Methods and Apparatus for Categorizing Computer System States for Use in Identifying Individual Computer Systems to Receive State-Dependent Maintenance

摘要

The present invention concerns methods and apparatus that categorize states of computer systems selected to receive state-dependent maintenance activities as a prelude to the performance of those maintenance activities. In methods and apparatus of the present invention, it is determined, for example, that a certain version of an application program operating in computer systems having a specific operating system will be updated. A signature corresponding to the combination of the application program and operating system is incorporated in a software agent. The software agent is designed to poll computer systems in order to identify targets drawn from a population of computer systems that have states corresponding to the signature incorporated in the software agent. All computer systems maintenance activity performed on them.