A Computer Information Database System includes a software update and
patch audit subsystem that manages computer profile data using system
grouping and audit specification criteria. The subsystem thus selects a
particular group of computers using the grouping criteria, and further
selects from within the group the computers that pass or fail the
applicable audit requirements. A given computer passes the requirements
if the computer has installed thereon the specified software updates and
patches that are applicable to the computer operating system platform.
Otherwise, the computer fails. The audit subsystem may instead select
particular computers using the audit specification criteria and then
using the grouping criteria further select the subset of these computers
that belong to a particular group. Further, the audit specification
criteria may be set differently for the respective groups. Also, the
grouping criteria and/or the security audit criteria may change without
adversely impacting the operations of the subsystem. The audit system
uses database tables and views that include value-to-match fields for
either or both of the grouping and the audit specification criteria, and
also software update or patch specific information and/or operating
system specific information. One table includes group and operating
system information for the respective computers, another table includes
entries for the respective updates and patches that are installed on the
respective computers, and another table includes entries that together
specify the security audit specifications for the respective groups.
Using the tables, the system produces views that relate, for example, to
failing computers, what updates or patches the respective failing
computers are missing, which or how many computers are failing within a
particular group.