Installation guide

How the Linux and UNIX Patch Staging Works
As a patch administrator, you can stage patches on target Linux and UNIX managed machines for VCMto
deploy. With patch staging, the patches are available in a directory on the target managed machines in
preparation for deployment.
Target managed machines copy the patches from either the patching repository machine or an alternate
location machine. After the patches are stored in the patch repository or on the alternate location
machines, during the patch deployment you can schedule the patch staging to target managed machines
before the deployment occurs. You can have VCM deploy the patches immediately after you stage them
or when certain conditions occur, which trigger an automatic patch deployment.
With the patch deployment schedule, you can stage the patches on the target managed machines
immediately or at a later time before the scheduled deployment occurs. Otherwise, you must manually
stage the patches on the target managed machines.
When you set up a patching repository machine and alternate location machines, you must ensure that
users have proper permissions and protocols configured to read patches from the patching repository
machine and write patches to the alternate location machines.
VCM staging of Linux and UNIX patches performs the following actions.
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The patching repository machine retrieves Linux and UNIX patches from the vendor Web sites and
stores them in its local patch repository.
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To make the patches available for deployment to target managed machines, VCM copies the patches
from the patching repository to the alternate locations, or to the target managed machines, depending
on whether you have alternate location machines in your patching environment.
Option Description
Copy patches
from the
patching
repository
Target managed machines copy patches from the patching repository to stage
the patches for deployment.
Copy patches
from an
alternate
location
In a geographically distributed patching environment, VCM copies patches
from the patching repository machine to an alternate location machine to stage
the patches on the target managed machines for deployment.
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VCM uses FTP, NFS, or File, a premounted file system, to copy the patches
to the alternate location machine.
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VCM uses HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, NFS, or File, a premounted file system, to
copy the patches from an alternate location to the target managed
machines.
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In the patch deployment action, VCM stages the patches in the standard or custom patch directory on
the target Linux and UNIX managed machines. Then VCM deploys the patches immediately or at the
time that you schedule the patch deployment in the Deploy wizard.
After VCM finishes the patch deployment, you can run another patch assessment to verify that the
patches are applied to the managed machines.
Patching Managed Machines
VMware, Inc.
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