Here is a list of server patching best practices:
- Set up a test environment to determine the impact any change has on the environment.
- Keep in mind that you probably don’t have the same patching tools and processes in place as your production environment.
- Be sure to test all new patches before implementing them into your production environment.
- Have a documented testing procedure readily available for review.
- Don’t forget to thoroughly test third-party components that are installed on your servers, such as IIS modules, SQL Server, and Oracle.
- Use a patch management tool if possible.
Let us discuss each of these in detail below:
Server Patching Best Practices
1. Don’t be afraid to use a test environment to see how patches affect your systems and applications.
Patch management tools will automatically install patches, but only if certain criteria are met.
For example, if you have set up a SQL Server alert in your monitoring tool to notify you when the SQL Server service is stopped, a patch management tool won’t install the patch if the service is down.
If you follow best practices, your servers should always be up and running, so there shouldn’t be any reason not to use a patch management tool.
However, if for some reason your server is down or offline when the patch management tool is scheduled to run, you could end up installing a patch that breaks your server.
2. Don’t forget to test all new patches before implementing them into your production environment.
It’s important that you thoroughly test all patches before implementing them into your production environment.
The testing process should include testing of all new patches; testing of all existing patches; testing of patches during off-peak hours; and testing of all new hardware and software and components installed on your servers; and testing of upgrades of operating systems and applications.
3. Make sure to document the testing procedure in detail with easy-to-follow steps so that anyone can follow it.
Don’t forget to thoroughly test third-party components that are installed on your servers such as IIS modules, SQL Server, Java Components, and Oracle.
You should always test any changes made to an environment before implementing them into production.
4. Testing third-party components are no different.
It’s important that you thoroughly test all patches before implementing them into your production environment.
The testing process should include testing of all new patches; testing of all existing patches; testing of patches during off-peak hours; and testing of all new hardware and software and components installed on your servers; and testing of upgrades of operating systems and applications.
5. Make sure to document the testing procedure in detail with easy-to-follow steps so that anyone can follow it.
Don’t forget to thoroughly test third-party components that are installed on your servers such as IIS modules, SQL Server, Java Components, and Oracle. You should always test any changes made to an environment before implementing them into production. Testing third-party components are no different.
It’s important that you thoroughly test all patches before implementing them into your production environment. The testing process should include:
- testing of all new patches;
- testing of all existing patches;
- In addition, testing of patches during off-peak hours;
- testing of all new hardware and software and components installed on your servers;
- and testing of upgrades of operating systems and applications.
