Method for distributing software upgrade in a communication network

A node in a communication network that includes a plurality of nodes, each node is configured to execute a node specific version of a software and is configured to communicate with one or more neighbouring nodes, wherein the node is further configured:

• a) to store software upgrade information used to upgrade software to the node specific version of the software executed on the node, the software upgrade information including patch files for all versions of the software previously executed on each node;
• b) to transmit to the one or more neighbouring nodes, version information representing the node specific version currently executed on the node;
• c) to compare the node specific version currently executed on the node with the node specific version of the software executed on each of the one or more neighbouring nodes;
• and
• d) to receive software upgrade information from each neighbouring node when the node specific version currently executed on the node represents an older version of the software executed on the neighbouring node, wherein the software upgrade information includes at least one additional patch file to upgrade the node specific version currently executed on the node.

A node in a communication network that includes a plurality of nodes, each node is configured to execute a node specific version of a software and is configured to communicate with one or more neighbouring nodes, wherein the node is further configured:

• a) to store (51) software upgrade information used to upgrade software to the node specific version of the software executed on the node, the software upgrade information including patch files for all versions of the software previously executed on each node;
• b) to receive from the one or more neighbouring nodes, version information representing the node specific version currently executed on each of the one or more neighbouring nodes;
• c) to compare the node specific version currently executed on the node with the node specific version of the software executed on each of the one or more neighbouring nodes;
• and
• d) to transmit software upgrade information to each neighbouring node when the node specific version currently executed on the node represents a newer version of the software executed on the neighbouring node, wherein the software upgrade information includes at least one additional patch file to upgrade the node specific version currently executed on the node.

A node in a communication network that includes a plurality of nodes, each node is configured to execute a node specific version of a software and is configured to communicate with one or more neighbouring nodes, wherein the node is further configured:

• to store software upgrade information used to upgrade software to the node specific version of the software executed on the node, the software upgrade information including, patch files for all versions of the software previously executed on each node;
• to receive from the one or more neighbouring nodes, version information representing the node specific version currently executed on each of the one or more neighbouring nodes;
• to compare the node specific version currently executed on the node with the node specific version of the software executed on each of the one or more neighbouring nodes;
• and
• to receive software upgrade information from each neighbouring node when the node specific version currently executed on the node represents an older version of the software executed on the neighbouring node, wherein the software upgrade information includes at least one additional patch file to upgrade the node specific version currently executed on the node.