> Oh my!! You need to say that again several times till folks get it. I vis > at least one server a week set to "automatically install patches" ... which > about 1/3 of the time results in a reboot and about 1/2 the time installs > extra software or upgrades that are not needed. Unless you are using your > server as a desktop do you really need the latest version of windows media > player? Or the upgraded browser helper active X? If it's not a print > spooler does it need spooler flaw patches (and why is the spooler service > enabled in the first place)? In my view it should always be set to > "download and let me choose" and then you should schedule a time to check > them out and install the appropriate ones .... and even then sometimes they > trip you up (security based ones in particular have a way of resulting in > unintended consequences).
Microsoft actually has some decent patch management/deployment tools, but it seems like most shops just use Automatic Update, which is asking for your servers to stop working one day all of a sudden. In some of the better-run shops I've seen, they do use these tools to choose what patches to deploy to which servers, and they deploy them first to a test environment before deploying to production, unless it's a patch for a known exploit of an exposed service. And yes, I agree fully that for most of the items you listed, you shouldn't have to apply patches in a well-structured environment. If a patch doesn't apply to an exposed service, you shouldn't just put it on your server. Dave Watts, CTO, Fig Leaf Software http://www.figleaf.com/ http://training.figleaf.com/ Fig Leaf Software is a Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) on GSA Schedule, and provides the highest caliber vendor-authorized instruction at our training centers, online, or ons ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology-Michael-Dinowitz/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/message.cfm/messageid:337298 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/unsubscribe.cfm
