![]() Zero-day vulnerabilities are a real threat to organizations and their digital assets. When a critical security patch is released, it’s important that administrators test and deploy the patch as soon as possible. Nonetheless, some patches must be applied immediately – while other patches can undergo a more extensive process of testing before deploying the patch. Patch management requires non-stop, continuous activity from sysadmins on almost every day of the year. ![]() How Often Should Patch Management Be Performed? Hotfixes address critical issues within the operating system and are given priority for good reason. Hotfixes available from vendors and distro developers are the most important patches to apply and should be applied immediately. It increases the time it takes to fully patch a Linux server and compounds the risk that something is going to go wrong. The longer administrators wait to patch a system, the more patching activity will be needed to get the system up to date. When patches are not applied, they pile up. Large updates can add significant functionality to an operating system and may be required to maintain application compatibility in the long run. Patching also remediates bugs and adds new functionality. Unpatched public-facing web servers are a critical issue for cybersecurity, but cybersecurity isn’t the only reason to patch Linux. We discuss live patching in this section. Sysadmins can take automation a step further by deploying live patching, which eliminates the reboot process that’s usually required after updating Linux. Integrating a patch management system into your workflow will mean that you automatically detect updates, download them, and then deploy them to all servers. Patch management benefits administrators by automating the entire process. Where a patch goes wrong, it can lead to long downtimes, while patching manually can also be incredibly time consuming. However, there’s a risk of human error, and it can be challenging to roll back the patch if there are any issues. Why Is Patch Management Different from Patching?Īdministrators could simply patch Linux systems manually – going from machine to machine or node to node in order to patch. In our ultimate guide to Linux patch management, we explain how systems administrators can free up time and organize patches using automation tools, what sysadmins can do to better manage the risks around patching, and explain why live patching is a game-changing tool for enterprise patching. That’s why sysadmins need to think of patching from a patch management perspective. There’s also a significant risk of failed reboots once a patch is installed. In the enterprise environment, there are hundreds of servers to manage, which means that the job of patching becomes an all-day responsibility. It’s quite a process and that’s for just one machine. Consider the effort involved in patching just one system: a sysadmin must determine that a patch is available, plan for downtime or disruption, download the patch, deploy the patch to the system, and ensure it recovers its previous state. System administrators that work in enterprise environments know that patching is practically a full-time job.
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