Solved: TMS servers and Windows updates & patches

Matthieu LIENART · ‎01-07-2014

In our AD, GPOs forces automatic application of Windows patches and automatice reboot.

I'd like to know what is Cisco's recommendation for the various TMS server (the TMS server itself, the SQL db server and the TMSXE server) regarding the windows patches, updates and automatic reboot.

Should all patching/updates and reboot be all manual or can it be automatic?

daleritc · ‎01-08-2014

In my experience with TMS and TMS related products...which is about 7 years now...it's rare to see a MS hotfix cause a problem to any of the applications, and if one did, we'd certainly have a technical alert out concerning it ;)

However, and from an IT maintenance point of view, do you really want to be doing automatic updates that require server reboots on servers that are maintaining service related appilcations like TMS, TMSXE, TMSPE, etc?

Meaning...and putting on my IT hat...this is something I wouldn't recommend. I would stick with doing this manually during planned server maintenance periods for example. In fact, it kind of surprises me that they are setting a GPO like this on servers, in particular on service related servers.

At the end of the day, and IMO, this isn't a question so much on what Cisco recommends but "IT 101" common sense. For example, you mention the external SQL Server but our databases are just "residents" on that SQL Server...which may include other application dbs...meaning again, do you really want a server like that just automatically rebooting? I think not ;)

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daleritc · ‎01-08-2014

In my experience with TMS and TMS related products...which is about 7 years now...it's rare to see a MS hotfix cause a problem to any of the applications, and if one did, we'd certainly have a technical alert out concerning it ;)

However, and from an IT maintenance point of view, do you really want to be doing automatic updates that require server reboots on servers that are maintaining service related appilcations like TMS, TMSXE, TMSPE, etc?

Meaning...and putting on my IT hat...this is something I wouldn't recommend. I would stick with doing this manually during planned server maintenance periods for example. In fact, it kind of surprises me that they are setting a GPO like this on servers, in particular on service related servers.

At the end of the day, and IMO, this isn't a question so much on what Cisco recommends but "IT 101" common sense. For example, you mention the external SQL Server but our databases are just "residents" on that SQL Server...which may include other application dbs...meaning again, do you really want a server like that just automatically rebooting? I think not ;)

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Matthieu LIENART · ‎01-08-2014

Thanks for the information.

I agree with you about doing it manual during maintenance windows. Our AD admins just gave the choice, put the servers in an OU were updates are applied automatically by GPO or an OU with no GPU were we usually put all the critical servers where all updates are done manually.

I asked them to put the servers in that second OU but I just wanted to ask Cisco's point of view and recommendations