Using Users to Test Patches

  • Section(s): Security
  • Published on Sep 15, 2005.
  • Last Modified on Sep 15, 2005.
  • Last Modified by MitchTulloch.
  • Rated 4 out of 5 based on 2 votes.
You can use your own users to test patches for client OSes and applications, if you do it the right way.

It's always a good idea to test patches before you roll them out. This is critical for servers, but it's also important for clients too. But because of the flood of patches admins typically have to deal with each month, client patch testing often gets a back seat to more mission-critical server patch testing.

There's an easy solution though: enroll your most tech-savvy users into an internal beta program and roll client patches out to these users first. Then if something breaks, the users themselves may be able to help you diagnose the problem and find a workaround without having your Help Desk flooded with complaints. Such an approach is called a staggered patch rollout where you first release the patch to advanced users who are used to to pain of troubleshooting desktop computer problems, and only after they've tested things and nothing crops up can you roll it out to the vast majority of users in your company.

About MitchTulloch

Mitch Tulloch was lead author for the Windows Vista Resource Kit from Microsoft Press, which is the book for IT pros who want to deploy, maintain and support Windows Vista in mid- and large-sized network environments. Mitch was also the author of Introducing Windows Server 2008 and technical project lead for the Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Resource Kit, both books also from Microsoft Press. For more information on these and other books by Mitch, see http://www.mtit.com .

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