Patch Management

A "Patch" for a Managed RHEL VM contains a set of Operating System updates, collected over a defined period of time (patch cycle) to be executed and installed at a specific point in time (patching window).

A patch cycle occurs every month. At the 28th day of each month, the list of patches will be refreshed (snapshot of patches).

During one patch cycle, the list of patches remains consistent, even if the Operating System vendor may release new patches. This allows you to keep all your servers in an identical release mode, even if they are updated on separate dates (patching window).

A patching window defines the definite point in time when the patch will be installed. The patching window is defined by its starting point and lasts exactly 2 hours. All times are stored in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Within this timeframe, the patches will be applied, and the server will be rebooted automatically.

With the Day-2 action "Manage Patching Extension" you can suspend the automated patching for up to 120 days, measured from the last time the Operating System was patched. If the last patch installation was longer than 120 days ago, it is not possible to suspend the automated patching process without patching the Operating System first. You can use the Day-2 action "Manage Patching Extension" and select "Yes" under the item "On demand patching" to immediately patch the Operating System. This action can be executed in all states for the Managed RHEL VM. Please note that to prevent accidental patching, it is not allowed to run on demand patching while the automated patching is suspended for the Managed RHEL VM. One needs to disable the patching suspension (using the "Update Patching Suspension" action) first.

Define Patching Window

When a new Managed RHEL VM is requested, it is necessary to initially define a patching window.

Check current Patching Window

The current patching window can be found in the properties of a Managed RHEL VM. The property Patching Window contains the current patching window.

Change Patching Window

The patching window for a Managed RHEL VM can be changed as follows:

• Select the VM for which you want to change the patching window in the portal
• Under Actions choose Manage Patching Extension
• Look for Patching Window select the desired patching window in the drop-down menu and click Manage Patching Extension

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Note

During each patching window, the VM will be rebooted. In case the patching is done outside the patching window using the Day-2 Action Manage Patching Extension, then also use the Suspension feature to prevent automated patching and therefore the server to be rebooted.