Patching Computers

Patching Managed Endpoints

Per University of Idaho APM 30.13 "Networked Computing Device Standards", managed endpoints are patched regularly. This policy is in place to ensure that University of Idaho Faculty and Staff are able to conduct their business without impact to their work due to software flaws, and also to ensure that the University of Idaho data is secured.

 

General Advice

ITS makes every attempt to minimize the impact to Faculty and Staff while applying updates to computers. Here are some things people can do to also reduce the impact to them when updates are released.

  • Leave your computer powered on and attached to the network
    • Especially on the Thursday evenings when Microsoft patches are released (more information below)
  • Ensure laptops are left on with their screens open
    • Closing the lid of a laptop sends the computer to "sleep" mode. In this mode it cannot receive updates
  • Allow time for your laptop to be on the network and plugged into power for the updates to be fully installed, especially if you usually take your laptop home. Allow at least 2 hours on the network and plugged into power for updates to download and install
    • Updates are interrupted when the screens are down and not on power; i.e. when the laptop is transported from one location to another
    • Updates will continue the download and install where it left off. If constantly interrupted, the final installation and reboot, if required, will be unpredictable and can occur at inconvenient times
  • Some updates allow the user to defer. If you have this option, you can defer but plan to allow the update to run at your earliest convenience
    • The more an update is deferred, the more updates may get backlogged and will cause a longer interruption while the updates are applied
  • Regularly reboot your computer to ensure your computer has all patches fully installed (see below for more information). It is recommended that you reboot at least weekly.
  • Work with your local IT support or ITS Technology Solutions Partner to help us understand your unique needs
    • Bring your concerns to your support personnel so that IT can find a solution that works for you


Microsoft Products

Microsoft releases patches for Windows operating systems and Office on the second Tuesday of the month. These updates are made available through Software Center at noon on the Thursday after the patches are released. Anybody can deploy or schedule deployment of the patches by launching software center, and selecting "Updates" from the menu on the left. Any patches not installed by the following Wednesday will be forced to be installed at 7pm (notifications for this update will begin appearing on qualified computers at 4pm).

Here is a sample schedule, for August 2019. The dates will obviously change month to month, but the days of the week will be the same.

  • Tuesday Aug 13 - Microsoft releases patches, EMS begins to package and test
  • Thursday Aug 15, 12:00 pm (noon) - Patches will begin to appear in Software Center on managed Windows computers. Customers can launch Software Center, then select "Updates" from the left menu to either install or schedule installation of the patches at their convenience
  • Thursday Aug 15, 4:00 pm - People on OIT owned computers will receive notifications on their desktops that their computers will be patched at 7 pm
  • Thursday Aug 15, 7:00 pm - OIT owned computers are forced to patch
  • Wednesday Aug 21, 4:00 pm - Customers who have not yet patched their computers will receive a "toast" notification saying their computer will reboot at 7pm
  • Wednesday Aug 21, 7:00 pm - Computers that are not patched yet will install the patches and reboot
    • Following hours - Any computers that were not online will be patched as they are powered on, attached to the network, etc. This is the most disruptive, so users are encouraged to:
      • Patch through Software Center before Aug 21, OR
      • Leave their computers powered on, opened (if a laptop), and attached to the network when they leave work on August 21.
Note: Microsoft Critical, "zero-day" updates are evaluated as soon as ITS is notified of them. They may be pushed outside of the regular schedule depending on the severity of the flaws being patched. These types of updates are deemed a high security risk and require immediate attention.

Here is a graphic of an example of the Microsoft patch release cycle from August 2019.

This is an image of the Microsoft patch release cycle from August twenty nineteen.

 

Window 10 feature updates to the OS and Office are typically released once a year.

  • Due to the disruptive nature of these feature updates, OIT does not immediately deploy these updates. 
  • The latest feature release will be offered once the update has been vetted by OIT, typically in the spring.

Non-Microsoft Software Updates

The non-Microsoft software will only be patched if already installed. Software currently patched: 

  • 1Password
  • 7-Zip
  • Adobe Acrobat/Reader
  • Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Audacity
  • Claude
  • Clickup
  • Duo Desktop
  • Git
  • Google Chrome
  • Greenshot
  • Lenovo ThinkVantage System Update
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Notepad++
  • OBS Studio
  • PuTTY
  • R
  • RStudio
  • Rufus
  • Tenable Nessus Agent
  • VLC
  • Visual Studio Code
  • WinSCP
  • Zoom

The software listed above is updated within 10 business day of the updates being released

New versions of the following applications are automatically made available in Software Center shortly after release

  • Blender
  • Mendeley Reference Manager
  • Zotero

 

Apple MacOS

Apple does not release minor updates for macOS on any specific schedule but typically releases updates monthly. Once an update has been released managed macOS machines will begin prompting the user to install updates through the built-in updater. Users can choose to defer installation for up to 10 days; after 10 days increasingly obtrusive prompts will be displayed until the machine is updated.

Critical, "zero-day" patches are evaluated as soon as we are notified of them, and may be pushed outside of the regular schedule depending on the severity of the flaws being patched.

Apple releases major OS upgrades once per year, typically in September or October. The user experience for installing these upgrades is the same as installing minor updates. To reduce the impact of bugs in new major versions OIT suppresses the availability of major upgrades for 90 days; upgrades are typically made available to all users in mid December.

Non-Apple Software Updates

Non-Apple software will only be patched if already installed. Software currently patched:

  • 1Password
  • Adobe Reader
  • Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Claude Desktop
  • ClickUp
  • Duo Desktop
  • Google Chrome
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Visual Studio Code
  • VLC
  • Zoom

The software listed above is updated within 10 business days of the updates being released. 

50% helpful - 2 reviews
Print Article