Patch Management Group

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  • 1.  Targets vs Filters - Best Practices with 7.6

    Trusted Advisor
    Posted Jan 27, 2016 03:57 PM

    Maybe it was always there, but Targets are more prominant to me on the Computers screen since upgrading to 7.6.  I'm not really sure what to do with them, though.

    Can someone tell me what best practices are for when to use targets vs filters?

    The main reason I'm asking is I noticed since upgrading to 7.6, in Patch, when I want to prompte a patch policy from testing internal to testing my larger sample group of users, it seems like it's now many more clicks to apply the Patch policy to my existing Sample Computer group filter. Before it easily matched filter by name in the apply to box, two or 2 clicks and I was done sending a Patch policy from test to larger sample test.  

    Now I have to go to Apply To - Computers - Add Rule - change drop down to exclose computers not in - and type my sample filter name, click ok.  Way too many clicks.  Is there a better way I could set up the policy to targets instead of a filter?  Is there a doc on creating targets vs filters?

    Thanks for any advice as always



  • 2.  RE: Targets vs Filters - Best Practices with 7.6

    Posted Jan 27, 2016 04:22 PM

    Does this help?

    https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/videos/creating-new-target-itms-management-views-video

     



  • 3.  RE: Targets vs Filters - Best Practices with 7.6

    Trusted Advisor
    Posted Jan 28, 2016 08:06 AM

    It's helpful, thanks.  

    Unfortunately, it's still a waste of time with more clicking around in the console for each policy I need to rescope when I release patches from internal testing to sample group & then again to production.

    1) I don't know why 7.6 is making it so many more clicks to point policies at a filter.  It has worked great for me since implementing 7.x 5 years ago at I think 3 clicks per policy.  Now I either have to create targets from existing filters just making more duplication in the console, or use my existing filters which now takes like 10+ clicks to scope to a policy because you have to go into the Computers wizard thing.

    2) Even if I go the target route, once targets are created, it still takes more clicks to push my patch policies to the new target vs using filters in 7.5.  I have to click Apply to, quick apply, under folder select the custom folder i created (since I can't add custom filters to the default),then select my filter, then click the greater than sign to select it, then click ok.

    7.5 Sp1 was working fine for us.  I mainly upgraded to 7.6 after listening to a Symantec webcast about how improved the new console is, speed improvements, etc.  I'm not seeing it.  It seems like on the patching side, at least, where I'm constantly rescoping policies, upgrading to 7.6 is going to cost me a lot of time in increased unnecessary clicking around... maybe someone out there has better way of doing things that I'm missing.  

    Or maybe a hotfix will allow us to go back to scopting to filters with minimal clicks.



  • 4.  RE: Targets vs Filters - Best Practices with 7.6

    Posted Jan 28, 2016 11:08 AM

    The big difference for us in 7.1+ is that filters are exposed directly in the console (manage > filters).  Targets are great for naming a specific deployment group (bunch of filters, organization views, computer lists) that you reuse frequently.  However it is not easy to delete a target outside of SQL.  There is no Manage > targets for example.  



  • 5.  RE: Targets vs Filters - Best Practices with 7.6

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Jan 30, 2016 03:58 PM

    HI,

     

    Just a little tricks that could help to lowering number of clicks to apply policies\task to targets:

    As described in video above targets now can be created in “Manage -> Computers -> Targets” section.

    After you create some target there it can be reused in any policy\tasks.

     

    One path is just to use the “Right-Click” on “Created Targeted” and select “Assign to…  policy\task”

    Rc_Target.png

    One more path is using D’n’D of target to Task/Policies,  or D’n’D of policy\task to target.



  • 6.  RE: Targets vs Filters - Best Practices with 7.6

    Trusted Advisor
    Posted Feb 01, 2016 09:31 AM

    I think my real issue is in patch remediation center, for each patch policy, I used to be able to hit a drop down menu where it now says Apply To and start typing a filter name (ex patch sample users), it would auto find that filter name, I would select it and click save.  If I am pushing out 10 policies, I'd have 'patch sample users' on my clipboard and really quickly bounce through them and change the target on all of them with minimal clicks.  

    It seems like this drop down text entering functionality is gone in 7.6.  Now I have click 'apply to' - quick apply - change drop down from Select a Folder to where I have previously set up target, select target, select arrow to move it over to selected, then click ok, then click save.  

    What used to take me 3 clicks (per policy) is now 8 or so.  I like to have one patch bulletin per policy (to make cleanup easier when they are superseded) so this extra clicking around seems arduous for little benefit.

    Any chance of getting the drop down text entering functionality back in the apply to menu in future versions whether it's looking for filters or targets?  

    Or, my ultimate UI dream would be some checkbox system that let me select 10 patch policies and update the target on all of them at once versus editing each.