Hello,

You can architect an update scheme for your scenario with AppLife Update.  Here's how:

Update packages created by AppLife Update consist of a packaged directory of files (x.x.x.x.zip) and an xml file that describes the updates available(director.xml).  When an update is published, these two files are added to the defined publish location, which is just a folder available on your network/internet.  Then, when clients check for updates, they retrieve the director.xml file which describes all of the available updates.  This information does not directly relate to your question, but understanding this concept does.

A good way to approach your scenario is to build two updates.  One for your master laptop and a separate update for a normal laptop. Use two separate AppLife Update projects. The output of the normal update project will become part of the Master update package.

Enable the Master Laptop to check for and retrieve updates from your public facing update location (most likely the internet).  This Master update will update the local install of your application, the SQL Database, and a local update folder. The Master update will include an update package and director.xml that only updates the client folder.  The local update folder on the Master Laptop can be shared with the other laptops on the LAN via a local IIS install, or just a plain old UNC file share. 

The other (non-master) laptops will be configured to check for updates from the master laptop's local update folder.  A new update will be available for the non-master laptop immediatly following a Master update.  As for when the clients should check for updates, it will depend on your application.

A variation could also be considered by looking at the Sql Server and the local update folder as a single "server application".  You build an update for these pieces and a have a small executable or service that performs this update.  Then all of the client applications (even the Master laptop) are configured to check for updates from the "server application" local update folder.

Hopefully this will get you going.  Let me know if you have more questions.