Windows Server 2012 is dynamic software because it is constantly evolving. These improvements are available to users in the form of Windows updates and patches. The results of an audit can show that without proper oversight, our system can slowly become outdated, less productive, and potentially non-compliant with government. Microsoft is constantly making improvements or fixing bugs through a series of updates. Some updates are very important to keep products like Windows Server 2012 up to date and secure. Other updates may be labeled as recommended or optional by Microsoft. “Microsoft regularly releases security updates on the second Tuesday of each month, commonly known as Patch Tuesday” (Regan, 2013). Given the abundance and frequency of patches, it is important for our organization to manage them in an efficient and organized manner in order to maintain the highest levels of productivity while minimizing system downtime. Most home users are familiar with Windows Update and the basics of how it works. In a corporate environment like ours with 50 servers, Windows Update is simply not efficient because we would have to manage it on each server individually. Managing Windows UpdateFor our purposes, using something called WSUS or Windows Server Update Services is the most appropriate way for patch management. . WSUS is included with Server 2012 and gives us the ability to manage updates for all of our servers from a single location. There is another product called System Center Configuration Manager or CCM that could be used in place of WSUS and offers much of the same functionality. SCCM has an associated cost and does not offer a sufficient reason to invest, so in my opinion, WSUS is the best solution for our organization ... middle of paper ...... areas for improvement. MMC has a feature called Performance Monitor that is specifically designed to monitor the types of performance indicators we should be looking for. Using WSUS allows us to implement a Windows Update management system that includes an update and patch installation process on a regular monthly basis. as well as a procedure for testing these updates before releasing them to all of our servers company-wide. WSUS should become an integral part of our network management plan. Additionally, MMC allows us to have granular control of our system performance by monitoring servers via the Performance Monitor module. WSUS combined with MMC will give us the highest performance and most efficient network we can imagine. Works Cited Regan, Patrick. (2013). Windows Server 2012 Administration. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.