17. The system of claim 15 , wherein said firmware repository location is a local storage, network storage or web storage location identified by a Universal Resource Identifier (URI).
15. A computer-implemented system for managing a firmware repository including a device firmware file for a device having a plurality of components, the device firmware file stored at a device firmware file location; the system comprising: an Extensible Markup Language (XML) firmware description file stored on computer readable media at a firmware repository location, the firmware description file employing an XML schema which identifies for the firmware file a firmware version, a device supported by the firmware, a version matrix comprising a matrix of version numbers of each component firmware for the plurality of components of the device and interdependencies among the plurality of components, and said location of the device firmware file, and wherein the device firmware file is distinct from the XML description file; a software utility on a computer console, the software utility adapted to manage the firmware repository including the XML description file, to access the firmware repository, read the XML description file, and manage or download firmware files for a given device, said software utility including an algorithm for receiving and acting upon an input data set to manage said firmware repository, said input data set including a firmware repository location data element identifying said firmware repository location.