NS7 Patch Management: Not just for Microsoft Patch Management Deployment

Java is a key one, but always a little shaky in my opinion, due to version and app conflicts.

You should see this in a Patch Management update later this year.  At least that's what I've been told in meetings with Symantec.  As far as which third-party products will be patchable, that I haven't heard.  I would imagine that Sun and Adobe would be a couple of the first.

Oh, and I agree on the app compatibility.  Just because Java updates may be available through Patch Management doesn't mean we should deploy them.  I know we wouldn't be able to.

Patching Adobe Reader, Acrobat, and Flash will be available with CMS 7.0 SP1 due out in September.  Sun Java is next on the list... 

Hello, The new Altiris CMS 7 "Software Catalog" & "Compliance check" model is best design for "upgrading" software.
Patch management 7 of CMS should integrate, MacOS, Patches, basic integrated OS & security software parts, that is "small update" or hot-fix for security reason, and minor "hot-fix" for bugs without changing any software feature, it is OK.

So, do not mix: Patch management provide "security compliance" view, with updating software, not "upgrading".
The 2 models parts should be separated, all the same the major Editor "design model" drived from Microsoft Update, is really not the good one !!! Just one more blame on Billy.

We do not want of a patch management providing us "automatically" IE 8 or SP 3 !!!
We do want Patch management giving us advice & alerting about security issues status.
Nice to have: minor "hot-fix" for known bugs, not more.

For other software upgrade, please Symantec & Software partners editor, do not use "Patch", do the use of the existing & predefined Altiris model proposal, that is:
DATA PROVIDER MANAGEMENT, updating the Software Catalogs.

We would like an automatic "download" area for those software (like does patch), where we can select what we want, avoid us to search & download manually.
And extend automatically the Altiris 7 Software Catalog to add any "inventory rule", "software dependencies & superseded"... That's enough to simply manage "software updating".

For those don't see this already: "Software Deploy" Altiris 6 does not exists any more. In the "Software Management" Altiris 7: We are now making "software compliance & remediation", including daily (or more) check of the software installation status, & remediate (like adding a SP or any update, the provider should simply publish to us).

see also: https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/reaching-perfect-state-software-state-management
Enjoy Altiris 7 ;-)

On beta.altiris.com Service Pack 1 of CMS is in release candidate state.  Feel free to download and test it, including patching Adobe.