One way of minimizing downtime due to patching systems is to batch a bunch of patches together and apply them in one shot.
One way of minimizing downtime due to patching systems is to batch a bunch of patches together and apply them in one shot. With critical security patches released by Microsoft, you can typically use the /z patch for update.exe to apply a patch without rebooting the system afterwards. Then you can create a batch file of start update /z commands to apply a series of patches in one shot, afterwhich you can reboot the server.
Unfortunately this approach doesn't always work. For example, some IE updates don't support the /z switch, and some Windows Media patches don't either. When in doubt type update /? for each patch to see what options they support.
About Mitch Tulloch
Mitch Tulloch is a widely recognized expert on Windows administration, networking, and security. He has been repeatedly awarded Most Valuable Professional (MVP) status by Microsoft for his outstanding contributions in supporting users who deploy and use Microsoft platforms, products and solutions. Mitch has published over two hundred articles on different IT websites and magazines, and he has written or contributed to almost two dozen books and is lead author for the Windows 7 Resource Kit from Microsoft Press. For more information, see www.mtit.com .
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