Prior to patching a production system, customers who have a test systems can apply the patch there to resolve any questions they have about the patch.
Patches should be applied to production systems during a service window.
A backup should be made during the service window and prior to applying the patch.
An appliance snapshot is the preferred backup method.
If an appliance snapshot cannot be made then a database dump should be made.
A confidence test of the patched system should be conducted within the service window.
If the confidence test exposes an issue and a rollback is required, the rollback actions depend on which kind of backup was made.
If the backup was an appliance snapshot then it should be restored.
If the backup was a database dump then it should be loaded and the patch should be rolled back using the patching tool’s rollback feature.
