SCCM 2012 - Managing Workstation Updates

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Evening all

 

As it's been pretty miserable for a bank holiday (suprise suprise) I've been messing arround with my test setup for SCCM.

 

The one bit I'm struggling to get my head around is managing updates for Workstations and controlling the reboot.

 

With WSUS, I've got the GPO set to automatically download and update computers at lunchtime and prompt for a restart, but I don't see how you can achieve the same setup in SCCM. The only thing that seems to come close would be to allow the deployment to occur as soon as possible and then supress a reboot so that it doesn't go off and restart in the middle of a lesson. Making it optional like I've done for the test server makes sense and links in with the existing WSUS policy for prompt but don't download, but can't see any similar configuration to install at this time for workstation.

 

So, really I'm wondering how people deal with deploying updates through SCCM to machines and the reboot (which polciies are configured or the process used) and if a deadline is used, how it deals with machines which are off when the deadline passes.

[Gatt]

What you are looking for are "Maintenance Windows"

Theses are set on the collection level (eg "Workstations")

 

This will then prevent updates from being installed or rebooting the PCs until that window opens.

You can also tell the update deployment to ignore a MW and install or reboot immediately - handy for super-critical updates.

 

Also, if an update cannot install and reboot within its MW then it will not be installed until the next window

(IE if an update is said to take 15 mins to install and reboot, and the MW only has 10 minutes left then that update wont get installed.)

 

Oh and MWs are apply to Software Deployments as well, and are cumulative (if the PC is in 3 collections - each with a MW - then all are applied, and the first available window will be used..

 

In regards to deadlines and PCs being off - easy - the updates get installed the next time the PC is powered on.

If the Deadline has passed then it will do it as soon as it gets its policy from SCCM...

Edited May 27, 2013 by Gatt

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Thanks, I'll go and have a read up on maintenance windows.