Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News

      SP2 May Spell Trouble for Agentless Patching

      Written by

      Cameron Sturdevant
      Published August 30, 2004
      Share
      Facebook
      Twitter
      Linkedin

        eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

        Microsoft Corp.s Windows XP Service Pack 2 has thrown patch management vendors into a tizzy. IT managers should be interested because, in an ironic twist, SP2 will likely make it harder to keep desktops and laptops up-to-date with the latest patches.

        /zimages/3/28571.gifClick here to read Labs review of XP SP2.

        The chief cause of the patching dilemma is the new Windows Firewall, which will be installed by default when desktop and laptop systems get SP2 through Microsofts widely used update mechanisms. eWEEK Labs advises IT managers to factor Windows Firewall into their patch management best practices to avoid a patch meltdown—possibly one along the lines of the trouble expected with Y2K.

        Patch management systems that use so-called agentless technology to roll out patches—for example, some offerings from Shavlik Technologies LLC (Shavlik also has agent-based tools)—will find themselves powerless to patch newly firewalled Windows XP systems.

        Fortunately for some patch management vendors, Windows Firewall by default doesnt affect outbound traffic. This means agent-based patch tools appear in a more favorable light. This is especially the case with BigFix Inc.s BigFix offering because its agent can initiate contact with the patch-hosting server.

        Even this advantage may be short-lived, however, if IT managers place broad restrictions on outbound traffic using Windows Firewall.

        IT managers can delay the patch showdown by visiting www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/
        sp2amng.mspx
        and downloading a tool from Microsoft that blocks delivery of SP2 via Automatic Updates for 120 days after Aug. 16. After the four-month break, however, Windows XP systems that use a Microsoft update tool will get SP2 unless IT managers take drastic steps now.

        Most patch makers are already offering workarounds to Windows Firewall. One of these workarounds is to petition Microsoft to have the patch vendors product added to the Windows Firewalls built-in exception list. Symantec Corp.s ON iPatch, which is based on scanning and bulletin analysis technology licensed from Shavlik, is probably the best example.

        Although being on the Windows Firewall exception list will make rolling out listed products easier for IT managers, we dont see it as a key advantage. For one thing, the patch management vendors we contacted already have workarounds that can be deployed to Windows XP systems that will enable their products to work in XP environments. Such suppositions arent just anxious wonderings. At press time, vulnerabilities were being reported in SP2.

        Now that Windows XP SP2 is here, IT managers will have to make a decision about a range of asset management, software distribution and patch management tools that have depended on the wide-open nature of the Windows family of desktop operating systems. Using Windows Firewall means IT managers will likely have to consider placing more agents on desktop and laptop systems so that basic tasks such as tracking inventory or installing patches can happen in a secure environment.

        IT managers who havent finished preparing for SP2 should take advantage of the 120-day grace period. However, we dont advise evading SP2 forever—or even for very long. IT managers should consider how many management agents they can tolerate on an increasingly locked-down Windows desktop operating system.

        The good news is that patch management vendors have gotten much better at delivering modular tools that perform specific functions and that also work well with products such as remediation utilities and software distribution tools.

        IT managers should look into coordinating the specialty tools, such as PatchLink Corp.s use of the Temporary Blocker Toolkit from Microsoft, the tool that delays SP2 installation. The next six months—a period that will include the two months when SP2 will be delivered via automatic update regardless of whether organizations are ready—will be a critical time for IT managers.

        We further recommend that, beyond using patch tools to distribute temporary fixes, IT managers should rely on extensive inventory probes of their PCs to identify each system running Windows XP. Leveraging the patch management process with inventory tools should significantly reduce help desk calls and associated Windows XP remediation costs.

        Labs Technical Director Cameron Sturdevant can be reached at cameron_sturdevant@ziffdavis.com.

        /zimages/3/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms Windows Center at http://windows.eweek.com for Microsoft and Windows news, views and analysis.

        /zimages/3/77042.gif

        Be sure to add our eWEEK.com Windows news feed to your RSS newsreader or My Yahoo page

        Cameron Sturdevant
        Cameron Sturdevant
        Cameron Sturdevant is the executive editor of Enterprise Networking Planet. Prior to ENP, Cameron was technical analyst at PCWeek Labs, starting in 1997. Cameron finished up as the eWEEK Labs Technical Director in 2012. Before his extensive labs tenure Cameron paid his IT dues working in technical support and sales engineering at a software publishing firm . Cameron also spent two years with a database development firm, integrating applications with mainframe legacy programs. Cameron's areas of expertise include virtual and physical IT infrastructure, cloud computing, enterprise networking and mobility. In addition to reviews, Cameron has covered monolithic enterprise management systems throughout their lifecycles, providing the eWEEK reader with all-important history and context. Cameron takes special care in cultivating his IT manager contacts, to ensure that his analysis is grounded in real-world concern. Follow Cameron on Twitter at csturdevant, or reach him by email at cameron.sturdevant@quinstreet.com.

        Get the Free Newsletter!

        Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

        Get the Free Newsletter!

        Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

        MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

        Artificial Intelligence

        9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

        Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
        AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
        Read more
        Cloud

        RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

        Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
        RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
        Read more
        Artificial Intelligence

        8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

        Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
        Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
        Read more
        Latest News

        Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

        James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
        I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
        Read more
        Video

        Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

        James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
        I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
        Read more
        Logo

        eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

        Facebook
        Linkedin
        RSS
        Twitter
        Youtube

        Advertisers

        Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

        Advertise with Us

        Menu

        • About eWeek
        • Subscribe to our Newsletter
        • Latest News

        Our Brands

        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms
        • About
        • Contact
        • Advertise
        • Sitemap
        • California – Do Not Sell My Information

        Property of TechnologyAdvice.
        © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

        Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

        ×