With VMware Update Manager, you can automate patch management and eliminate manual tracking and patching of VMware ESX hosts and virtual machines. VMware Update Manager scans the state of the physical VMware ESX hosts, as well as select guest operating systems, compares them with baselines set by the administrator and then applies updates and patches to enforce compliance to mandated patch standards. This capability dramatically simplifies the patch management process while helping you protect your data center against bugs and security vulnerabilities.