Method for distributing software over network links via electronic mail

An apparatus for distributing a software application residing on a network, from a source computer coupled to the network, to one or more remote computers that are not coupled to the network, comprising:

• (a) a computer;
• (b) means, performed by the computer for identifying one or more software installation components that reside on the source computer, wherein the software installation components are used to install the software application;
• (c) means, performed by the computer for comparing the identified software installation components to each of the remote computer's software installation components, wherein the comparison determines which of the identified software installation components are absent from each remote computer;
• (d) means, performed by the computer for sending the absent software installation components from the source computer to each remote computer that lacks the absent software installation components;
• (e) means, for maintaining a description of the identified software installation components on each remote computer;
• (f) means, performed by each remote computer for comparing periodically the description of the identified software installation components to each remote computer's software installation components, wherein this periodic comparison identifies one or more changes made to each remote computer's software installation components and identifies the absent software installation components;
• (g) means, performed by each remote computer for requesting the software installation components absent from each remote computer from the source computer;
• and
• (h) means, for re-sending the requested software installation components absent from each remote computer from the source computer to each remote computer, after changes have been made to the software installation components of each remote computer.

An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer, the medium tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for distributing a software application residing on a network, from a source computer coupled to the network, to one or more remote computers that are not coupled to the network, the method comprising the steps of:

• at the source computer, identifying one or more software installation components that reside on the source computer, wherein the software installation components are used to install the software application;
• comparing the identified software installation components to each of the remote computer's software installation components, wherein the comparison determines which of the identified software installation components are absent from each remote computer;
• sending the identified absent software installation components from the source computer to each remote computer that lacks the absent software installation components;
• maintaining a description of the identified software installation components on each remote computer;
• comparing periodically the description of the identified software installation components to each remote computer's software installation components wherein this periodic comparison identifies one or mere changes made to each remote computer's software installation components and identifies the absent software installation components;
• requesting the software installation components absent from each remote computer from the source computer;
• and
• re-sending the requested software installation components absent from each remote computer from the source computer to each remote computer, after changes have been made to the software installation components of each remote computer.