| When downloading patches from the ITRC, we can evaluate patches via the rating that HP has assigned to the patch. The more environments a patch has been installed and tested on, the more likely it is that the patch will remain stable. Such a patch will eventually be given higher and higher ratings . HP ratings can be  ,  ,  , or  , with being the highest rating. The higher the rating, the lower the risk of side effects and the more suitable the patch is for mission-critical environments. Table 12-2. HP Rating for Patches | HP rating | Description | | | Functional testing by HP to verify that a patch fixes the problem it purports to fix. No unwanted side effects were discovered . Also, HP has verified that the patch will install and uninstall in its target environments. | | | Patch has been installed in a certain number of customer environments with no problems reported . | | | Patch has been stress- and performance-tested by HP in simulated customer mission-critical environments using common application stacks. Not all patches undergo this testing. | | | Patch contains warnings. |
While the rating of a patch is important, we should also check the patch description, the fix the patch is intended for, the target systems intended, as well as other dependencies relating to the patch. Just because HP says it is a Recommended patch does not mean that it applies to your system. Patches are assigned an HP rating of one, two, or three stars based on how many quality standards they meet. As patches advance on the quality scale, the higher their rating becomes (more stars). Patches must be available and used for specific time periods before they meet the higher standards. Upon their initial release, patches are assigned an HP rating of one star. These patches may fix the problem, but also may contain some element of risk. Patches with ratings of two or three stars qualify as HP Recommended . Patches with an HP rating of one star have not yet earned HP's full confidence and should be evaluated carefully before applying. HP makes these patches available to you in the event that: -
This type of patch fixes a problem that is truly critical to your system, and -
You can tolerate the risk that a less-than -fully-tested patch might represent. If you are not facing a critical problem, or you cannot tolerate any risk to your system, HP recommends waiting until the patch gains more exposure and, thus, achieves a higher HP rating. If you defer installing a patch because it has a rating of one star, recheck it after one of the quarterly dates below to determine whether it has passed further testing resulting in a higher rating. 12.6.1 Patches with warnings A patch may be labeled as a patch with warnings when it is known to introduce another problem. However, not every patch that has warnings associated with it causes problems for every customer. Click on the one-line patch description to view the patch details and review the warnings section. Then make an informed decision after assessing the risks for your environment. The ITRC Patch Database will recommend a replacement patch if you search by an explicit Patch ID and the patch contains warnings. 12.6.2 Patch rating update Patches undergo testing for promotion to an HP rating of three stars on a quarterly basis. The HP rating of a qualifying patch is upgraded to three stars on or shortly after the following dates: -
February 1 -
May 1 -
August 1 -
November 1 The rating of a patch may be updated from one to two stars on a daily basis. | 