alltasksIT Patch Management
Do you face these challenges?
All updates automatically approved – this resulting in Patches being deployed that cause issues, conflict with 3rd party software and cause downtime.
Time would then be required by an administrator to resolve these issues
Each device downloads the updates directly from Microsoft, causing very large higher Internet usage (patch size times number of devices)
Onsite Server – Licences, Backups, Antivirus, Setup Time, and possible hardware requirements
WSUS installation and configuration
The ongoing need for trained administrator to manually approve patches
The Test Group system is complex to implement, and requires more ongoing management. Even then the test group is limited to the devices on your network.
While 3rd Party Application updates is technical possible, the time required to deploy and manage these updates via WSUS makes the solution un-manageable
How it works:
The Customer does not require a dedicated server, but they do require a computer at each site with enough free space for the Patch Repository. Customers would have to either manage the installation of the Agents and Probes or we can perform the deployment.
After deploying our agents we can produce a report of their current patch deployment status.
We can send out automatic reports of Patch Status each month.
The customers:
- Specify the Patch Repository Size and Location
- Specify exactly which computers Patch Management should cover
- Specify which devices should be used as the Test Group, we suggest that the test group account for approximately 10% of your Windows devices, and represent as many different department, user types, software & hardware types as possible
The customers can:
- Specify Patch Download, Installation and Reboot schedules (they are independent), defaults are in-place. Make specific requests of Patches to Deploy or Deny if required
Third Party Patching
- Adobe Air
- Adobe Reader and Foxit Reader
- Chrome, Firefox and Safari
- QuickTime, VLC Media and Shockwave
- Flash
- Google Earth
- iTunes
- java
- Notepad ++
- Skype
- Thunderbird
- WinRAR and WinZip
All application versions are automatically approved as they are released, but specified applications can be excluded from this approvals process. Applications can only be updated when not in use and the update process is transparent to the user.
The system cannot perform an initial installation of these applications.
Microsoft Patch Management V alltasksIT Patch management.
| WSUS | alltasksIT | |
|---|---|---|
| Per-Patch Approval | Yes | Yes |
| Control of Installation Schedules | Yes | Yes |
| Patch Test Group | Increased Costs | Yes |
| 3rd Party Application Updates | No | Yes |
| Needs dedicated server / software | Yes | No |
| Needs administration | Yes | No |
| Pros | • Each patch is only downloaded once to a central repository on your local network, reducing Internet traffic • Administrator manually approves each patch, reducing the chance of issues caused by bad patches • WSUS can be configured to deploy patches to a test group of computers to ensure the patches are good | • No additional local servers or software • No need for an Administrator to manage • Each patch is only downloaded once to a central repository on your local network, reducing Internet traffic • alltasksIT manually approves each patch, reducing the chance of issues caused by bad patches • alltasksIT manages a Test Group of computers to ensure the patches are good • Can be extended to patch 3rd Party Applications with the same system |
| Cons | • Onsite Server – Licences, Backups, Antivirus, Setup Time, and possible hardware requirements • WSUS installation and configuration • The ongoing need for trained administrator to manually approve patches • The Test Group system is complex to implement, and requires more ongoing management. Even then the test group is limited to the devices on your network. • While 3rd Party Application updates is technical possible, the time required to deploy and manage these updates via WSUS makes the solution un-manageable |
