Patching, Upgrading, and Removing Applications

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

The purpose of deploying patches, updates, and upgrades is similar to deploying new applications, to bring computers up-to-date. When software becomes obsolete and can no longer be updated or patched, you must remove the software.

The tasks involved in maintaining software that has been deployed are described in Figure 8.7.

Figure 8.7   Maintaining Applications After Deployment

It is important to have a decision-making process for determining when to patch, upgrade to new versions of managed applications, or retire old versions. The process of deploying, patching, upgrading, and retiring is known as the software life cycle. Figure 8.8 illustrates a sample software life cycle.

Figure 8.8   Sample Software Life Cycle