hot patch

Meaning

1. noun A patch (software fix) which is applied to a system while it is running, without the need to reboot the system to complete the patching process.

   The use of hot patches allows the server to be kept fully up-to-date without any reboot-induced downtime.

2. noun A repair for cracks and potholes in a paved surface involving filling them with hot, molten asphalt concrete.
3. verb To install a hot patch (of either sense).

   Hot patching requires that the operating system be specifically designed or modified to allow running processes - potentially including those forming part of the core of the operating system itself - to be modified on-the-fly without crashing the system.

Similar words

hotpatch patcher patch monkey patch hotfix patch file monkeypatch hack bugfix patchset