IT teams know the importance of deploying updates, but they also need to verify where each update stands across their endpoints. They need visibility into patch statuses so they can see which updates are pending, approved, failed, installed, or intentionally excluded.
In today’s environment of remote devices, distributed teams, and third-party applications across multiple operating systems, tracking and managing patches is more challenging than ever. Yet IT teams also need to be able to verify patches quickly, and without reliable patch status visibility, this can be nearly impossible.
With that in mind, let’s explore what patch status is, what each status means, how to track updates across endpoints, and how Splashtop AEM can help simplify patch visibility.
What Is Patch Status?
Patch status is the current state of a software or operating system update. This can cover individual devices, groups of devices, or entire endpoint fleets, depending on what you need patched.
Knowing a patch status helps identify whether a patch has been installed or failed, whether a device is missing any patches, or whether a reboot is needed to complete the installation. Statuses can also indicate if a device hasn’t checked in recently and may need to do so to provide accurate data.
Keep in mind that patch status is separate from patch management and compliance. While patch status shows the status of updates, patch management is the process used to deploy and verify patches, while patch compliance measures whether a device meets your company’s security requirements.
Why Patch Status Matters for IT Teams
Knowing your patch status helps ensure all your endpoints are properly patched and protected. The status provides visibility beyond deploying an update and helps determine whether the endpoint is properly protected.
This provides several benefits, including:
IT teams can identify missing updates early on, so they don’t fall behind on security compliance.
IT can identify failed installations that need a follow-up and address them.
Status visibility helps prioritize updates tied to high-risk vulnerabilities.
A reduced reliance on manual device checks.
Support for audit readiness with clear patch records.
Remote and hybrid teams can maintain better visibility across off-network endpoints.
IT teams can get a more accurate view of endpoint health.
Common Patch Statuses and What They Mean
With that in mind, let’s examine the different types of patch statuses and what they mean. Knowing the difference between “approved” and “installed” patches can make all the difference in cybersecurity, so understanding each status is vital:
Pending
A pending patch is available but still awaiting action. Typically, a pending patch needs to be reviewed so IT can decide whether to approve it, reject it, ignore it, or handle it through the appropriate patching policy. This status helps teams identify updates that have been detected but have not yet moved forward in the patching process.
Approved
Approved patches have been accepted for installation, but may not be installed yet. Typically, this means they are waiting for a scheduled update time, endpoint availability, or policy-based conditions to be met. This status helps teams identify which updates are queued for action and which still need approval.
Failed
If a patch wasn’t installed correctly, it’ll be marked as “failed.” Failed patches require follow-up, typically from IT teams, who will need to review the failure reason, resolve the issue, and reattempt the installation. Tracking failed patches is essential, since if a patch fails without anyone knowing, it could leave a significant security vulnerability open to attack.
Installed
Once a patch is successfully applied, it’ll have the “installed” status. This confirms to IT teams that patching is complete and working as intended, so they can rest easy knowing they’re up to date. It’s also helpful for reporting and audits, as IT teams can point to the installed patches to demonstrate security compliance.
Rejected or Ignored
Sometimes, IT teams intentionally choose not to install an update. This could be because the update is not approved for the environment, does not apply to a specific device, or is intentionally excluded from the current patching workflow. In these cases, the patch may be marked as “rejected” or “ignored,” indicating that the update was intentionally excluded rather than overlooked.
How Patch Status Is Detected
Patch status is usually determined by scanning devices, checking inventory data, and detecting updates. This requires endpoints to check in, at which point they can be scanned and inventoried.
Patch status detection typically takes a process like this:
Inventory the endpoint: First, the patching tool identifies the device’s operating systems, applications, versions, and details.
Compare installed versions against available updates: Once the device is properly inventoried, the patching tool checks whether any new updates or security patches are available, or if the device is on the latest update.
Scan for missing or applicable patches: If there are any missing updates, the patching system determines which ones are needed on each endpoint.
Deploy or schedule patches: After the needed updates are identified, they can be installed immediately, scheduled for a maintenance window, or assigned priority based on company policy.
Verify installation results: Once the patches are installed, the system checks whether the installation succeeded, failed, requires a reboot, or needs any further action.
Update dashboards and reports: Finally, the patch status data is updated in dashboards, device records, and compliance reports to show the current patch status.
What to Do When Patch Status Shows a Problem
Patch statuses are vital for both verifying that patches are properly installed and identifying any that aren’t. When a patch encounters an issue, you’ll want to address it as quickly as possible. Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to manage common issues patches may encounter:
1. When Patches Are Missing
If a patch is missing, IT teams should check a few factors. It might be that the endpoint is offline or that the patch doesn’t apply to it, in which case it can be easily addressed. It could also be an issue with policy settings preventing the patch from being deployed. If the patch is critical, the IT team should address the issue immediately; if it’s a minor update that doesn’t affect security, it can be a lower priority.
2. When Patches Fail
Sometimes, patches fail to install properly. When that happens, IT teams should identify the reason it failed and run a few checks, including reviewing the endpoint’s health, confirming it has the disk space for an update, and verifying it meets all the prerequisites. Once the issue is resolved, the patch can be deployed again.
3. When Patches Are Pending Too Long
If a patch takes too long to install, it may be a sign of offline services, delayed maintenance windows, or device check-in issues, all of which IT teams can address. However, it’s also possible that the user keeps postponing the patch, in which case, an agent will need to reach out to the user to remind them that patches must be installed promptly.
4. When Reboots Are Required
Often, a reboot is required to complete patch installation. However, many devices are left on for extended periods, leaving the patch in limbo and the endpoint vulnerable. IT teams should ensure that policies are in place to reboot devices after patches, along with reminders or scheduled restarts as needed.
5. When Status Is Unknown
An unknown status may be a visibility issue. If IT teams can’t see a patch’s status, they should verify the agent's health, network connectivity, and whether the device is still active to gain the visibility and updated inventory data they need.
How to Track Patch Status Across All Endpoints
When you have multiple distributed endpoints to support, especially in remote and BYOD environments, tracking patch statuses across devices can be challenging. When you factor in the variety of operating systems and application types you need to manage, it becomes even more difficult.
Fortunately, it is possible to track patch status across a varied and distributed endpoint environment. All it takes is a good patch status workflow, which should include:
A centralized dashboard that provides real-time visibility into endpoint patch status.
Real-time or frequent status updates to keep information up to date.
Visibility into both OS and third-party application patches, so all your bases are covered.
The ability to filter by device, patch severity, operating system, user group, or location.
Clear failed patch details that explain why the patch failed.
Reboot tracking to ensure each endpoint properly restarts to complete patch installation.
Automated retry or remediation options to reduce manual work when a patch fails.
Automated reporting for audits and internal reviews.
Integration with broader endpoint management workflows.
Best Practices for Managing Patch Status
Given the different patch statuses and what they entail, how can IT teams ensure all their updates are properly approved, deployed, and applied? Here are a few best practices IT teams can follow when managing their patches and deploying them across distributed environments:
Define what each patch status means for your team: While the definitions for the patch statuses should be clear by now, how IT teams react to them may vary. Ensure there’s a standardized process for addressing missing, failed, pending, and unknown patches, so each is handled properly.
Prioritize patches by risk and business impact: Not all patches are equally important. Start by focusing on the most critical vulnerabilities, along with actively exploited vulnerabilities, exposed systems, and vulnerabilities impacting high-value devices. After that, you can turn your attention to lower-priority patches.
Track third-party application updates, not just OS patches: Third-party patches should also be fully patched, otherwise they can provide avenues of attack. Many endpoint risks come from outdated versions of common apps like browsers, collaboration tools, and PDF readers, so any good patching strategy should include those as well as operating systems.
Use automation to reduce manual follow-up: Patch automation software is a powerful tool for reducing manual labor and human error while ensuring patches are properly managed in accordance with company policy. With it, you can automate patch deployment, alerts, reboots, and even retries or remediation when a patch fails, without taking time out of an IT agent’s day.
Investigate recurring failures: If you’re experiencing repeated failures, it may indicate issues such as endpoint configuration problems, insufficient storage, or conflicts with company policy. It’s important to investigate these failures to identify and address the issue so the patch can be properly deployed.
Keep patch reports current: Patch records are important for verifying you’re up to date and demonstrating IT compliance. However, they must reflect the current state of your endpoint environment. Keeping records up to date is essential, but also easy with proper automation.
Connect patch status to compliance reporting: Your patch status data can support repeatable reporting and maintain audit readiness. Connecting the statuses to compliance reporting makes generating reports simple with up-to-the-minute data.
How Splashtop AEM Helps IT Teams Track Patch Status
It’s clear that a robust patch management solution can help IT teams track and manage their patch statuses to keep all their endpoints up to date. If you’re looking for such a solution, Splashtop AEM (Autonomous Endpoint Management) is the way to go.
Splashtop AEM helps IT teams monitor patch statuses across their environment from a single console, including OS and third-party app patching. This provides clear visibility into each patch, from pending to installed, and helps address any failures that may arise.
1. Centralized Patch Status Visibility
Splashtop AEM makes it easy to review patch statuses across endpoints, rather than checking devices one by one. All the patches are visible from a single console, allowing IT teams to quickly see which updates need attention, failed, or have been successfully installed.
2. Faster Follow-Up on Failed Updates
Patch statuses are at their most useful when IT teams can act on the data. With Splashtop AEM, IT agents can identify failed updates, investigate them, remediate any issues, and reattempt the installation. This improves patch management efficiency while helping ensure more successful deployments.
3. Better Control Over Patch Decisions
Splashtop AEM gives IT teams control over their patch workflows. It enables agents to approve updates, track installations, and even exclude updates when needed. When combined with the holistic visibility Splashtop AEM provides, it becomes incredibly easy to automate and manage patching even across large, distributed environments.
4. Patch Visibility Alongside Endpoint Management
Patch status is at its most useful when used alongside endpoint health and management data. Splashtop AEM provides broad endpoint management, connecting patch visibility with broader management workflows, giving IT teams robust control and visibility across endpoints. This helps teams of all sizes support and manage devices, prioritize follow-ups, and keep everything up to date.
Patch Status Gives IT Teams the Visibility to Act
When IT teams can see and understand their patch statuses, they can more efficiently ensure each one is approved, issues are identified, and updates are properly deployed. Without accurate statuses, it’s easy to miss failed installs, pending reboots, and incomplete updates, which could leave devices vulnerable to attack.
With a robust endpoint management solution like Splashtop AEM, IT teams can simplify patch tracking and gain clear visibility into each endpoint, including patch status. This makes it easy to track patches and ensure each one is deployed in a timely manner, keeping endpoints up to date and secure.
Want to see how Splashtop AEM can improve patch management and automate update workflows? Get started with a free trial today.
