Creating a patch deployment might require more care than creating a full deployment because the changes you include in a patch deployment might negatively affect files in the deployed test system on the test station computer. To avoid this situation, ensure that you correctly prepare the source components for the patch deployment and that you analyze the test system before you create the deployment.

The TestStand Deployment Utility includes several errors and warnings specifically related to patch deployments.

Use the Build Status tab of the deployment utility to view information about the patch deployment, such as which files the patch deployment modifies or adds. The Patch Files tab of the Build Summary message in the Status Log includes specific information about all the files detected, whether the utility included the files, and the checksums used to compare against the previous versions of the files. If the Status Log indicates that the patch deployment does not include a file you expect it to, select View Build Preview in the View control on the Distributed Files tab of the deployment utility to verify that the correct source file is included. In addition, verify that the source file contains all changes made since the previous deployment.