Patch Management
Overview
The SmartDeploy Client automatically scans and reports the Windows Update status for every endpoint in your environment. It will display whether an endpoint is up-to-date, or whether any Windows Update packages are currently available for installation according to the Windows Update settings on that endpoint or in your organization. This information is available in the Patch Management section of the SmartDeploy console.
Patch Management is available for all users with a Pro subscription running SmartDeploy version 3.0.1040 or later.
Individual Updates
As of SmartDeploy 3.0.2000, it is possible to view the status of individual Windows and Microsoft updates in the Patch Management view, and it is possible to view all installed Windows and Microsoft updates for a specific endpoint in the Computer Details pane in Computer Management.
Actions you can perform in Patch Management
You can click a single endpoint, Ctrl-Click to select multiple endpoints, or Shift-Click to select a range of endpoints.
Available actions:
- Install Updates: This is the equivalent action of opening Windows Update on one or more endpoints and clicking Check for updates.
- Enable Microsoft Updates (3.0.1050 or later): Detects and allows you to enable Microsoft updates, which will update other Microsoft products besides the Windows OS, such as Office (see this Microsoft KB for details).
- Reboot: Reboot the endpoint(s).
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Export: Export a CSV of all columns currently displayed in the Patch Management view for the selected endpoint(s).
Install Updates
When you right-click | Install Updates, the Install Windows Updates window will appear.
Select Local Network or Cloud Network to determine how the command to check for Windows Updates will be transmitted.
Note that Windows Updates will be installed by the endpoint in the manner configured on that endpoint or in your environment. You may send the message via Cloud, but Windows Update packages will not be installed from your cloud storage account.
Additional options include allowing the user to defer the update message, and scheduling the message for later.
Select the options as desired, and click Finish. Click OK to confirm Windows Updates installation on the selected endpoint(s).
On each endpoint, Windows Update will run, and the user can view the progress of the update installation in the Windows Update window, just as if they had clicked Check for updates manually.
Any available updates will install automatically in accordance with Windows Update settings on that PC.
When the Windows Update installation is complete, the Windows Update window on the endpoint will report that it is up to date.
Filter by Windows Update status
You can click the vertical Filters bar to expand and view the available filters for the Patch Management view. The default filter is to display All endpoints. However, it is possible to filter and display by update status. The available filters and their meanings are as follows:
- All: All endpoints, regardless of status.
- Pending: Windows Update reports that updates are available to install on this endpoint. If an endpoint is in this state, you can right-click | Install Updates.
- Pending Reboot: Windows Update reports a pending reboot on this endpoint. Update installation will occur upon the next reboot.
- Paused: Windows Update has been paused on this endpoint.
- Installed: Windows Update reports that this endpoint is up-to-date, with no updates available for installation.
- Failed: Windows Update reports that one or more Windows Update packages failed to install on this endpoint.
Columns in Patch Management
You can right-click any of the column headers and view all available columns, including specific Windows Update types. You can click and drag column headers left or right to reorder columns. You can select Reset Columns to undo any custom reordering. It is possible to set custom filters with the Filter Editor.
