How can you ensure patches are applied to cloud environments with multiple tenants?

3 How to apply patches to your cloud environment

Once you have planned your patching strategy, you can apply patches to your cloud environment using different methods, dependent on your cloud service model and patch management tool. Manual patching is the simplest method, though it is also the most time-consuming, error-prone, and inconsistent. Automated patching is the most efficient and reliable method, where a patch management tool or cloud service provider's feature can be used to scan, download, and install patches on your cloud components. Scripted patching is a hybrid method which gives more flexibility and control over the process, but requires more technical skills and testing. Whichever method you choose, careful monitoring and verification should be done to ensure the patches are applied correctly and without causing any issues.

4 How to monitor and verify your patches

After you apply patches to your cloud environment, it's important to monitor and verify that they are working properly and do not cause any problems. This can be done by checking the patch status and logs to confirm successful installation, performing functional and performance tests to validate that the patches do not affect the environment or applications, reviewing security and compliance reports to verify that the vulnerabilities are fixed and the requirements are met, collecting feedback from tenants to ensure satisfaction with the process and outcomes, and documenting the process and outcomes for future reference.

5 How to handle patch failures or rollbacks

Despite your best efforts, patching can sometimes fail or cause unexpected issues that require a rollback. A rollback is the process of undoing a patch and restoring the previous state of your cloud environment. Therefore, it is important to take key steps to handle patch failures or rollbacks, such as identifying the cause and scope of the problem, deciding whether to fix or rollback the patch, communicating the issue and decision to tenants and stakeholders, executing the fix or rollback according to plan and best practices, and analyzing the patch failure or issue to learn from it. You should use troubleshooting tools or techniques to diagnose the problem and determine which cloud components or tenants are affected. Additionally, you should weigh the pros and cons of each option, such as the severity, urgency, and impact of the problem, the availability and feasibility of a fix, and the time and resources required for a rollback. Moreover, you should explain the reason, impact, and resolution of the problem when communicating with tenants and stakeholders. Finally, you should review the root cause, consequences, and lessons learned from the problem and implement corrective and preventive actions to avoid or mitigate similar problems in the future.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?