If you haven't tried the latest PatchFinder tool that was updated this past May, then you are in for a treat. You can still search for patches by the 6 digit base PatchID if you have it, but if you don't, you can search for recommended patches or security patches and apply restrictions, such as a specific operating systems (i.e. Solaris 10 SPARC).

Located on the SunSolve Patch page, the new PatchFinder tool also offers advanced search capabilities. These include searching for patches in various ways:

• change request or BugID number

• keyword search

• general date: released before a specific date or released after

• "README Modified After" option shows patches whose README or patchinfo metadata files have been updated since the patch was initially released

• downloadable patches not requiring an active support contract (public patches only)

• "patch property" such as ones requiring manual intervention, ones that are nonstandard and are not applied using the standard 'patchadd' utility (i.e. firmware patches) or patches which require downtime

• withdrawn patches to check if you have any on your system

The PatchFinder tool also can supply users with patch metrics like the number of patches released for a particular solution within a certain time frame or the percentage of Solaris OS patches publicly available.

Gerry Haskins reports about all the details of PatchFinder on the Patch Corner blog. "I hope you find this initial version of the new PatchFinder tool useful," he writes. "This is a start, not the finished article. In future versions we plan to provide options to resolve patch dependencies and patch installation order, enable patch download, etc."

Feedback is invited, notes Haskins, who concludes: "Our goal is to improve your patching experience." [...read more...]

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