Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
and user desktops. These updates are so time-critical that they cannot be
left to manual efforts at update and management, and require an auto-
mated centralized solution to provide continuously updated protection
against the constant onslaught of viruses, worms, and other malicious
code (malware).
Only slightly less numerous are updates and patches to operating sys-
tem and application files, which may be released on a set schedule or
ad-hoc as providers add functionality or correct emergent security issues.
Patch control can become tremendously unwieldy across a large dis-
tributed enterprise unless an automated patch management solution is
employed. Microsoft's Windows Software Update Service is a common
patch management solution used in Microsoft enterprise networks, while
Linux users have similar solutions in the Up2date and Yum services that
leverage native RPM package management through a comfortable user
interface. Many other solutions afford patch control capabilities as well,
such as Novell's popular Zenworks product, used in Netware and SUSE
Linux enterprise environments.
Automating Protections
Automation can extend beyond simple updates to include backup and res-
toration, such as image-based deployment systems able to wipe and reload
an entire computer in a matter of minutes. In these solutions a source
computer is first configured and updated with all applications installed;
then the source “image” is captured. This image can then be copied to
target systems, which can then be deployed in a fully ready state, with-
out requiring extensive human action to set up and configure common
settings and applications. Standardization is critical here, to reduce the
number of images and the complexity of the deployment solution.
Backup solutions exist to copy files and data stores to a safe location
each night, each hour, or according to whatever criterion is desired. Some
of these systems provide near real-time recovery from a bare-metal hard-
ware failure and replacement, though the network and storage require-
ments for constant-backup solutions can consume significant resources
within the data center. By automating backup and recovery solutions,
valuable information can be protected from loss or corruption. Care is
required in media management and encryption of stored data to avoid
accidental data exposure due to lost or stolen backups.
