Patent 7814473 was granted and assigned to Oracle on October, 2010 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A method for applying patches to one or more applications is provided. The method includes receiving a patch for a feature where the patch includes applicability requirements. The applicability requirements detail requirements that should be met for the patch to be applied. Usage information for the feature is then determined. For example, it is determined if a feature has been used by a client. The patch is then applied to an application if the usage information meets the applicability requirements for the feature.