Information location service

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions comprising:

• assigning a value to a unique identifier that is used to identify a version of software associated with an executable, wherein:
• the value is associated with a feature of update information that is used to update the corresponding version of the software, and
• the feature comprises at least one of:
• the location of the update information, a method for locating the update information, a time stamp associated with the update information, the size of the update information, a signature associated with the update information, and the age of the update information;
• extracting metadata from the executable, wherein the metadata includes the unique identifier;
• generating a request to obtain from a first server location information associated with a second server, wherein:
• the request is generated by packaging the extracted metadata,
• the second server comprises the update information,
• the location information includes a redirect to a location of the second server,
• the redirect includes the unique identifier, and
• the location information identifies the second server type;
• creating a path to the second server;
• querying the second server using the redirect, wherein the redirect is associated with a protocol supported by the second server type identified in the location information;
• receiving the update information from the second server through the path;
• and
• updating the version of the software identified by the unique identifier based on the update information.

A computerized system comprising:

• a first server comprising location information for update information that is used to update a corresponding version of software associated with a local file, wherein:
• the version of the software is identified by a unique identifier that has an assigned value associated with a feature of the update information,
• the feature comprises at least one of:
• the location of the update information, a method for locating the update information, a time stamp associated with the update information, the size of the update information, a signature associated with the update information, and the age of the update information,
• the first server extracts metadata from the local file
• the metadata includes the unique identifier,
• the first server generates a request by packaging the extracted metadata, and
• the location information identifies the type of server that comprises the update information;
• a second server comprising the update information, wherein:
• the first server is linked to the second server through a redirect that is included in the location information,
• the first server queries the second server through the redirect for the update information, wherein the redirect is associated with a protocol supported by the second server type identified in the location information, and
• the first server receives the update information from the second server;
• and
• a computer comprising the local file, wherein the first server provides the update information to the computer such that the version of the software identified by the unique identifier is updated based on the update information.

A method for updating software associated with a local file, comprising:

• assigning a value to a unique identifier that is used to identify a version of software associated with the local file, wherein:
• the value is associated with a feature of update information that is used to update the corresponding version of the software, and
• the feature comprises at least one of:
• the location of the update information, a method for locating the update information, a time stamp associated with the update information, the size of the update information, a signature associated with the update information, and the age of the update information;
• extracting metadata from the local file, wherein the metadata includes the unique identifier;
• packaging the extracted metadata into a request to obtain the update information, wherein the metadata is associated with the unique identifier;
• sending the request to a locator server;
• receiving location information from the locator server, wherein:
• the location information includes a redirect to a location of a second server that comprises the update information,
• the redirect includes the unique identifier, and
• the location information identifies the second server type;
• packaging a query for retrieving the update information based on the redirect, wherein the query corresponds to a protocol supported by the second server type identified in the location information;
• and
• updating the version of the software identified by the unique identifier based on the update information.

A server architecture comprising;

• a first server comprising location information for update information that is used to update a corresponding version of software associated with an executable file, wherein:
• the version of the software is identified by a unique identifier that has an assigned value associated with a feature of the update information,
• the feature comprises at least one of:
• the location of the update information, a method for locating the update information, a time stamp associated with the update information, the size of the update information, a signature associated with the update information, and the age of the update information,
• the first server extracts metadata from the local file
• the metadata includes the unique identifier,
• the first server generates a request by packaging the extracted metadata, and
• the location information identifies the type of server that comprises the update information;
• a second server linked to the first server based on the request, wherein the second server comprises the update information associated with the executable file;
• means for interpreting the metadata associated with the unique identifier received by the first server from a remote client;
• means for generating a query for retrieving the update information using a redirect identified in the location information, wherein:
• the redirect includes the unique identifier, and
• the redirect is associated with a protocol supported by the second server type identified in the location information;
• means for redirecting the remote client to the second server using the redirect, wherein the second server is adapted to interpret the query from the remote client;
• and
• means for updating the version of the software identified by the unique identifier based on the update information.