Sun takes a shine to patch management star

Sun Microsystems has agreed to acquire Aduva, a small company whose products automate the installation of software patches on large numbers of Linux or Solaris computers.

The acquisition, announced by Sun on Wednesday, dovetails with the company's effort to improve remote management services, an initiative that the company expects will make its computers more reliable and less of an administrative burden on customers. In 2004, Sun acquired SevenSpace, a remote management specialist.

The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of June but terms of the deal weren't disclosed.

Sun has refreshed its core server products but the company has also been on a buying spree in an effort to restore revenue growth.

Aduva's software automates the delivery of software patches and can adjust its operations to different computer configurations. Patch management is the "number one pain-point" among computer administrators, said Don Grantham, executive vice president of Sun Services, in a statement.

Sun plans to sell Aduva's technology as a product that customers can install and operate on their own or as an automated service on the Sun Grid, computers whose processing power Sun sells to some customers.

Stephen Shankland writes for CNET News.com