hot patch meaning: definition | English Dictionary

hot patch

noun

Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences 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.

Business, Construction, Manufacturing A repair for cracks and potholes in a paved surface involving filling them with hot, molten asphalt concrete.

Coordinate terms: cold patch

hot patch

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.
Hot patching is easiest in the summer, when the asphalt is easier to keep hot during the application process.