How Required Software Changes are Deployed at Parkland (Windows)

This article explains how Parkland deploys required software changes and updates.

Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM) is an on-premises tool used for managing software installation and updates for Windows computers in the PC domain at Parkland College. It has some cloud capability to manage devices through the internet. Microsoft Intune is a cloud based tool, similar to MECM, but also integrates with MECM. We are currently in the process of moving some workloads from MECM to Intune. As a result some are handled by MECM, others by Intune, and others are handled by both.

The Configuration Manager (CM) Client application is software installed on computers to allow MECM to deliver services to our users. The Microsoft Intune Management Extension is the client application installed on computer to allow Intune to deliver services to our users.

Software Center (part of the CM Client) is a self-service portal for our users. Through Software Center, IT staff can make new applications and updates available, required, or both. To access the Software Center, please see: Installing Applications & Managing Updates on Parkland Computers (Windows) Company Portal is the self-service portal for Intune; however, it is capable of displaying some content and services from both Intune and MECM.

Software Changes deployed through MECM currently include new Applications and/or updates to existing Applications. We will be transitioning application deployments from MECM to Intune over the next several months.

Applications: New Applications and updates to existing Applications are displayed in the Applications tab of Software Center or the Apps tab of Company Portal on your computer.

Software Deployment Types:

Available: Available deployments will show up in Software Center and Company Portal for you to install, after the designated available time.

Required: Required deployments from MECM are automatically Available, but also have an installation Deadline. If the deadline time is later than the available time, you will have the option to install the deployment yourself from Software Center or Company Portal. After the deadline, your computer will attempt to find a time to install the deployment automatically, usually during a MECM Maintenance Window. This may include rebooting your computer without prior warning to you.

A MECM Maintenance Window is a designated period of time when a computer is able to install Required Software and reboot without permission from the user. At this time, we have scheduled one Maintenance Window for all computers for 3AM-7AM daily. If computers (not including laptops, tablets and other mobile devices) are aware of Required Software Changes, they should wake themselves at 3AM to perform those tasks. Devices that cannot wake themselves, or are not already awake, will require a user to initiate Required Software Changes from Software Center at another time. When Campus Technologies determines that a software change that is required is additionally of a Critical or Emergency status, the update may be deployed in a way that ensures its installation occurs as quickly as possible. Therefore, the deployment(s) may be configured to install on and reboot computers outside of the normal Maintenance Window(s).

Note on Windows OS and other Microsoft delivered updates for Employees:

Windows checks daily for new Windows OS and other Microsoft delivered updates. Intune policies have been configured to collect college devices into rings or groups of computers. Each ring of computers received a different set of policies. These policies also define when new updates become available to be installed by a user, when they must be installed by (deadline) and any grace period for pending reboots that are required to complete installation. Therefore, there is a potential that your computer may have updates in various states on any particular day of the week. This means that your computer could install updates and reboot, unexpectedly overnight on any day of the week. If you would prefer to control when these updates install, you are strongly encouraged to install the updates yourself ahead of the deadline. To accomplish this, please see: Installing Applications & Managing Updates on Parkland Computers (Windows)

Keywords:

Required, Software, SCCM, Configuration Manager, Software Center update updates applications upgrade upgrades install installed, Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, MECM

Doc ID:

75227

Owned by:

Thurman C. in Parkland College

Created:

2017-08-02

Updated:

2024-12-16

Sites:

Parkland College

0 0 Comment Suggest new doc