Available System Updates

This panel displays the system updates that are available after you have checked for them. Included is the Product Recognition Update (PRU), which Novell provides to update your knowledgebase so that ZENworks Inventory can recognize newer software.

System updates are additive, meaning they contain files relevant to only the changes made since the previous update. For example, you would need to have applied the update for version 10.0.3 before you can apply the update for version 10.0.4, unless the update specified is cumulative.

The Available System Updates panel displays all available updates. If an update is cumulative, meaning that it supersedes previous updates and includes new features and fixes from previous updates, those previous updates are not listed in the Available System Updates panel.

However, if a previous update is currently being deployed, it is listed in the Available System Updates panel, but it is greyed out and cannot be deployed to new devices. Because it is being deployed to devices, it displays in the Deploying System Updates panel.

If you need to deploy a previous update that is not listed (or is greyed out) in the Available System Updates panel, you must delete the cumulative update that superseded it and then download the manual import update file for that update from the Novell Downloads Web site and then import it.

For information on scheduling system update checking and downloading, see Check for Updates Schedule and Download Schedule.

Available System Updates Panel Details

The following table explains the column information. For some columns, you can sort the listed information by clicking a column heading. Click it again to reverse the sorting order.

Column Heading

Explanation

Update Name

Displays the name of the system update, which is created by Novell.

Click the name to access the Release Details page.

Release Date

Displays the date that Novell created the system update.

Download Date

Displays the date that you downloaded the system update.

Applied Date

Displays the date that you applied the system update.

Status

Displays the current status of the system update, which is automatically updated every 15 seconds. For more information on the individual statuses, see System Update Statuses.

Importance

Displays the relative importance of the update’s content to your ZENworks installation. Some possible entries include:

OPTIONAL: Not required for normal operation of ZENworks Configuration Management.

MANDATORY: A required update that must be applied.

Target Type

Displays the type of update, such as:

Primary Server: The update applies only to Primary Servers.

Managed Device: The update applies to all managed devices, including Primary Servers.

Available System Updates Tasks

To manage system updates manually, you can perform the tasks in the following table:

Task

Steps

Additional Details

Check for system updates

  1. Click Action > Check for Updates.

    Any available updates are displayed with a status of Available.

  2. To re-sort the listed updates, click the heading for some of the columns in the Available System Updates panel.

    Click a heading a second time to reverse the sorting order.

Downloads information about the system updates. You can review this information to determine whether to download the system update.

When a PRU update is available, information about it is also downloaded when checking for updates.

Review the content of a system update

  1. Click the name of the update in the Update Name column.

  2. Review the information in the System Update Release Details panel and the Deployment History panel.

Displays information about the update, including the files contained in the update, and any historical deployment information.

Download system updates (including the PRU)

  1. Select the check box for the system update or PRU that you want to download, then click Action > Download Update.

Downloads the content of the update, which includes the files that are used to update your managed devices.

Cancel a download

  1. Select the check box for a system update that is being downloaded, then click Action > Cancel Download.

Cancels the downloading of an update. Already downloaded files are not automatically removed, but if you delete the update, any downloaded files are removed.

Deploy a system update

  1. Select the check box for the system update that you want to deploy, then click Action > Deploy Update to Devices.

  2. In the Create System Update Deployment Wizard, fill in the fields as necessary.

Starts the deployment wizard where you can specify the parameters for the deployment.

Each wizard page contains its own help link. For help on the first wizard page, see Choose the System Update and Deployment Option.

Deploy the PRU

  1. Select the check box for the PRU that you want to deploy, then click Action > Deploy PRU Now.

This action deploys the PRU to your database and sets its deployment to your managed devices to be scheduled. Deployment is then done by the ZENworks Adaptive Agent on the devices.

If the PRU is not up-to-date, Inventory might return some software as unrecognized. However, you can use the Local Software Products utility to take a fingerprint of the unrecognized software to update your knowledgebase.

Delete a system update or PRU

  1. Select the check box for the system update or PRU that you want to delete, then click Action > Delete Update.

  2. Click OK to confirm the deletion.

The system update or PRU is deleted from the list and all downloaded files are removed. However, if the deleted update or PRU is still available on the update server the next time that you check for updates, it is displayed in the list again for possible downloading.

Set panel refresh rate

  1. Click Auto Refresh (the menu item on the right side of the panel), then select one of the following:

    • No Auto Refresh

    • 15-second Refresh

    • 30-second Refresh

    • 60-second Refresh

By default the panel view is not automatically refreshed. However, you can refresh the view by clicking the System Updates tab.

To view changes as they occur, select one of the refresh options (15, 30, or 60 seconds).

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