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Patch Authority™ Ultimate - Frequently Asked Questions
 What is Patch Authority Ultimate?
- Patch Authority Ultimate is ScriptLogic’s comprehensive, enterprise-class patch management solution, which enhances security and simplifies the process of updating Windows desktops and servers from a central location. Patch Authority Ultimate includes ScriptLogic’s Security Explorer for managing the status, configuration, logon settings and passwords using by services and tasks on Windows servers and desktops.
- What happened to Patch Authority Plus?
- Licenses for Patch Authority Plus are no longer available for sale. The list of applications and Operating Systems patched by Patch Authority Plus is available in the ScriptLogic Knowledge Base at http://support4.scriptlogic.com/kb/article.aspx?id=13552. No new applications or operating systems will be added to this list, although the patch database will continue to be maintained with new patches for applications and operating systems currently supported by Patch Authority Plus.
- Patch Authority Ultimate offers superior functionality, adding significant new features such as agent-based deployment, report roll-up and support for new platforms and applications. The list of applications supported by Patch Authority Ultimate is also in the ScriptLogic Knowledge Base at http://support4.scriptlogic.com/kb/article.aspx?id=15052. Customers can purchase a migration from Patch Authority Plus to Patch Authority Ultimate by contacting their reseller or a ScriptLogic representative.
- What operating systems does Patch Authority Ultimate support?
- Windows NT 4, 2000, XP, 2003 and Vista client and server operating systems are supported on both x86 and x64 platforms. Embedded Windows and versions of Windows prior to NT 4.0 are not supported.
- Does Patch Authority Ultimate only patch Microsoft products?
- No. Unlike WSUS, which only updates the latest Windows Operating Systems and selected Microsoft applications, Patch Authority Ultimate manages service packs and hotfixes for many older releases of Microsoft Operating Systems, client applications (including Microsoft Office) and server applications (such as IIS, Exchange, SQL, etc.), as well as an expanding list of third-party products. For a complete listing, please see the ScriptLogic Knowledge Base.
- What is the “Ultimate” in Patch Authority Ultimate?
- Patch Authority Ultimate comes bundled with ScriptLogic’s Security Explorer. Security Explorer gives administrators the power to simultaneously manage and secure the Services and Tasks on servers and workstations running Windows NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista. Service startup configurations and passwords can be easily managed from a single, central interface, keeping your workstations and servers continually compliant with your company’s password and security policies.
Patching
- How does Patch Authority Ultimate ensure patches are applied?
- Unlike some other products which only perform the most basic checks to validate patch installs, Patch Authority Ultimate can perform more extensive tests including comparing checksums of the installed files against checksums of the downloaded patches. This means that any changed files (maliciously or otherwise) will be replaced with the correct files on the next scan, even if they have spoofed headers and version information.
- Does Patch Authority Ultimate continually scan machines for needed updates?
- No. Scans can be run interactively or scheduled for a specific time, or to be repeatedly run daily/weekly/on a regular basis. Software vendors generally do not release patches daily, so scans should be scheduled or managed to coincide with the release of new patches or when revised information is required for reporting purposes.
Comparisons
- I already use Microsoft WSUS. Why is Patch Authority Ultimate better?
- WSUS are best-suited as an automated patch deployment solution for the most recently-released Microsoft platforms. Patch Authority Ultimate gives administrators far more granular control over when and where patches are deployed, and allows administrators to more easily create groups of computers and/or users requiring different patch behavior. For example, the general machine population can be configured to be scanned and receive all patches regardless of severity or product, whereas machines coming on via a VPN (based on IP address range) will only receive high-severity patches for the OS and will be copied at a slower rate than machines at the office to conserve bandwidth, or will be configured to download patches from an alternative location. In addition, Patch Authority Plus’s scanning engine uses Shavlik’s industry-leading technology, ensuring detection of “fake” and partially-removed patches. See the comparison matrix for a list of differentiating features.
- Is this the same as Desktop Authority’s Patch Deployment for Desktops Option?
- No. The Patch Deployment for Desktops (PDD) option within DA provides patch deployment to client machines only and requires the Desktop Authority product to be installed and licensed for desktop configuration. PDD does not provide patch capabilities to servers, only scans and patches at logon/logoff/shutdown, and does not provide such extensive reporting. See the comparison matrix for a list of differentiating features.
- Do I need Desktop Authority installed to run Patch Authority Ultimate?
- No. Patch Authority Ultimate is a standalone solution that does not rely on the presence of other ScriptLogic products.
- Are patch database updates included in the price?
- Yes. Patch Authority Ultimate comes with 12 months of patch database updates. After 12 months a renewal license ensures access to a further 12 months of updates and free upgrades to future releases of Patch Authority Ultimate.
- How frequently is the patch database updated?
- The patch database at the heart of Patch Authority Ultimate is normally updated within 24 hours of a new patch being released from Microsoft, once the patches have been tested and our QA process has verified customers will not experience difficulties.
ScriptLogic Product Maintenance
Patch Authority Ultimate licensing
- For more information on Patch Authority Ultimate licensing, see the Licensing FAQs page.
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Product Overview
