SCCM Update Behavior

[Leonard Volling]

All,

We are using SCCM to managepatches for our microsoft servers, we have
maintenance windows defined for the third and fourth week of the month for
different groups of servers. In the end, each server falls into a 2 hour
maintenance window that recurrs once a month. We created our first update
deployment and set the available date and time to a date and time in the
past, we also set the deadline date and time for a date and time in the
past. We surpressed all notifications. We then just waited for our
maintenance windows to hit.

We expected the updates to be downloaded as soon as it was recognized that a
deployment had been advertised with a date and time in the past (regardless
of when the maintenance window was due). We also expected the updates to
install once the maintenance window hit because the deployment would be
waiting, again since it was configured with a deadline date and time in the
past.

When I view the States 1 - Enforcement States for a deployment report,
approximately 50% of my clients say they are downloading udpates and
approximately 25% say they are waiting for maintance windows.

At this point all of my monthly maintenance windows have passed and I
expected all servers to have the updates deployed...

Another thing that seems odd is when I run the report States 4 - Computers
in a specific state for a deployment, it seems like the last state recieved
timestamp is too old. I have client scan scheduled to run every day... seems
like the last state recieved timestamp should be within a day of when I am
viewing the report

Thanks in advance,

[Garth]

In theory client will not download the updates until the next maintenance
window (MW), that is part of the point of MW. Status messages are sent at
each task is completed, so if you are not seeing update messages it because
the task is not completed. Keep in mind that MW will affect not only
Software Update but advertisements too. Make sure that your MW is not to
short!, 2 hour is fairly short. Make sure that you understand that MW are
cumulative on ALL collections you can use the web report called "Maintenance
Windows Available to a Particular Client" to see the windows for a client.

Post by Leonard Volling
All,
We are using SCCM to managepatches for our microsoft servers, we have
maintenance windows defined for the third and fourth week of the month for
different groups of servers. In the end, each server falls into a 2 hour
maintenance window that recurrs once a month. We created our first update
deployment and set the available date and time to a date and time in the
past, we also set the deadline date and time for a date and time in the
past. We surpressed all notifications. We then just waited for our
maintenance windows to hit.
We expected the updates to be downloaded as soon as it was recognized that a
deployment had been advertised with a date and time in the past (regardless
of when the maintenance window was due). We also expected the updates to
install once the maintenance window hit because the deployment would be
waiting, again since it was configured with a deadline date and time in the
past.
When I view the States 1 - Enforcement States for a deployment report,
approximately 50% of my clients say they are downloading udpates and
approximately 25% say they are waiting for maintance windows.
At this point all of my monthly maintenance windows have passed and I
expected all servers to have the updates deployed...
Another thing that seems odd is when I run the report States 4 - Computers
in a specific state for a deployment, it seems like the last state
recieved timestamp is too old. I have client scan scheduled to run every
day... seems like the last state recieved timestamp should be within a day
of when I am viewing the report
Thanks in advance,

...

[Leonard Volling]

Everything that I have read, although it may not have been from an official
Micorosoft source states that update downloads will start regardless of
maintenance window... you say "in theory" download will wait for the
maintenance window... can we confirm what expected behavior is here?

Also, as I view report States 4 - Computers in a specific state for a
deployment on a daily basis, it appears that something is missing...
reviewing this report the last few days(9/29, 9/30, 10/1), I have seen 50%
of the servers with a status of downloading updates with a last state
recieved time stamp of 9/25/2008, today (10/2) only 1% say downloading
updates and 73% say waiting for maintenance window... so that means they
have been downloading updates since 9/25?? Mind you this update deployment
includes only updates from August... so, not a lot to download. Even if
download did not start until the maintenance window, it seems like there
still should be pleanty of time to download the August updates, install them
and report a compliant status...

Could someone clarify when status messages are sent... I was under the
impression they are more real time in SCCM and that I should be seeing
updated status (regardless of if it has changed) on a regular interval.

As for Maintenance Windows, I do understand the point of maintenance windows
and their behavior... we intentionally configured them to be a 2 hour window
the last week of the month

Thanks,

Post by Garth
In theory client will not download the updates until the next maintenance
window (MW), that is part of the point of MW. Status messages are sent at
each task is completed, so if you are not seeing update messages it
because the task is not completed. Keep in mind that MW will affect not
only Software Update but advertisements too. Make sure that your MW is not
to short!, 2 hour is fairly short. Make sure that you understand that MW
are cumulative on ALL collections you can use the web report called
"Maintenance Windows Available to a Particular Client" to see the windows
for a client.

Post by Leonard Volling
All,
We are using SCCM to managepatches for our microsoft servers, we have
maintenance windows defined for the third and fourth week of the month for
different groups of servers. In the end, each server falls into a 2 hour
maintenance window that recurrs once a month. We created our first update
deployment and set the available date and time to a date and time in the
past, we also set the deadline date and time for a date and time in the
past. We surpressed all notifications. We then just waited for our
maintenance windows to hit.
We expected the updates to be downloaded as soon as it was recognized that a
deployment had been advertised with a date and time in the past (regardless
of when the maintenance window was due). We also expected the updates to
install once the maintenance window hit because the deployment would be
waiting, again since it was configured with a deadline date and time in the
past.
When I view the States 1 - Enforcement States for a deployment report,
approximately 50% of my clients say they are downloading udpates and
approximately 25% say they are waiting for maintance windows.
At this point all of my monthly maintenance windows have passed and I
expected all servers to have the updates deployed...
Another thing that seems odd is when I run the report States 4 -
Computers in a specific state for a deployment, it seems like the last
state recieved timestamp is too old. I have client scan scheduled to run
every day... seems like the last state recieved timestamp should be
within a day of when I am viewing the report
Thanks in advance,

...

[Garth]

State Messages are real time (< aprox.15 minutes old (default))

You might want to read the following, particularly the Sample Program
Sequence Scenario
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-ca/library/bb694197.aspx



Remember that if you need to deploy anything when using MW, that your MW is
cut down by minimum of 10 minutes



5 minute for the countdown

5 minutes for the reboot



120 Minute MW is really 110



Then you need to remember that each software update will have different Max
Run times.

Most have a execution time of 1200 Second (20 Minutes)



So as long as there is more that SU Max Run Time + 5 minute left it will
continue to apply HFs but once it hit that limit it will stop applying HFs.



BTW to get an idea of how many SU use 20 minute, use this query.

http://smsug.ca/blogs/garth_jones/archive/2008/10/07/count-of-max-run-time-for-software-updates.aspx

Post by Leonard Volling
Everything that I have read, although it may not have been from an
official Micorosoft source states that update downloads will start
regardless of maintenance window... you say "in theory" download will wait
for the maintenance window... can we confirm what expected behavior is
here?
Also, as I view report States 4 - Computers in a specific state for a
deployment on a daily basis, it appears that something is missing...
reviewing this report the last few days(9/29, 9/30, 10/1), I have seen 50%
of the servers with a status of downloading updates with a last state
recieved time stamp of 9/25/2008, today (10/2) only 1% say downloading
updates and 73% say waiting for maintenance window... so that means they
have been downloading updates since 9/25?? Mind you this update deployment
includes only updates from August... so, not a lot to download. Even if
download did not start until the maintenance window, it seems like there
still should be pleanty of time to download the August updates, install
them and report a compliant status...
Could someone clarify when status messages are sent... I was under the
impression they are more real time in SCCM and that I should be seeing
updated status (regardless of if it has changed) on a regular interval.
As for Maintenance Windows, I do understand the point of maintenance
windows and their behavior... we intentionally configured them to be a 2
hour window the last week of the month
Thanks,

Post by Garth
In theory client will not download the updates until the next maintenance
window (MW), that is part of the point of MW. Status messages are sent
at each task is completed, so if you are not seeing update messages it
because the task is not completed. Keep in mind that MW will affect not
only Software Update but advertisements too. Make sure that your MW is
not to short!, 2 hour is fairly short. Make sure that you understand
that MW are cumulative on ALL collections you can use the web report
called "Maintenance Windows Available to a Particular Client" to see the
windows for a client.

Post by Leonard Volling
All,
We are using SCCM to managepatches for our microsoft servers, we have
maintenance windows defined for the third and fourth week of the month for
different groups of servers. In the end, each server falls into a 2 hour
maintenance window that recurrs once a month. We created our first update
deployment and set the available date and time to a date and time in the
past, we also set the deadline date and time for a date and time in the
past. We surpressed all notifications. We then just waited for our
maintenance windows to hit.
We expected the updates to be downloaded as soon as it was recognized that a
deployment had been advertised with a date and time in the past (regardless
of when the maintenance window was due). We also expected the updates to
install once the maintenance window hit because the deployment would be
waiting, again since it was configured with a deadline date and time in the
past.
When I view the States 1 - Enforcement States for a deployment report,
approximately 50% of my clients say they are downloading udpates and
approximately 25% say they are waiting for maintance windows.
At this point all of my monthly maintenance windows have passed and I
expected all servers to have the updates deployed...
Another thing that seems odd is when I run the report States 4 -
Computers in a specific state for a deployment, it seems like the last
state recieved timestamp is too old. I have client scan scheduled to run
every day... seems like the last state recieved timestamp should be
within a day of when I am viewing the report
Thanks in advance,

...