Declarative deployment of a software artifact

There is provided a method that includes (a) scanning a repository to identify an artifact that is available in the repository, (b) producing a declaration that indicates that the artifact is to be installed on a target device, (c) querying the target device to obtain information about a present state of the artifact on the target device, thus yielding state information, (d) determining, from a comparison of the state information to the declaration, that the artifact on the target device is not up to date, and (e) deploying the artifact from the repository, and a serving program, to the target device. There is also provided a system that performs the method, and a storage device that contains instructions for a processor to perform the method.