Method of defining packaging applicability

A method for updating software, the method comprising:

• using an update applicability data model in an information handling system to define a plurality of relationships between at least one instance of at least one hardware device and at least one instance of at least one associated software component in at least one of an inventory context comprising an inventory of software installed on at least one server and a packaging context comprising a catalog of released software packages;
• correlating the at least one instance of the at least one hardware device with the at least one instance of the at least one associated software component in the inventory context;
• comparing a first instance of a first hardware device with a second instance of a second hardware device in the inventory context;
• comparing a first instance of a first software component with a second instance of a second software component in the inventory context;
• comparing a third instance of a third software component in the inventory context with a first instance of a first software component in the packaging context;
• comparing a second instance of a second software component with a third instance of a third software component in the packaging context;
• grouping the first instance of the first hardware device and the second instance of the second hardware device in the inventory context;
• grouping the first instance of the first software component, the second instance of the second software component, and the third instance of the third software component in the inventory context and the first instance of the first software component, the second instance of the second software component, and the third instance of the third software component in the packaging context;
• and
• determining whether to update the at least one instance of the at least one associated software component associated with the at least one instance of the at least one hardware device using the update applicability data model.

A system useful for updating software in an information handling system, the system comprising:

• at least one server;
• a raw inventory data object;
• a correlated inventory data object;
• a compared inventory data object;
• a package definition data object;
• a repository manifest data object;
• at least one drive with metadata;
• and
• at least one software update package having a payload and at least one image file, wherein at least one of data flow and data transformation within the system comprises inventory collection from the at least one server into the raw inventory data object, inventory correlation from the raw inventory data object and the repository manifest data object into the correlated inventory data object, at least one of version comparison and dependency checking from the correlated inventory data object and the package definition data object into the compared inventory data object, and packaging from the at least one drive with metadata and the at least one software update package into the package definition data object.