Non-invasive automatic offsite patch fingerprinting and updating system and method

A method comprising:

• (a) storing at least one patch fingerprint at a package computer;
• wherein each patch fingerprint comprises at least one extensible markup language (XML) metadata query;
• wherein at least one of the patch fingerprints is associated with a specific software update;
• (b) downloading the at least one patch fingerprint from the package computer to a repository component of an update server;
• wherein the package computer is apart from the update server;
• (c) sending the at least one XML metadata query from the update server to a first target computer;
• (d) scanning the first target computer via a discovery agent located on the first target computer,
• wherein the scanning comprises utilizing the at least one XML metadata query in combination with the discovery agent to produce target computer information;
• wherein the target computer information is related to at least hardware configuration information, registry information, software presence information, and software version information relative to the first target computer;
• wherein the first target computer is separated from the package computer via a firewall;
• (e) sending the target computer information to the repository component located on the update server;
• (f) storing the target computer information in the repository component located on the update server;
• (g) comparing, at the update server, at least a portion of the target computer information with at least one of the patch fingerprints;
• (h) determining, at the update server, in response to the comparing step (g), whether the specific software update is absent from the first target computer;
• (i) downloading, in response to the determining step (h), the specific software update to the update server;
• and
• (j) downloading, in response to the determining step (h) or the downloading step (i), the specific software update from the update server to the first target computer.