21.4 Kernel Live Patches
Most updates of a Linux system can be done while the system is running. Updated network services will need to be restarted afterward, but there is no need to reboot the entire computer. The exception to this rule is the kernel. For security updates to take effect in the kernel, you must install a new kernel and new modules, and then reboot the entire machine or, via kexec, the kernel and all services.
On notebook computers, which are usually turned on and off every day, it makes no difference. But for servers that are supposed to be constantly available without interruption, a restart is mostly undesirable. And even administrators who automate updates are usually reluctant to automate the necessary reboots as well. ...
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