Patch Management Solution

In Altiris 6 there was an option to automatically revise software update task after patch management import.

How do you do the equivalent in ITMS 7.1sp2?

Thanks

Derik

Go to Manage > Jobs and Tasks > System Jobs and Tasks > Software > Patch Management > Import Patch Data for Windows

Expand the General dropdown/tab/thing and check the box(es).

Thanks for your help. That was exactly what I was looking for.

What's does checking "Enable distribution of newly added Software Updates" under "Automatically revise Software Update policies after import patch data" do?

this checkbox controls whether new/changed updates added to existing SWU policies (by revise functionality during Patch Data import) will be enabled or disabled (so you would need to review and enable them manually) by default.

Anyone else running SMP 7.1 SP2 with the v4 pointfix rollup notice that the 3 checkboxes under Import Patch Data for Windows automatically get unchecked after, I think, the daily pmimport runs?  I'm under the impression that at least on my server, the option to automatically revise SWU policies isn't even working because I have a Microsoft bulletin that ended up getting addtional updates after I initially deployed it where I don't see them in the existing policy (although do see them in the bulletin's Software Resource).

Hi Clint,

By default this checkbox is disabled.

This is normal if this option isn't even working if this checkbox is disabled.

Thanks,

Dmitri

Yes...I'm aware the 3 checkboxes are disabled by default where I believe if an admin enables them and clicks the "Save changes" button, they should remain enabled until explicitly unchecked.  Again, I'll check them all off on a given day, save changes, then when I come in the next day, they're all unchecked!  No one has been able to tell me whether this is a behavioral change in PM 7.1 SP2 compared to Altiris 6 Patch Management Solution.

I've opened up a case with tech support and my local Symantec contact's resources are saying it looks like I've found yet another bug for my SMP patch level.  Ho hum.

FYI: The Symantec support analyst was able to reproduce my issue although I'm trying to verify whether he manually ran a PM import or let the schedule kick in like I've been doing.  It appears this issue is consistent on my server whereby if the import task is in a "pending" state due to a schedule I set, enabling or disabling the PMImport checkboxes without first eliminating the pending state will result in your checkbox settings reverting back to what you had them set to.

As a workaround, I had to stop the pending scheduled import task (think we deleted it too afterwards), set the checkboxes to my liking, saved changes, then recreated the import schedule.  When my PMImport automatically ran the next time, it retained my checkbox settings.  Roman mentioned these settings would revert back if my import was running although didn't think a "pending" status met this qualification since the task wasn't actually running but the "schedule" was pending.

Also, as an experiment, I had all 3 checkboxes enabled but disabled them yesterday while my import task had a "Pending" status.  This morning they're all checked off again which confirms that you can't have import status even in a pending state if you want to change any of the checkboxes.  If you had enabled the checkboxes BEFORE setting your schedule then you'd be OK but as things would have it, I did just the opposite and discovered this issue.

Just a follow up that I closed the case since I was satisfied with using the workaround to change my PMImport checkboxes.  The support analyst was able to reproduce my issue only once where all his other tests turned out as expected so either something unique is on my server or could be due to a permissions issue; even though both domain admin accounts I've been using are specified with the Symantec Administrators role in the SMC.  I plan on keeping all 3 checkboxes enabled so finding a permanent fix is low on my priority list.