Let’s face it, nobody wants downtime. When a website goes offline, even for a small amount of time, it is stressful and frustrating. It is frustrating for the user, and it makes the hosting company look bad. This is why more hosting providers in 2025 are starting to implement something called zero-downtime patching.
This is important because websites now run 24/7. There is no “good time” to take things offline - customers want their sites to stay online all the time.
1. People demand constant uptime: Users today do not like waiting. If a user finds an application temporarily unavailable, however brief, they do lose trust. Hosting companies are aware that wasting that precious uptime is unacceptable.
2. Security is always a priority: Hackers do not wait. Hosting providers must be immediately patching security issues. It allows zero-downtime patching to be done sooner without taking the server offline.
3. Better options are available: A few years ago a company would find it difficult to patch the OS kernel. There are tools like Ksplice, KernelCare, or Livepatch that allow patching to happen without updating the server.
4. Saves money and protects the brand: Downtime slows down revenue and damages trust. Zero-downtime patching prevents this from happening because updates will happen at any time without a downtime incident.
• The system uses additional servers or clusters to maintain functionality.
• One component is updated at a time.
• After everything has been done, the servers synchronize back up—no one realizes the update has occurred.
• Your site will always be online, even when it is being updated.
• Your security patches will install at an even faster rate, keeping your site even safer.
• No more interruptions or slowdowns.
It just equals smoother, safer, and easier.
So, if your host is still taking your site offline while it updates, you might want to ask them if they will switch to zero-downtime patching.
What is zero-downtime patching?
Zero-downtime patching is the capability to update or patch servers without turning the servers off. To think of it another way, it’s like updating your phone while you’re still using it. Hosting companies will use some tools and smart systems to help keep your website online even when updates are being performed.This is important because websites now run 24/7. There is no “good time” to take things offline - customers want their sites to stay online all the time.
Why are hosting companies utilizing it?
Here are the primary reasons more providers are adopting zero-downtime patching:1. People demand constant uptime: Users today do not like waiting. If a user finds an application temporarily unavailable, however brief, they do lose trust. Hosting companies are aware that wasting that precious uptime is unacceptable.
2. Security is always a priority: Hackers do not wait. Hosting providers must be immediately patching security issues. It allows zero-downtime patching to be done sooner without taking the server offline.
3. Better options are available: A few years ago a company would find it difficult to patch the OS kernel. There are tools like Ksplice, KernelCare, or Livepatch that allow patching to happen without updating the server.
4. Saves money and protects the brand: Downtime slows down revenue and damages trust. Zero-downtime patching prevents this from happening because updates will happen at any time without a downtime incident.
How This Works
Typical usage goes like this:• The system uses additional servers or clusters to maintain functionality.
• One component is updated at a time.
• After everything has been done, the servers synchronize back up—no one realizes the update has occurred.
What this means to VPS or Cloud users
For VPS or dedicated hosting users, this means:• Your site will always be online, even when it is being updated.
• Your security patches will install at an even faster rate, keeping your site even safer.
• No more interruptions or slowdowns.
It just equals smoother, safer, and easier.
Final Thoughts
Zero-downtime patching has become more than just a buzzword in technology; it has taken root in the hosting world as the new standard. Hosting providers are now adopting this protocol to keep customers happy and their services running at the same time.So, if your host is still taking your site offline while it updates, you might want to ask them if they will switch to zero-downtime patching.
