Help choosing what updates to install

[BroganOs]

How do you recommend choosing what updates to install on your servers? Our support company just hit the wall and I’m taking over for the moment.

 

We don’t have a huge network.

2 x physical server 2016 hyperv hosts

2 x server 2016 core and gui DC VM’s

1 x server 2016 core file share VM

1 x physical server 2016 backup store.

 

I can see that there has been no updates done since Jan. So I installed any critical updates immediately how do you recommend I choose what others to install?

 

I can potentially use the backup server and a test server for updates too if recommended.

[mavhc]

All of them. VMs are easy, snapshot, install updates, if it fails, roll back snapshot. HyperV hosts should have nothing weird installed on them so updates shouldn't fail.

[computer_expert]

All of them. VMs are easy, snapshot, install updates, if it fails, roll back snapshot. HyperV hosts should have nothing weird installed on them so updates shouldn't fail.

 

Just don't snapshot DCs then restore when it fails. You'll be in for a world of pain if you don't want to reinstall DCs: https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/875495/how-to-detect-and-recover-from-a-usn-rollback-in-windows-server-dc

 

Installing updates is best done by running sconfig from a command prompt on server 2016. They will take a while (hours...) per machine to install due to the well known issues with how long server 2016 takes to patch and microsofts lack of interest in fixing it.

Edited April 25, 2020 by computer_expert

[mavhc]

As long as it's 2012 should be fine https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/identity/ad-ds/get-started/virtual-dc/virtualized-domain-controller-deployment-and-configuration#BKMK_VDCSafeRestore