The SMS Patches panel displays information about software patches that
are currently installed and software patches that are available for download
from the TMC. The SMS Patch Notifications field indicates whether SMS patch
notifications are enabled or disabled.
SMS patches provide updates to the SMS server, the SMS client, or both.
Patches are cumulative; the latest patch includes all previously released
patches for a particular version of the product. For more details, refer to the
Release Notes available during the patch upgrade process or on the Software
Details page for the patch on the TMC.
The SMS server, when connected to the TMC, monitors the TMC for SMS
software patches. In the SMS client, you can enable or disable SMS patch
notifications that indicate when a more recent patch is available. If patch
notifications are enabled, a green check and the value “Enabled” are displayed
in the SMS Patch Notifications field. If patch notifications are disabled, the
value “Disabled” is displayed. Click the button to the right of the field to
enable or disable patch notifications.
Before you download and install an SMS patch, read the SMS Release Notes
thoroughly and take note of the following caveats:
- The SMS server can obtain the software automatically from the TMC or can import a patch file from storage media such as a USB drive or hard drive.
- You can typically roll back a patch; refer to the patch Release Notes for rollback information. If you choose to roll back a patch, it rolls back the cumulative patch, effectively removing all patches from the SMS server. A patch rollback typically requires a restart of the SMS server application.
- Installing an SMS patch typically causes the SMS server application to restart, and in some cases requires the SMS server to reboot. All client connections to the SMS are stopped during the patch process.
- When the SMS server is unavailable during the reboot process, the availability and operations of TippingPoint devices managed by the SMS are not affected. IPS and other devices continue to operate as usual and without interruption.
- The version of SMS client software should match the version of the SMS server. Some patches require an update to the SMS client as well as the SMS server. In this case, all clients are prompted to upgrade to the newer version when they try to connect to the patched SMS server.
- If your SMS server is configured for High Availability (HA), see Apply software updates to a cluster.