Method and system for providing software updates to local machines

A computer program product comprising non-transitory executable code embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps of:

• receiving a descriptor file at a first device of a plurality of local computing devices coupled in a communicating relationship to one another through a local network that supports broadcast communications, the descriptor file including a hash code for each one of a plurality of update sub-files and indicating an order in which the plurality of update sub-files assemble into a threat management policy update;
• determining if the threat management policy update is relevant to a resident threat management policy on the first device by matching an identifier for the threat management policy update contained in the descriptor file to an identifier for resident software on the first device;
• if the threat management policy update is relevant to resident software on the first device, determining that one of the plurality of update sub-files is not stored in a memory of the first device based on a comparison of a corresponding one of the hash codes included in the descriptor file with the hash code for one or more of the plurality of update sub-files currently stored in the memory;
• downloading the one of the plurality of update sub-files to the first device;
• broadcasting the one of the plurality of update sub-files from the first device to other ones of the plurality of local computing devices using a broadcast protocol of the local network;
• and
• comparing the hash codes of the update sub-files provided in the descriptor file to the hash codes for sub-files stored in memory of the first device and, if all sub-files are found to be in the memory of the first device, assembling the threat management policy update from the plurality of update sub-files and installing the threat management policy update.

A system for updating threat management policies on a plurality of local computing devices, each local computing device including a processor and coupled in a communicating relationship on a local network that supports broadcast communication, the system comprising:

• a software update facility in communication with the plurality of local computing devices through the local network, the software update facility including a plurality of update sub-files and a descriptor file stored in memory, the plurality of update sub-files making up a threat management policy update when combined together, and the descriptor file transmitted to the plurality of local computing devices and including a hash code for each one of a plurality of update sub-files;
• and
• an updater processor on each of the plurality of local computing devices, wherein at least one of the plurality of local computing devices downloads one of the plurality of update sub-files from the software update facility, wherein the at least one of the plurality of local computing devices is configured to broadcast the downloaded update sub-file to the other ones of the plurality of local computing devices using a broadcast protocol of the local network, wherein each of the downloads is for an update sub-file that the at least one of the plurality of local computing devices does not currently have stored in its memory as determined based on a comparison of a corresponding one of the hash codes included in the descriptor file with the hash code for one or more of the plurality of update sub-files currently stored in a memory of the at least one of the plurality of local computing devices, and wherein the at least one of the plurality of local computing devices is configured to compare the hash codes of the update sub-files provided in the descriptor file to the hash codes for sub-files stored in its memory and, if all sub-files are found to be in its memory, to assemble the threat management policy update from the plurality of update sub-files and to install the threat management policy update.