twice-wrapped database query can then be submitted from a client to a server over a TCP/IP-compliant network, such as the Internet, for example.