We have a requirement to differentiate between computers that are powered on and off to apply Windows updates in differnet ways
I have been requested to use WOL to start up computers after hours and apply windows updates, and auto restart if needed.
Any computers that are left on after hours must not auto restart.
So I need to have different deployment jobs running after hours:
- Use WOL and auto restart
- Powered on computers and prompt for restart
Answers (2)
Best practice is to reboot after applying updates. Some updates don't apply until a restart and other patches may require that patch to be emplace before patching can continue. Why would you not want to restart client machines? Servers, I can understand.
It's easy to do one or the other - but unless you can define the machines by something that doesn't change (a vlan maybe) - it will prove difficult.
If you manage the job with a smart label, as machines check in and out of the inventory could force it in or out of the label.
With a manual label you'd define the pcs in it, greater control but heavier administration.
Thanks for the reply.
We have a number of staff that from time to time leave their computers on to run processes over night, being on their own pc or on a VM.
As there are a number of people who do this we didn't want to be applying updates and rebooting these computers during a process. A prompt for a restart would let their process continue until they arrive onsite the next day.
Comments:
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If they are running a process then can you assume that they are logged in? You can set the patch schedule to only restart the computer if no one is logged in. - chucksteel 8 years ago