Getting Started with Tenable Patch Management

Tenable Patch Management automates even the most complex enterprise patching processes, allowing IT and security teams to precisely mirror their patching strategies and tailor processes for specific device groups.

Tenable Patch Management is powered by Tenable Patch Management. This collaboration brings advanced patch management to Tenable Patch Management customers, ensuring you benefit from the combined expertise of both companies. Tenable Patch Management is a robust and versatile product that focuses on risk-driven patch prioritization. Tenable Patch Management is committed to providing the best tools for our customers to achieve their security outcomes. This partnership exemplifies that dedication.

Prerequisites

Before usingTenable Patch Management , set up your environment using the Tenable Patch Management Installation Guide.

Supported Platforms and Distributions

Windows

  • Windows 10 and newer

  • Windows Server 2012 and newer

  • Windows 365

  • Support for BIOS and Driver patching for the following third-party solutions:

    • DELL

    • Hewlet-Packard

    • Lenovo workstations and Servers

Linux

Automated OS package updates, libraries and applications from official repositories for key Linux distributions (updates within the same distribution release within those repositories).

  • CentOS Stream 9

  • CentOS Stream 10

  • Debian 11

  • Debian 12

  • RHEL 8

  • RHEL 9

  • Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

  • Ubuntu 20.04 LTS

  • Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

  • Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

Support for repository-based library and application patching, including:

  • OS package updates (security, system services, libraries, and kernel)

  • Automated updates from the official repositories of each supported Linux distribution for each supported release

  • Patch support for approximately 18,000+ products sourced from distribution-specific repositories

  • Popular application support, such as Chromium, Firefox, Apache, OpenSSL, NGINX, and more

Some limitations apply. See Customer Facing FAQ Cross Platform 2025 for details.

Mac

Third-party patching (no OS patching).

Support for devices running the following macOS versions:

  • macOS 13 (Ventura)

  • macOS 14 (Sonoma)

  • macOS 15 (Sequoia)

Note: MacOS patching is not supported.

Supported Browsers

Tenable Patch Management supports the following browsers:

  • Google Chrome

  • Microsoft Edge

  • Mozilla Firefox

  • Safari

Caution: Do not use Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Logs for Server

Access Server logs using the UUID-75e83e2e-a225-b294-2a57-715f08a78073.png on the Admin Portal or by navigating to the following location:

Tenable Patch Management/ Tenable Patch Management/Logs.

Note: Tenant logs can only be accessed by navigating to UUID-75e83e2e-a225-b294-2a57-715f08a78073.png > Logs in the Admin Portal.

The following options are available on the Logs page.

  • Download All Server Logs: Downloads all Server logs, including component and workflow logs.

  • Download Server Error Logs: Downloads Tenable Patch Management Server error logs.

  • Clear Web Logs: Clears all Admin Portal runtime information and errors recorded by the browser session.

  • Download Web Logs: Downloads all Admin Portal runtime information and errors recorded by the browser session.

Customer Support

When you need information beyond what this documentation provides, enter a support ticket and request help from Tenable Patch Management Customer Support.

Tenable Patch Management Admin Portal

Tenable Patch Management uses both the Admin Portal and the Patch dashboard for configuration and management.

Use the Admin Portal to set up your environment, create policies, add administrators, and more. Global settings include groups, security, and administrators.

Log in to the Admin Portal

During Tenable Patch Management installation the administrator creates a SuperAdmin account using either a native Tenable Patch Management login or a Windows Active Directory account (recommended).

Tip: You can create an OIDC-enabled or SAML-enabled account after server activation and component configuration.

  1. Enter the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) for the Tenable Patch Management followed by the port (optional) into the browser address bar:

    https://<FQDN>:[port]

    If necessary, confirm the port details with the administrator who defined the port during software installation. If the server is already using port 80, for example, the web site might use port 9678.

  2. Press Enter. The Admin Portal login dialog opens.

    UUID-897f93ec-0cc3-2f26-3225-56a4f39903aa.png

  3. Log in using one of the following methods:

    • Enter a native Login ID (email address) and password, and then click Log in.

    • Select Login with Active Directory (recommended).

    • Select Login with <OIDC Entry>. OIDC-enabled accounts can be configured after server activation and component configuration.

    • Select Login with <SAML Entry>. SAML-enabled accounts can be configured after server activation and component configuration.

    Tip: If you are using Mozilla Firefox, refer to the Resolve the Mozilla Firefox Active Directory Login Issue Knowledge Base article.

    UUID-fee8b81c-edea-1ed3-2ed1-920f22a72b17.png

    After successfully logging in, the Tenable Patch Management home page appears.

Licensing Tenable Patch Management

Tenable Patch Management requires a license for each active client. The license key contains the licensed company name and client count. The Tenable Patch Management periodically counts all active, healthy, reporting clients as licensed clients.

You may enter the license key when installing the server, or enter the license key using the Admin Portal after completing the installation. If you are starting the for the first time or your key has expired, select Manage License to add or replace the license.

Add a License Key

If you entered your license key during installation, you do not need to reenter it.

  1. Click Manage Licenses at the upper-right of the Admin Portal dashboard.

  2. Click Add Key, and enter your license key.

    UUID-ba5f4284-fa61-7b14-7344-e08c58b4da8d.png

  3. Click OK to return to the Product Licensing workspace.

  4. Wait for the licensing process to complete. For any user-generated changes, Tenable Patch Management sends a status update when it has enabled the installed solution.

Target Collections for the Licensed Product

After entering a license key, select a Target Collection for the licensed product.

Caution: Use care when selecting Use All Clients. Earlier versions of the installed Tenable Patch Management version do not support this feature and selecting it can corrupt the patch environment.

Tenable Patch Management recommends upgrading to the latest version of the product.

  1. Select the Tenable Patch Management product name in the Product Licensing list.

  2. Select + Browse under Target Collections.

    This opens the Select Group dialog.

  3. Select one or more Groups from the All Groups table.

  4. Select OK on the lower-left corner to return to the Product Licensing workspace.

Tenable Patch Management Dashboard

Use the Patch Dashboard, available from the Admin Portal, to manage your patching strategies, review patching status, and more.

Access the Patch Management Dashboard

Open the dashboard from the Admin Portal using one of the following methods:

  • Select Patch Management near the top of the page.

  • Select Go to Patch Management under Licensed Products.