The 4 Steps Of Patch Management

Front 1

All the steps

Back 1

P(lanning)

T(esting)

I(mplementing)

A(uditing)

Front 2

Step 1

Back 2

Planning

The planning stage helps the user decide if the patch is necessary and if it is compatible with the other systems. The plan should also include information on ways to test the patch, when it will be implemented, and how it will be checked after deployment.

Front 3

Step 2

Back 3

Testing

Before deploying any automated update procedures, the administrator should first test it on an individual machine. The administrator can also use a a group of machines to simulate the enterprise environment. This step takes additional IT resources but is well worth the cost to ensure that a deployment doesn't harm performance.

Front 4

Step 3

Back 4

Implementing

Only after testing can implementation be done. Implementing the patch is the step where the administrator deploys all patches necessary for the upgrade. It should be done during off-peak hours when users are not using their systems for work tasks.

Front 5

Step 4

Back 5

Auditing

After implementing patches, the administrator should then audit the system to ensure that the patch was properly deployed and to check for any errors. You can download 3rd-party tools for auditing, such as SCCM and SMS.