The invention relates to computer technology, and in particular, to a method for achieving remote updating of application programs in a distributed application environment as well as a terminal management system for realizing the method. In a method for achieving remote updating of application programs in an application environment, the application environment comprises a terminal manager, downloading nodes and terminals, wherein the terminals are communicatively coupled with the terminal manager and the downloading nodes via network, and the method comprises the following steps: when the issuing time point of updating data packets of application programs is reached, the terminal manager sends the updating data packets to a plurality of nodes synchronously; in response to an initiation of an interaction process between the terminal manager and one of the plurality of terminals, the terminal manager determines whether the terminal is an object for which a remote updating of application programs is executed; if the terminal is an object for which a remote updating of application programs is executed, the terminal manager designates at least one downloading node for this terminal, and sends an identifier of the updating data packets and the address of the designated downloading node to this terminal; and when the updating time point of application programs is reached, an application program updating operation is executed on the terminal that has successfully downloaded the updating data packets.