Patching Tools for Dormant virtual machines

[Arram Hoin]

I am having bit knowledge about the dormant virtual machines. Actually I am here to get some more information about the tools used for patching in that virtual machines. I know that using Microsoft-Offline-maintenance tool, we can ensure that virtual machines are also resting on the current patch level. This can be virtualized in Microsoft environments to avoid problems with old software patches. Still I want to know about the conditions that gets changed due to virtualization. So once again requesting you members to provide some appropriate information about it.

[Adler]

Patching systems is undoubtedly one of the chore responsibilities in IT. Although the patch management in recent years are the challenges, virtualized systems has improved steadily. With the release of Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) changed much in this respect. This tool seemed much of the manual labor when you apply patches obsolete. With the addition of WSUS patches through scripts, you can immediately run and apply it to a computer without having to wait for the next scheduled. The automatic patch mechanism only worked when the server or desktop computer to which the patch should be applied was actually switched on. Computers that had to be shut down for various reasons were for WSUS as problems. This had immediately to run, after turning on the computer the next morning a patch cycle, or the administrator had to spend extra time to turn the computer on the evening before, and to seek to turn.

[Lane]

The relatively static environment changes with the virtualization of data center again. After the virtualization remain server probably still on throughout. These virtual servers must however have a point of origin. This is often done by cloning a server template. Using server templates useful you can quickly create a new server and put this online with minimal effort. In this way, make sure that each server has the same core configuration as a starting point. Server templates also have a downside. You get through out new servers, but the documents themselves are not intended to be enabled.

[Justvicks]

A server template is stored on any file share as a VHD file. When disabled, the file actually rests. It is no different from a very large Word file or Excel spreadsheet. When activated, this file is resting at a fully functional server, the normal working loads or malicious workloads of today's malware exploits of others and can handle. In short, if stationary templates no patches are applied to such that they could source a new malware outbreak, and only reason because they were activated. The Microsoft Offline Virtual Machine servicing tool, currently available in version 3.0, is dedicated to exactly this problem. This free Solution Accelerator installed a set of automation features that serve to keep the otherwise dormant VM templates with WSUS to date.

[napoleon]

In essence, do the updates using the tools as follows: the server, the System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM hosts), interacts with one of its library shares, a Hyper-V host and the server to manage the software updates. The Offline Virtual Machine servicing tool uses servicing jobs to updates for VMs in the VMM library to manage the deployment. These maintenance jobs are essentially the Windows Task Scheduler tasks processed, the predetermined time to start. If a maintenance job is to be activated, the first virtual machine at the location of its presentation awakened. This process includes providing the virtual machine on a Hyper-V host and the switch. Once the virtual machine is turned on, the internally configured Windows Update Agent (WUA) of the virtual machine instructed update cycle to start a software.

[Addison_12]

The WUA configuration of the virtual machine is set up just as you would expect from all your computers. You can apply a group policy or manually set up the configuration within the virtual machine. For this process to work, you must specify all the typical WSUS configurations, such as the path to the update service, WSUS computer groups and other specific characteristics that are defined in your security policy. After you upgrade the virtual machine successfully, it will be turned off by the maintenance job and returned to the library. This automatic process ensures that your VMs, as well as other infrastructure, are updated with the correct patches. The Offline Virtual Machine servicing tool does not add its own update-management configurations. It relies instead on the settings you have already configured for WSUS or SCCM.