Basic Overview:

Patches are small parts or pieces of software which are used to fix and upgrade the programs and data of computers. This process has security vulnerabilities fixing and removing bugs for improved performance. It is also termed as a process of making a plan to what types of patches to be implemented to the systems in the given time frame.

Types of Patches:

Well the programmers usually publish patches in different formats but there are mainly three types of patch formats available like Hotfixes, Roll-ups and Service Packs.

Hotfixes: These updates are developed in a short span of time and they detect and solve a single issue of any bug found to be detected by a customer. These Hotfixes are not very much tested.

Roll-ups: Roll-ups are a combination of many Hotfixes in a single one. It is a single updated file and tested more frequently.

Service Packs: Service packs are very much tested and a collection of Hotfixes including all, are produced by Microsoft. These collections include those Hotfixes which are not released earlier and with this the new functionality introduced. Service packs mainly underpass crucial testing processes before they are released.

Process of Patching:

Usually it is an ongoing and a continuous process because if for any issue patching is done then again there may be a new vulnerability formed. Patch management process have several functions like:

a) Using of appropriate tools to detect and scan the system for missing security patches.

b) Let the necessary updates are not installed then the hardness of the issues should be determined. You should balance the severity of the problem and check if they can affect the environment or not.

c) And if issue could not be determined they appropriate patch should be tested to be applied.

d) After that the testing face comes and the patch should be installed on a testing system.

e) Then apply the patch to the systems and apply the backups if needed.

f) In the end when everything is ok and running then subscriptions for alerts should be done so that if any issue may come in future, should be informed.

Scope of Patch Management:

Most of the Remote IT Support companies are using the concept of vulnerability management. The main concern for them is to maintain the security of the information and data because information security is the crucial aspect of the business growth. It has a good scope for the users as it is keep updated related to the security patches and there are many patch management software which a user can use and can update too.

Patching is a big concept and has many more concepts in it to be discussed later. Relatively many server support services provider are also using this process which is beneficial and saving their time and resources. This is giving their clients good and improved services.

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