Deploy Software Update

Article
10/24/2013

Applies To: System Center 2012 - Orchestrator, System Center 2012 R2 Orchestrator, System Center 2012 SP1 - Orchestrator

The Deploy Software Update activity is used in a runbook to create a Software Deployment (advertisement) to deploy software updates to a collection of computers. This activity requires that the updates have been downloaded and that the following items exist on the Configuration Manager Site:

Deployment Template
Deployment Package

For the procedure to configure this object, see: Configuring the Deploy Software Update Activity.

Properties and Published Data

The following tables list the properties and published data for this activity.

Deploy Program Properties

Element	Description
Deployment Name	The desired name for the new deployment that will be shown in the Configuration Manager console
Deployment Description	An optional description (comment) for the new deployment
Deployment Template	The display name or ID of an existing deployment template. The template allows you to pre-define many settings for a deployment without having to manually specify them in the activity. This property is optional if you choose instead to manually define the settings by using all of the optional properties. Note When you use the browse feature to look up a template name, or enter a template name manually or from published data, you must set the Deployment Template Value Type property to Name or the activity will fail.
Deployment Template Value Type	Specifies whether the value in the Deployment Template property is a name or a template ID. Options are: ID (default): the value is a template ID Name: the value is a template name
Update / Update Group	The display name or ID of an existing software update group or individual software update. Note The browse feature will allow you to select a software update group by name. Individual software updates are not shown in the browser.
Update Value Type	Specifies whether the value in the Update / Update Group property is a name or an ID. Options are: Update Group Name (default): the value is an update group name Update Group ID: the value is an ID Update Name: the value is the name of an individual update Update ID: the value is the CI_ID of an individual update
Purpose	The deployment intent or purpose. Options are: Required (default): the application is mandatory to be installed or uninstalled Available: the application is made available but not mandatory Note When this property is set to Required, a mandatory schedule must be defined on the Schedule tab or the activity will fail.
User Notification	Determines how the end user sees the deployment and its notifications. Options are: Show all notifications (default): The deployment is listed in the Software Center and all notifications are displayed to the user. Show only restart notifications: The deployment is not listed in the Software Center, but notifications about a required reboot are displayed to the user. Hide all notifications: The deployment is not listed in the Software Center, and notifications about a required reboot are not displayed to the user. Note If you set this property to Hide all notifications and the Purpose property is set to Available, this property will automatically be reset to Show only restart notifications because Configuration Manager disallows that setting.
Collection	The display name or ID of an existing collection. Note When you use the browse feature to look up a collection name, or enter a collection name manually or from published data, you must set the Collection Value Type property to Name or the activity will fail.
Collection Value Type	Specifies whether the value in the Collection property is a name or a collection ID. Options are: ID (default): the value is a collection ID Name: the value is a collection name

Deploy Program Optional Properties

Element	Description
Allow peer client distribution	True or False (Default = True) Select this option to reduce load on the network by allowing clients to download content from other clients on the network that have already downloaded and cached the content. This option utilizes Windows BranchCache and can be used on computers running Windows Vista SP2 and later.
Allow Software Install Outside of Maintenance Windows	True or False (Default = False) Allows the application to install even if the installation would occur outside of a maintenance window
Allow System Restart Outside of Maintenance Windows	True or False (Default = False) Allows the advertised program to restart the client even if the restart would occur outside of a maintenance window
Detail Level	Specified the level of information reported in state messages about the deployment. Options are: Normal (default): returns all state messages related to the deployment Minimal: Returns only enforcement success and critical error messages.
Send Wake-up Packets	True or False (Default = False) Specifies whether the Configuration Manager server will send a Wake On LAN packet to the computer prior to the advertised program. Note This setting applies only if the Purpose is set to Required.
Slow boundary deployment option	Specifies the options available when the client is within a slow or unreliable network boundary. Options are: Do not run program (default): The program will not be run when a client is connected within a slow or unreliable network boundary. Download content and run locally: the client will download the content from the Distribution Point before attempting to run the program.
Allow unprotected distribution point	True or False (Default = False) Specifies whether Configuration Manager will permit a client to use an unprotected distribution point if content is not immediately available on its protected distribution point, or if it forces a client to use the protected local distribution point if it is within the boundaries for that point.
Suppress Restart on Servers	True or False (Default = False) When set to True, prevents the automatic restart of servers after update installation
Suppress Restart on Workstations	True or False (Default = False) When set to True, prevents the automatic restart of workstations after update installation
Comment	An optional comment associated with the deployment
Fast (LAN) boundary deployment option	Specifies how a program is run when the client is connected within a fast (LAN) network boundary. Options are: Download content and run locally (default): The client will download the content from the Distribution Point before attempting to run the program Run program from Distribution Point: The client will run the program from the Distribution Point without downloading it first.

Schedule Tab Properties

Element	Description
Schedule Evaluation – Time Based On	Defines how the time values below are interpreted. Options are: Client Local Time (default): the times specified below represent the local time on the client UTC: The times specified below are UTC times.
Software available time - Availability	Determines whether the date/time value below is used to specify the availability of the deployment. Options are: As soon as possible (default): The date/time value below is ignored and availability is set to the current date/time. Schedule time: The time specified below is used as the deployment’s availability time.
Software available time – Specific Time	The specific date/time when the deployment will be made available to clients.
Installation Deadline – deadline	Determines whether the date/time value below is used to specify the installation deadline of the deployment. Options are: As soon as possible (default): The date/time value below is ignored and the deadline is set to the current date/time. Schedule time: The time specified below is used as the deployment’s deadline time.
Installation Deadline – Specific Time	The specific date/time of the installation deadline for the deployment.

Alerts Tab Properties

Element	Description
Generate Alerts	True or False (Default = False) When set to True, an alert definition will be created for the deployment according to the settings below. When set to False, alert settings in this group are ignored.
When compliance % is below	When compliance with this deployment is below this percentage, an alert will be generated in Configuration Manager. Valid values: 1 - 99
Offset from deadline time	Alerts will be generated only after this period of time has elapsed from the deployment’s installation deadline time.
Disable Operations Manager alerts during installation	True or False (Default = False) When set to True, the computer will be put into Maintenance Mode in Operations Manager before installation of the deployment. Note Requires Operations Manager connection with Configuration Manager
Create Operations Manager alerts if installation fails	True or False (Default = False) When set to True, if the deployment fails, alerts will be created in Operations Manager. Note Requires Operations Manager connection with Configuration Manager

Deploy Software Update Published Data

The following values are published in addition to the input values above:

Element	Description
Connection	Specifies the name of the connection to the Configuration Manager server
Collection ID	Provides the Collection ID value for the collection targeted for this activity (in case the collection name was specified for the input property).

Configuring the Deploy Software Update Activity

To configure the Deploy Software Update activity

From the Activities pane, drag a Deploy Software Update activity to the active runbook.
Double-click the Deploy Software Update activity icon. The Properties dialog box opens.
Configuring the Details tab:
1. In the Connection section, click the ellipsis button (...), and then select the Configuration Manager server connection that you want to use for this activity. Click OK.
2. In the Fields section, enter a value for each of the required properties. If the property is Lookup-enabled, you can click the ellipsis (…) button next to the text box to browse for a value.
  
  You can also use published data to automatically populate the value of the property from the data output by a previous activity in the runbook.
Configuring the Schedule tab:

The Schedule tab allows you to define when the deployment becomes available or when it expires, as well as mandatory assignment schedules. Mandatory assignment schedules cause Configuration Manager to automatically run the program at a specific time or according to a specific event, such as user Logon/Logoff. The settings on this tab are optional.

For more information about mandatory assignments, see Mandatory Assignment Schedules.

Note

When a deployment is set to Required, then a mandatory schedule must be defined for the deployment or the activity will fail.
Configuring the Alerts tab:

The Alerts tab allows you to define compliance and installation alert features for a deployment. The settings on this tab are optional. To configure the settings on this tab, enter the appropriate values as described in the properties list above.
For information about the settings on the General and Run Behavior tabs, see Common Configuration Instructions for all Activities.
Click Finish.

Other Activities

The Integration Pack for System Center Configuration Manager contains the following additional activities:

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