AWS Managed Service (AMS) Advanced: Patch Orchestrator Deep Dive

Performing patches on a regular basis is a critical part of any organization’s security posture. However, manually installing these updates can require significant overhead, and is subject to human error. AMS customers can rely on the AMS Patch Orchestrator – a tag-based, self-service model for managing patch activities. Patch Orchestrator uses automation based on customer-defined configurations to apply software updates – either on-demand, or on a recurring schedule.

• Course level: Intermediate

• Duration: 1 hour

Activities

This course consists of real-world scenarios, video tutorials, and text.

Course objectives

In this course, you will learn to:

• Define the Patch Orchestrator solution and its components (patch groups, patch windows, patch baselines).

• Explain how Patch Orchestrator uses AWS Systems Manager to apply patches.

• Schedule recurring patches for managed Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) instances.

• Perform on-demand patches for managed instances as necessary.

• Update existing customer-defined patch configurations.

• Review patching compliance status for managed instances.

Intended audience

This course is intended for:

• Existing AMS customers and AWS Partners

o Solutions architects

o IT and Infrastructure support

o Security personnel

Prerequisites

We recommend that attendees of this course have:

• Basic understanding of patch management, or have taken AWS Managed Services (AMS): Patch Management

• Experience working with IT infrastructure

• Experience working with AMS processes, such as accessing the console, submitting RFCs

Course outline

Lesson 1: Introduction

• Narrated animation: Introduce typical customer challenges with patching

• Explain benefits of using Patch Orchestrator solution to manage recurring patching needs

Lesson 2: Scheduling Recurring Patching

• Demonstration: Implement a recurring patching schedule through AMS Advanced Change Management

Lesson 3: Initiating On-Demand Patching

• Demonstration: Perform on-demand patching through AMS Advanced Change Management

Lesson 4: Updating Patch Configurations

• Demonstration: Update an existing, customer-defined patching configuration through AMS Advanced Change Management

Lesson 5: Reviewing Patch Compliance

• Demonstration: Review recent patching activity and compliance status for managed EC2 instances