Solaris™ Patch Manager
Jody Little
Software products are becoming more complicated and interconnected, and
keeping systems current is equally complex and time consuming. The complexity
of patch management can lead some administrators to apply patches only after a
problem has been identified. However, the recognized security and reliability
benefits of keeping systems up to date with current patches are leading many organizations
to adopt proactive patch management practices. Sun Microsystems recently announced
a new product that addresses exactly these issues and makes the patching process
significantly faster and easier.
Patch Management
The process of patching a system involves several steps. First, you must take inventory of the patches and product revision levels already installed on the system or systems. Second, you must search through the Sun database to identify patches appropriate to your configuration. This step is particularly time consuming when multiple patches are involved and encompasses the task of identifying patches that are dependent upon other patches. The third step is to determine the correct order for installing patches and reviewing any special instructions. On a single system, this step typically takes several hours. The fourth step involves the actual installation of patches and the occasional removal of one or more patches.
In an environment with multiple systems running with different configurations, this whole process is then repeated for each system. Each individual step can take several hours to several days and even longer when hundreds of servers are involved and interdependencies with third-party products are considered. In this article, I will take an in-depth look at Sun’s new Solaris™ Patch Manager Tool and how its automated features can turn patch management from an infrequent chore to a simple daily task.
Solaris Patch Manager
Solaris Patch Manager is available in two versions.
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