Schedule Enforcement

You can schedule dates and times that your Patch Policies are pushed out. This feature is useful for distributing and enforcing Patch Policies during off hours, thus decreasing network traffic and strain. The idea is that a policy can be scheduled to be released at different times or outside of working hours. Using this configuration will affect all policies that are set up and will set the schedule for the deployment.

NOTE:Before you can schedule Patch Policy enforcement, a patch policy must be created. Click Patch Management in the navigation panel, and select the Patch Policies tab. Make sure a patch policy exists. If you have to create a new one, make sure the system has time to download the patches.

  • Default (Manually apply patches on the agent using “zac pap”): This configuration is the system default and requires manually implementing patch policies using the zac Command Line Utility.

  • Schedule patch policy application time: This configuration enables setting a schedule to automatically apply patches, which includes the option to limit the duration time of patch installation based on a specific date or a recurring schedule.

    • Restrict Duration: If you check the Restrict Duration check box, you can limit how long patches are applied by entering a time increment based on the number of hours, minutes, or a combination of both.

    • Date Specific: If you choose the Date Specific schedule type, you can schedule patch deployment using the following criteria:

      • Start Date(s): Enables you to pick the date when you need to start the deployment.

      • Run event every year: Ensures that the deployment starts on a selected date at selected time and repeats every year. If defined, ends on a specific date.

      • Process immediately if device unable to execute on schedule: Ensures that the deployment starts immediately if the device was unable to execute on the selected schedule.

      • Select When Schedule Execution Should Start: There are two options to enable you to select the start time of the schedule execution namely:

        • Start Immediately at Start Time: Deactivates the End Time panel and starts the deployment at the start time specified. In this option, you must set the start time in the Start Time panel.

        • Start at a random time between Start Time and End Times: Activates the End Time panel next to the Start Time panel. You can specify the end time and the start time so that the deployment occurs at any random time between them.

          NOTE:Selecting the Use Coordinated Universal Time check box enables you to schedule the deployment of all devices at the same time, regardless of time zone differences. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), also known as World Time, Z Time, or Zulu Time, is a standardized measurement of time that is not dependent upon the local time zone. Deselecting UTC schedules the distribution at local time.

    • Recurring: If you choose the Recurring schedule type, you can schedule patch deployment using the following criteria:

      • When a device is refreshed: Enables you to schedule a recurring deployment whenever the device is refreshed. In this option, you can choose to delay the next deployment until after a specific time.

        To set the delay, select the Delay execution after refresh check box, and specify the days, hours, and minutes of the time by which you require delaying the deployment.

        By default, the patch bundle install frequency is set to Install once per device. For a recurring deployment, change it to Install always.

        1. Click the Actions tab for the particular patch bundle assignment.

        2. Click Options. This opens the Install Options window.

        3. Select Install always and click OK.

        4. Click Apply.

        NOTE:The device is refreshed based on the settings in the Device Management tab under the Configuration tab. Click the Device Refresh Schedule link on the Device Management tab to open the page displaying the option for either a Manual Refresh or Timed Refresh. Alternatively, you can refresh the device by selecting a device under the Devices tab and clicking the Refresh Device option on the Quick Tasks menu.

      • Days of the week: Enables you to schedule the deployment on selected days of the week. To set the day of deployment, select Days of the week, select the day of the week, and set the start time for the deployment.

      • Monthly: You can schedule the deployment on a specific day of the month, the last day of the month, or a specific day every week or month.

      • Fixed Interval: Enables you to schedule a recurring deployment that runs on a regular basis. You can choose the number of months, weeks, days, hours, and minutes of the interval and the start date for the deployment schedule.

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