Method of synchronizing independently distributed software and database schema

An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable code means embodied therein for causing upgrading a software application from at least one upgrade package file in a server (1) to a client (21a, 21b, 21c), the computer readable program means in said article of manufacture comprising:

• a) computer readable program code for causing a computer to effect creating a copy of the upgrade package on the server (1);
• b) computer readable program code for causing a computer to effect creating an upgrade database table on the server (1);
• c) computer readable program code for causing a computer to effect creating an upgrade record for the client (21a, 21b, 21c) on the upgrade database table on the server (1);
• d) computer readable program code for causing a computer to effect creating a pointer in the client's (21a, 21b, 21c) file on the server (1) pointing to upgrade package files on the server (1);
• e) computer readable program code for causing a computer to effect making the upgrade package active;
• f) computer readable program code for causing a computer to effect creating a docking table item file type associated with the client to scan the upgrade database table when the client (21a, 21b, 21c) docks to determine the status of an upgrade with respect to the client (21a, 21b, 21c);
• and
• g) computer readable program code for causing the upgrade package files to be copied to the client (21a, 21b, 21c) if the client (21a, 21b, 21c) has not received the upgrade.

A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for upgrading a software application from at least one upgrade file in a server (1) to a client, said method steps comprising:

• a) creating a copy of an upgrade package file on the server (1);
• b) creating an upgrade database table on the server (1);
• c) creating an upgrade record for the client (21a, 21b, 21c) on the upgrade database table on the server (1);
• d) creating a pointer in the client's (21a, 21b, 21c) file on the server (1) pointing to the upgrade package file on the server (1);
• e) making the upgrade active;
• f) creating a docking table item file type associated with the client to scan the upgrade database table when a client (21a, 21b, 21c) docks to determine the status of an upgrade with respect to the client (21a, 21b, 21c);
• and
• g) causing the upgrade package file to be copied to a client (21a, 21b, 21c) if the client (21a, 21b, 21c) has not received the upgrade.

A system for upgrading software resident on a client computer in a client server system, the system being configured to:

• a) create a copy of an upgrade package file on the server (1);
• b) create an upgrade database table on the server (1);
• c) create an upgrade record for the client (21a, 21b, 21c) on the upgrade database table on the server (1);
• d) create a pointer in the client's (21a, 21b, 21c) file on the server (1) point to the upgrade package file on the server (1);
• e) make the upgrade active;
• f) create a docking table item file type associated with the client to scan the upgrade database table when a client (21a, 21b, 21c) docks to determine the status of an upgrade with respect to the client (21a, 21b, 21c);
• and
• g) cause the upgrade package file to be copied to a client (21a, 21b, 21c) if the client (21a, 21b, 21c) has not received the upgrade.