This blog entry expands on a previous blog entry regarding Solaris patch entitlement.
The Solaris patch entitlement policy is available on http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-61-203648-1. "Entitlement" refers to patches which require you to have a valid support contract to access them.
Solaris changed its business model a few years ago from selling Solaris and providing patches for free to a model of giving away the Solaris releases for free and charging for patches.
The Solaris patch entitlement policy applies to all Solaris Operating System patches. It does not necessarily apply to middleware or application layer product patches which may be installed on top of Solaris, such as SunStudio, Java, etc.
The Solaris patch entitlement policy is that the following Solaris OS patches will remain available irrespective of whether or not you have a valid support contract:
- the specific patch revisions which introduce all new security fixes
- the specific patch revisions which introduce certain hardware support
- all revisions of Solaris patch utility, smpatch, and Update Manager patches to ensure correct patch application
- the specific pre-requisite patch revisions for Live Upgrade
- the specific pre-requisite patch revisions for certain Sun software application products
- all revisions of patches which patch products which are both bundled as part of Solaris and also released as separate products which don't enforce patch entitlement
- a small number of other specific patch revisons at the discretion of Sun
- any patch revision explicitly required by any of the above patches
Other Solaris OS patches require that you have a valid support contract to access them.
All fixes will all be available for free in the next Solaris 10 Update release, so if you are not willing to pay for a support contract, you can still get the fixes by installing or upgrading to the next Solaris 10 Update release. You'll just need to wait for it to be released.
The key point is that if you may need timely access to a patch which fixes a critical non-security issue, then you need to have a valid support contract for each system you may wish to patch. You also need to have a valid support contract in order to get telephone support or fixes coded for any issues which are unique to your environment.
So it's highly advisable for you to have a valid support contract in place for each production system.
If you are a home user for example, and don't want to go to the expense of buying a support contract, using OpenSolaris or waiting for the next Solaris 10 Update release are valid options.
This policy is not changing.
What is changing is the implementation of patch entitlement to ensure it matches the policy. Currently, circa 60% of Solaris OS patches are available without a support contract, including most of the key patches. Under the new entitlement implementation, 18% of Solaris OS patches will remain available without a support contract. The rest will require a valid support contract to access.
Any of the following support contracts will provide you with access to all Solaris OS patches and patch clusters: a Solaris subscription, a Software Support Contract, a Sun System Service Plan for Solaris, a Sun Spectrum Storage Plan, or a Sun Spectrum Enterprise Service Plan. Since the names of the support contracts change from time-to-time, this list may change.
If you are running Solaris on Sun Hardware, I suggest you consider purchasing a SunSpectrum System Plan. This will cover both your HW and OS with one simple support contract.
If you are running Solaris on non-Sun hardware, you should consider a Solaris Subscription Support Plan, which is available on-line from just $324 per year.
Remember, you need a support contract for each system you wish to patch, so if you need more of a site-wide support plan, Solaris Everywhere is a good choice.
BTW: It's important to remember that hardware warranties do not cover software support or access to Solaris patches.
The new implementation will roll out in phases, starting this week.
You should check that you have valid support contracts in place for each system you may need to patch. Please do not wait until you need a patch to put the support contract in place. There is a latency of several days between subscribing for a support contract and patch access being granted. Support for your production Operating System really isn't something you should play "chicken" with.
The new Solaris OS patch entitlement implementation roll-out should be completely transparent if you have a valid support contract for each system you wish to patch.
A PodCast talking about the above and the Solaris 8 Vintage program which commences April 1, 2009 is available here