Microsoft has announced a change to its Windows Server security update strategy that will take effect on July 1. Starting on that date, Windows Server 2025 users will need to subscribe to a new hotpatching service that allows for security updates without the need for rebooting. This service comes with a monthly fee of $1.50 per CPU core.
Hotpatching is designed to provide more seamless security updates by allowing patches to be applied to the in-memory code of running processes, thereby avoiding the downtime associated with traditional patch deployment, which typically requires a system reboot. However, Microsoft has clarified that users will still have to perform a complete restart for major baseline updates about four times a year.
This change follows concerns surrounding a recent Windows update that inadvertently created a mysterious folder, stirring up confusion and prompting security warnings after users were advised to delete it. The company issued advisories to clarify the situation and prevent potential security risks.
For those wishing to use the hotpatch feature, Microsoft’s requirements specify that users must be operating Windows Server 2025 Standard or Datacenter and that their systems must connect to Azure Arc. This subscription model raises the question of whether users will see the value in paying for a service that eliminates rebooting during routine updates, particularly given that hotpatching has been available to certain Windows Server users free of charge until now.
As IT administrators brace for this new software landscape, the shift to a subscription model for security updates invites a broader conversation about the cost versus convenience in the realm of IT management.
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