VMware regularly releases patches and updates to provide bug fixes, to address security vulnerabilities, or to add new features. Regularly patching an environment is important to the security and stability of the environment.
VMware vSphere Update Manager (VUM) is an optional vCenter component that provides patching and upgrading of ESXi hosts, VMware tools, and VMware Guest Hardware. VUM ensures compliance is maintained through patch and upgrade baselines. VUM also allows the remediation of hosts or virtual machines that are not in compliance with configured baselines.
VUM must be deployed on a Windows Server and requires a supported database, either embedded or external. The VUM architecture is shown in the following diagram:
VUM requires a Windows Server, and there is a one-to-one relationship between VUM and vCenter Servers. VUM 6.x is fully integrated into the vSphere Web Client.