Updater Application Block Overview
By Edward Jezierski (Microsoft Corporation), Michael Stuart (Microsoft Corporation), Graeme Malcolm (Content Master Ltd), and Diego Gonzales (Lagash Systems)
June 2003
Summary: In medium to large organizations, it is common to want to keep all instances of a desktop application up to date with the latest version of executable files, library files, and other files. Ideally, administrators and support engineers like to deploy the updated files only once, to a central server, and have the updated files automatically replicate to each desktop installation. The Updater Application Block is a .NET solution that provides a "pull model" solution to automatically download application updates from a central location. It is designed for organizations who want the rich functionality of Windows Forms applications with the centralized manageability of Web-based applications, and who do not have the infrastructural requirements for "push model" solutions such as Microsoft® Systems Management Server (SMS). By using the Updater Application Block to download application updates, you can overcome the security "sandbox" limitations of downloading Windows Forms applications through a browser, while still maintaining control and security over the application update process. (9 printed pages)