OS patching is a critical task, especially for Operations teams. It is one of the key ways to fix vulnerabilities and reduce security risks on servers. However, as the number and variety of servers continue to grow, manual patching becomes increasingly difficult to manage. In this article, we invited Khun Toey, a Platform Services Engineer, to share a practical approach to Automated OS Patching that helps solve real operational challenges and makes daily work much easier.OS patching is a critical task, especially for Operations teams. It is one of the key ways to fix vulnerabilities and reduce security risks on servers. However, as the number and variety of servers continue to grow, manual patching becomes increasingly difficult to manage. In this article, we invited Khun Toey, a Platform Services Engineer, to share a practical approach to Automated OS Patching that helps solve real operational challenges and makes daily work much easier.
Patch Group and Baseline ID
Patch Group and Baseline ID are used to define three key aspects of OS patching:
• Operating System
• Patch Classification
• Severity Level
These configurations help control exactly which patches are applied to which servers.
AWS Automation and Maintenance Windows
To enable AWS Automation, AWS Maintenance Windows must be configured. Patch Groups are assigned as tags and used to filter target instances. Additional settings are defined for each patching run, such as:
• Schedule (Cron)
• Tasks
• Targets
• Duration
Once the Maintenance Window is set up, AWS Automation performs patching using the AWS-RunPatchBaseline task. This task applies patches based on the predefined Baseline ID and Patch Group.
End-to-End Automated Patching Flow
Below is a practical automated patching workflow:
• Create a Patch Baseline ID: Define patch approval rules
• Create a Patch Group: Use tags to group target instances and associate them with a Baseline ID
• Create a Maintenance Window: Define the patch schedule (e.g., every Wednesday at 02:00)
• Define Targets: Specify which Patch Group the Maintenance Window applies to
• Configure the Task: Set the task to use AWS-RunPatchBaseline
• Automation Run: When the scheduled time arrives, the Maintenance Window triggers the task, which selects and installs patches based on the assigned Baseline ID and Patch Group
Benefits of Automated OS Patching
Automated OS patching provides several advantages and can be extended in many ways:
• Reduces manual effort by automating the entire process using predefined Baselines, Patch Groups, and schedules
• Improves security by ensuring servers are patched according to policy, such as installing only critical updates or excluding patches that have not yet passed QA testing
• Ensures consistency and standardization so all servers within the same Patch Group receive the same updates
• Simplifies auditing and troubleshooting with repeatable workflows and detailed execution logs
• Minimizes unexpected downtime by running patching at clearly defined times
• Supports environment-based patching, such as patching Dev environments during business hours while restricting Prod updates to off-peak hours
• Integrates with notification systems like SNS, Slack, or Email to provide immediate patch results
• Works with additional automation, such as automatic reboot, post-patch health checks, or rollback when issues are detected
• Integrates with Jira workflows to retain verification evidence, such as service or application health checks
Conclusion
Automated OS patching is not just about installing patches automatically. It strengthens system security, enforces operational standards, improves reliability, and enables deeper integration with overall Operations workflows. By adopting automation, teams can reduce risk while making their day-to-day work significantly more efficient.
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