We have looked at what a patch is and what it isn't; it's not just for fixing defects. A patch is a unique Software Distributor entity as of HP-UX 11.0. As such, there are specific options to Software Distributor commands that deal with patches. Managing patches can be a tricky business; we need to know when and how to install them, and we need to think about patch rollback in association with disk-space requirements to accommodate it. We looked at some ideas for setting up patch depots as well as managing patches. All in all, patches are not as simple as you might first think. Patch management takes time and effort: everything from considering proactive patching, to obtaining the patches themselves , to the eventual installation. With a well-thought patching methodology, you can help maintain maximum availability for the servers in your network.
