VM Manager - Patch Management and Compliance

What is VM Manager?

VM Manager is a free service from Google Cloud for managing Compute Engine VM fleets. The service offers three core functions: automated OS patching, compliance reporting, and software inventory. This enables organizations to keep their VM fleets secure and compliant.

The service works agent-based through the OS Config Agent installed on managed VMs. Patches are automatically applied according to configurable policies, and compliance status is centrally monitored.

Core Features

• Patch management: Automated OS patching with configurable schedules and policies
• Compliance reporting: Overview of patch status across all VMs with compliance scoring
• Software inventory: Inventory of installed software and packages across the entire VM fleet
• Patch orchestration: Rolling updates with configurable parallelism and disruption strategy

Typical Use Cases

Automated Security Patching

IT teams configure patch policies that automatically apply security updates on a defined schedule. Maintenance windows ensure patches are only installed at acceptable times.

Compliance Audits

For regulatory requirements, VM Manager provides an up-to-date overview of the patch status of the entire VM fleet at any time with detailed compliance reports.

Benefits

• Free for all Compute Engine users
• Reduces risk from unpatched vulnerabilities
• Central management of large VM fleets
• Automation saves manual maintenance work

Integration with innFactory

As a Google Cloud Partner, innFactory supports you with VM Manager: patch strategies, compliance configuration, and integration into existing IT operations processes.