RE: Patch testing

From: Chris Lynch (lynch00_at_cox.net)
Date: 08/24/03

  • Next message: Brian DeLine: "RE: Patch testing" 
    To: "'Kurt Seifried'" <bt@seifried.org>, "'Todd Schubert'" <todd@toddschubert.com>, <focus-ms@securityfocus.com>
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 11:17:43 -0700

     
    -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
    Hash: SHA1

    This has been our advice to our clients. But, in the respect, we have
    changed out views, and are telling our clients that having a test lab setup
    is a good thing. Now the question here was "how important is it to have the
    test servers running the same types of hardware as the production
    environment?" I would have to say next to zero. We are going as far as
    recommending Vmware for test labs. All you need to do is to replicate the
    services you are providing (Email, directory, file and print, SQL, Oracle,
    etc). Hardware doesn't come into play. I haven't seen a hotfix that has
    been released lately by Microsoft that would resolve an issue with a
    hardware vendor.

    I would say that you would be pretty safe to get some workstations, or
    clones, install Vmware, and test away.

    This isn't a product light for Vmware, but rather virtualization computing.

    Chris Lynch
    Senior Network Engineer
    Axcent Solutions, Inc.

    - -----Original Message-----
    From: Kurt Seifried [mailto:bt@seifried.org]
    Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2003 12:28 PM
    To: Todd Schubert; focus-ms@securityfocus.com
    Subject: Re: Patch testing

    > Along the same lines...if you do have the resources to deploy some
    > test servers but not to recreate every type of server in the
    > enterprise (dc, web, exchange, certificate authority, db...) how
    > should you go about setting up the test servers? Is there a specific
    > area that should be focused on? Also how important is it to have the
    > test servers running the same types of hardware as the production
    environment?

    My (likely obvious) advice: get good backup software that can do a full
    system backup and restore to bare metal (in case the patch kills windows) as
    well as something to backup any data that changed (i.e. database
    transactions, certificate changes/etc), these will likely be application
    specific. Then if the new patch does something bad you have a chance of
    backing out.

    Kurt Seifried, kurt@seifried.org
    A15B BEE5 B391 B9AD B0EF
    AEB0 AD63 0B4E AD56 E574
    http://seifried.org/security/

    -
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    KaVaDo provides the first and only integrated Web application scanner and
    firewall security suite that prevent Web applications attacks, the most
    common form of online exploitation. Download a FREE whitepaper on Security
    Policy Automation for Web Applications.
    http://www.securityfocus.com/sponsor/KaVaDo_focus-ms_030818
    -
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
    Version: PGP 8.0
    Comment: Public PGP key for Chris Lynch

    iQA/AwUBP0kBRm9fg+xq5T3MEQI6FwCfTfo4X4z3uJRgnl8cqFnTRJmFvEAAoL4d
    OlG7ZyL5kOuBJeh1t5Cpox4o
    =g8xE
    -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    KaVaDo provides the first and only integrated Web application scanner and
    firewall security suite that prevent Web applications attacks, the most
    common form of online exploitation. Download a FREE whitepaper on Security Policy Automation for Web Applications.
    http://www.securityfocus.com/sponsor/KaVaDo_focus-ms_030818
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

  • Next message: Brian DeLine: "RE: Patch testing"

    Relevant Pages

    • Re: Patch testing
      ... And we're supposed to do this for every patch MS releases? ... Also how important is it to have the test servers running ... >firewall security suite that prevent Web applications attacks, ... Download a FREE whitepaper on Security Policy Automation for Web Applications. ...
      (Focus-Microsoft)
    • RE: Patch testing
      ... Windows 2000 of lately that had a fix for a hardware problem. ... Security Roll Up patch that caused Compaq servers with an old ... test servers running the same types of hardware as the production ... Policy Automation for Web Applications. ...
      (Focus-Microsoft)