Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

William C Bredbenner

Timothy J Freese

Fletcher Liverance

Fletcher Livarance

A method for providing software updates to a client computing device, includes, responsive to sending a broadcast message requesting available updates addressed from a client computing device network address of the client computing device, receiving at the client computing device network address a response message comprising the update service network address. The method may also include responsive to sending an update request message addressed to an update service associated with an update service network address, receiving at the client computing device network address information for updating software on the client computing device.

Broadcast-based update management

A first computing device establishes an update service associated with an identifier. When the first computing device receives a broadcast message from a second computing device that includes a network address of the second computing device, the first computing device transmits to the network address a message including the identifier associated with the update service. The update service receives from the second computing device a request including the identifier and in return transmits to the second computing device information about available updates.

In a method for booting a computing device to have a predefined functionality, in which the computing device has stored thereon a limited functionality operating system (OS) having an operating file system, the limited functionality OS is booted and a characteristic file system with a predefined functionality is located. In addition, the characteristic file system is merged into the operating file system and the limited functionality OS is implemented with the merged file system to cause the computing device to have the predefined functionality.

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Wynnewood, PA, United States of America

William C Bredbenner