METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION

摘要

PURPOSE: A method and an apparatus for software distribution across a network are provided to send all of the packages constituting software bundle to each node, only the packages in the software bundle required by nodes below a certain link in the network are sent along that link, whereby minimizing the bandwidth required for transmitting the software bundle. CONSTITUTION: A software package is made up of other smaller packages across a network in a tree distribution pattern in which the transmitting node is the root, and clients requiring some part of the package are certain nodes in the tree. Information is provided to nodes at branches in the tree concerning which parts of the composite package are required by the clients to which that node is supplying the package. The branch node transmits only parts of the package to each of its child nodes which are required by nodes below and including that child node in the tree. Each package constituting the software package can be unpacked once any packages upon which it is contingent have been unpacked.