Overview

The lightweight Patch Management using Metadata model offers several advantages that are described below and illustrated in Patch Management using Metadata Model.

The Metadata Patch Management model differs from the traditional HPCA patching model in that:

  1. Only the bulletin Metadata information is stored in the Core server Configuration Server Database (CSDB), and not the actual patch binaries.

    This model makes patch acquisition run faster and also eases the load on the infrastructure traffic when running the Patch Discovery on an Agent and when synchronizing the HPCA servers.

  2. The actual patch binaries are downloaded and cached on the Patch Gateway, a component of both the Core and Satellite server. The Gateway downloads the patch binaries on the first request from an agent machine and caches them for other agent machines to use. Optionally, the Patch Gateway can have patch binaries preloaded onto it when you run an acquisition.
  3. When using the Metadata model, the Agents must have the Download Manager enabled which allows them to contact the Patch Gateway at the end of the scanning phase with requests for applicable patch binaries.
  4. The Download Manager handles the passive transfer of the patch files to the Agents. Once the file transfer is complete, an Agent connection is triggered to have the patches installed.

Patch Management using Metadata Model illustrates the Patch Management using Metadata model.

For comparison, Patch Management Model - traditional illustrates the traditional Patch Management model.

Patch Management using Metadata Model

Legend:

  1. A Patch Acquisition downloads only patch metadata files from the Vendor. The patch metadata is published to the Core HPCA database and used to discover the exact list of patch files required by the Agents being managed.
  2. On request by an Agent (or optional preload), the Patch Gateway downloads the patch files from the Vendor and caches them for additional Agents to use. The patch files never need to be published to the HPCA database.
  3. Patch Agents require the Download Manager to be enabled. The Download Manager uses a background process to handle the passive download of the required patch files onto the Agent.

Patch Management Model - traditional

Legend:

  1. A traditional Patch Acquisition downloads both metadata and all related patch files for bulletins from the Vendor. All of these files are published to the Core HPCA database, regardless of whether Agents in the enterprise require them or not.
  2. Patch Agents can be patched with or without the use of the Download Manager option. Without it, the Agent connect handles the download of the required patch files in a foreground process. In contrast, the Download Manager uses a background process to handle the passive download of the required patch files onto the Agent.

The following topics discuss how to take advantage of using Metadata distribution and the Patch Gateway for Patch Management in your enterprise:


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