Create Custom Scan and Repair Settings

Administering Scheduled or Group Patching

Group patches are useful when administering patches to your entire scope or a large section of your scope. Once you have set up a custom group, you can add patches from the "Scan" folder to it at any time. In addition, you can schedule a periodic deployment of patches to the group. This allows you to add patches to the group's folder at any time and have them deployed on a regular basis. 

First, click on "Scan" and highlight the patches you would like to administer. It is recommended that Adobe, RealPlayer, Flash, and Internet browsers be patched regularly as they are heavily utilized and vulnerable programs. When you have your patches selected, drag and drop them into your custom group folder. For directions on creating a custom group, see this page.

To immediately administer these patches or schedule a deployment time, right click on your group's name. In this example, the group is "Test Group." Select "Repair."

In the window that opens, name your task and select "Repair as Policy," which will administer the patch when the selected computers check for LANDesk policy updates, typically once a day or when a user first logs in. This option is best when targeting a large group of users, who may or may not be online. They will definitely receive the patch whenever their computer next checks for LANDesk policy updates. Then select "Configure" under the "Scan and Repair Settings."

In the window that opens, select "New," then name your scan and repair settings. Choose "Show progress dialog: Never"

Next, click "Scan Options" and select "Group."  Click the ellipsis to open a list of all available groups. Choose your group out of the "My Custom Groups" tab. In this example, we'll select "Test Group." When you have finished, select "Repair Options" from the left-hand menu bar. Here, you can choose to immediately begin your scan or set a time for the scan to begin. It is recommended that you un-check "Start repair even if user is running a presentation" and check "Start repair even if reboot is already pending."

Next you can configure the "Reboot Options." It is suggested that you select "Reboot only if needed" or "Never reboot." For the patches to be delivered silently without the user noticing, choose "never reboot." If you choose to "reboot only if needed," also select "Prompt user before rebooting" and "Allow user to defer reboot." Set the snooze time and max deferrals allowed as well. 

Next open the "Network Settings" tab. Here, change "When downloading patches via the gateway" to "Download from manufacturer. Do not fall back on failure."

Finally, if you would like to schedule a routine deployment of patches, select the "Plot Configuration" tab. Check the "Periodically scan and repair" box and then click the ellipsis and select your group under the "My Custom Groups" tab. For this example, the group will be "Test Group." Next, click "Change Settings."   

Here you can select the day and time that the scan will first run. To set the schedule, increase the number of days in the "Repeat After" box. You can choose the time of the day and day of the week that scans will run in the "Time Range" and "Weekly Between" boxes. When you are finished, click "Save" and then click "Save" in the "Scan and Repair Settings" window. 

You have now created a scheduled group scan. As the FSP for this group, you will need to periodically add patches from the "Scan" folder to your custom group so that new patches are being administered each time it runs.