Documentation for Patch Manager

Prepare the Patch Manager server

Complete the following checklist on the Patch Manager server. This checklist helps you:

Verify that the server is set up and configured for a Patch Manager deployment.
Gather the information required to complete the installation.

	1. Verify that the server is not in use	Ensure that: The server is dedicated to Patch Manager. The server is not a SolarWinds Platform server or a domain controller. SolarWinds does not support these options. No other Enterprise-class software products (such as Microsoft Exchange Server) are installed on the server.
	2. Install WSUS	Install WSUS on a server in your deployment. WSUS is an operating system feature that you enable on a server running a supported Windows Server operating system. Patch Manager uses WSUS to distribute Windows and third-party updates to the managed systems. To prevent a single point of failure, SolarWinds recommends installing Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) on a separate server. This server must meet the same system and preparation requirements as a Patch Manager server. If your Patch Manager server is running Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2 and you plan to patch Windows 10 systems in your network, see this KB article for additional details. See the system requirements for the WSUS version that corresponds with your Windows Server operating system. See the Microsoft Docs website for details about installing and enabling WSUS.
	3. Check for Windows updates	Verify that all Windows updates are installed on the server. See the Microsoft Docs website for details.
	4. Set the server to the correct time	See the Microsoft Docs website for details. If the time is off by five minutes in either direction from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), you must contact SolarWinds Customer Service to reset your license.
	5. Set the Region and Language setting to English (United States)	See the Microsoft Docs website for details.
	6. Open ports according to the requirements	For your server ports and firewall, open ports according to the system requirements. The SolarWinds Platform uses these ports to send and receive data.
	7. Check for antivirus software	Determine if any antivirus software is installed on the server or servers where you plan to install. To ensure the installation goes smoothly, exclude the SolarWinds directory. For example, on Windows Server 2019, exclude `C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\`. Additionally, add the proper exclusions to your antivirus software on the Primary Application Server or endpoints to prevent conflicts.
	8. Verify Internet access through the corporate firewall	Verify that the server can access the following secure websites through the corporate firewall: `https://www.microsoft.com` to access the WSUS installer `https://3pupcontent.solarwinds.com` to evaluate the third party update functionality `https://catalog.update.microsoft.com` to download Windows updates, patches, and hotfixes Contact your IT department to ensure you can access these sites through the firewall.
	9. Update all SolarWinds Platform modules (SolarWinds Platform deployment only)	Update all SolarWinds Platform modules (such as NPM and SAM) to SolarWinds Platform 2020.2. All modules must be running the same release. When you install the Patch Manager SolarWinds Platform Web Console on the SolarWinds Platform server, any module below version 2020.2 will be updated automatically during the installation procedure. See the SolarWinds Platform Products Installation and Upgrade Guide for details.