Introducing the smpatch update tool

I think that the regularly updated patchsets are great to update baseline images.
But in my opinion, smpatch is the best tool to maintain Solaris 10 up to date.
It's simple to use yet very powerful in getting the job done.
It's built-in and easy to configure as well.

Here's a few goodies:

• Update level analysis;
• Download specific patches;
• Perform partial or full updates;
• Target a specific boot-environment (BE);
• Update Solaris 10 zones in Solaris 11 system.

Furthermore, it's possible to point to a local update proxy/cache of patches.
This offloads the Internet link by avoiding redundant downloads.
Of course, it speeds up the update process as well.
This mode doesn't require system registration.