Setting up the Components
Step 1 Deploy the site server at the client end.
Step 2 Set up the administrator's machine for management of the patching practice.
Step 3 Deploy the agents on the machines across the network.
Step 4 Start the patch management process

The Process
The Master Database resides outside the client's network (At the Network Operations Center, NOC) and is accessible via the internet. This is a highly available clustered server which passes information to the client's site server.

The latest alerts & patches are pulled and tested at the NOC and pushed onto the master server. Timely alerts are put in place on this server, often before vulnerabilities are announced by the vendors.

The Site Server resides at the client end typically behind a firewall. The latest alerts & patches are pulled by this server from the master database via the internet. The site server maintains a centralized inventory of all software and version information installed on all systems running the agent.

The entire process of patch deployment is managed using the Administrator's Machine. This machine is used for discovery, remediation, tracking and reporting.

The administrator configures the notification process. Notifications can be in form of notations on the central management interface, emails or emergency pages. Upon receiving a notification the administrator schedules the deployment of a patch. At the scheduled time the agents contact the site server and deploy the patches on the respective Machines.

Reference: Diagram Below.

Step 1
The site server contacts the master server. The master server pushes the latest alerts and patches onto the site server.

Step 2
The administrator monitors the site server through the administrator's machine. Upon receiving the latest patches the administrator schedules the deployment of patches on the machines across the network i.e. Main Location / Server Hall / Location A / Undefined Location (Mobile Users). Mobile users connect to the site/master server via the internet.

Step 3
The agents residing on the systems across the system are woken up at the scheduled time. These agents then pull the patches from the site or master server and install the patches on their respective machines.