Flex Controls

What Are Flex Controls?

Flex Controls is an advanced management layer within Adaptiva’s OneSite Patch, offering a unique level of control in autonomous patching. While automation is vital for addressing the volume and speed of vulnerabilities, Flex Controls ensures administrators can safeguard their systems from the unexpected.

With capabilities such as pausing deployments globally, blocking unwanted patches, and rolling back problematic updates, Flex Controls empowers teams to automate patching at scale without losing the ability to react instantly to issues. It strikes a balance between speed and precision, enabling organizations to deploy updates efficiently while maintaining operational stability. By combining automated deployment processes with advanced controls, Adaptiva has created a unique solution that adapts to the unpredictable nature of patching. Teams can confidently automate processes knowing they have safeguards to handle edge cases or disruptions.

How Flex Controls Work to Protect Your Environment

At its core, Flex Controls enhance the safety and efficiency of automated patching by introducing a set of robust capabilities designed to address real-world challenges faced by IT and cybersecurity teams.

Immediate Response with Global Pause

One of the most useful capabilities with Flex Controls is the ability to instantly pause all patch deployments across an enterprise or business unit. With a single click, administrators can halt deployments to address issues, perform root cause analyses, and prevent further disruptions. This feature acts as a safeguard against scenarios where an unexpected issue in a patch threatens to impact operations.

Blocking Unwanted Patches with Precision

Through its blocklist capabilities, Flex Controls enables administrators to prevent specific patches from being deployed, whether globally or to select systems. These controls ensure that patches with known issues—or updates deemed unnecessary for specific environments—don’t disrupt systems or workflows. This level of granularity allows IT teams to tailor their patching strategy to meet the unique needs of their business units.

Rolling Back Problematic Updates

Even with extensive testing, some patches can introduce unintended consequences. Flex Controls provides the ability to rollback updates to previous or specified versions, restoring systems to a stable state without requiring extensive manual intervention. This is especially valuable in scenarios where a critical business application or service is disrupted by a new patch. Patches can be rolled back to the previous version, or a specific version indicated by the admin.

Customizing Deployments with Exceptions

Not all systems are created equal, and Flex Controls recognizes this reality. Its exception-handling capabilities allow administrators to define specific rules for certain business units, devices, or environments. For example, frontline devices or critical operational systems can be excluded from certain updates, ensuring sensitive environments remain unaffected.

Real-Time Oversight and Adjustments

Flex Controls provides comprehensive visibility into ongoing patch deployments, allowing administrators to monitor progress, approve or cancel specific updates, and ensure deployments align with organizational priorities. This level of insight reduces the risk of errors and empowers teams to take immediate corrective actions when needed.

Why Flex Controls Is Essential for Autonomous Patching

Autonomous patching is no longer optional. Organizations are grappling with an increasing volume of vulnerabilities and an expanding attack surface. Manually managing these risks is not scalable, leaving automation as the only viable solution. However, without the ability to adjust, pause, or intervene, fully automated systems can create new risks, such as deploying faulty patches or disrupting business-critical operations.

Flex Controls addresses this challenge by bridging the gap between the speed of automation and the need for control. IT teams no longer have to choose between rapid patch deployment and operational stability. With Flex Controls, automation becomes a tool for efficiency, not a source of anxiety.

This dual emphasis on speed and control makes Flex Controls a standout feature in OneSite Patch. Many patch management solutions offer automation, but few provide the same depth of control over the process. Adaptiva’s solution ensures that organizations can move quickly to protect endpoints while avoiding the cascading effects of unforeseen issues.

Why Flex Controls Matter to IT and Cybersecurity Teams

For IT and cybersecurity professionals, the value of Flex Controls lies in its ability to align automation with real-world operational needs. Automation is crucial for addressing vulnerabilities at scale, but it needs to be tempered with controls that prevent disruptions. Flex Controls delivers this balance, giving teams the tools they need to respond to challenges effectively.

Whether it’s rolling back a problematic update, excluding sensitive devices from certain patches, or halting all deployments to prevent a widespread issue, Flex Controls empowers administrators to maintain control in even the most complex environments. This capability is especially critical as organizations face increasing pressure to secure endpoints quickly in response to evolving threats.

Embrace Confident Automation with OneSite Patch

Adaptiva’s Flex Controls redefines what’s possible in patch management, offering a solution that combines the speed of automation with the safety of advanced controls. IT and cybersecurity teams can now deploy patches with confidence, knowing they have the tools to handle any scenario.

If your organization is ready to take patch management to the next level, discover how Flex Controls in OneSite Patch can transform your approach. Request a demo or explore our resource library to learn more.