We are delighted to announce an exciting improvement coming to N-sight Patch Management soon.

Why is the patch management being updated?

N-sight’s patch management is being updated to provide the capability to automate patching based on Microsoft classifications, including critical updates, drivers, feature packs, or any other Microsoft patch classification. Furthermore, our new patch engine will allow automatic approval of around 100 of the most popular applications we find on devices monitored by N-sight, ensuring that your clients’ devices are up-to-date, stable, and secure.  

What benefits will you see from this update? 

This update provides the following benefits: 

• Improved ability to standardize patch management policies due to alignment with Microsoft’s patch classifications
• Improved automation for approvals and installs
• Easier and faster patch searches

Key features of the update   

1. Two new tabs to manage your Patch Management policies
   
   A. The “Microsoft Approvals” tab allows you to auto-set specific patch types with more control than ever, using all Microsoft patch classifications.

B. The “Other Vendor Approvals” tab allows you to auto-set different states for individual products, meaning if you want to auto-update Google Chrome but not Java you can now do so. We have also added a default action for new products so that each time we add more applications to our supported list it can be auto-added to your current setup.

2. A new classification column for the Patch Management Workflow, allowing you to execute granular searches and find specific patches much quicker.

3. A new classification column for device-level patching to provide a consistent workflow for the entire process.

How can you prepare for the update? 

To avoid disruptions to your patch management processes, we recommend reviewing your current patch management policies to ensure you are prepared to manage Microsoft patches based on classifications, not severity level.  

We will also provide additional information prior to the update, including a “how-to” video and date of release. 

You can learn more about Microsoft’s patch classifications here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/deployment/standard-terminology-software-updates

Have feedback?

We’d love to hear from you!  Please submit feedback to chris.dunsmore@n-able.com