Installation guide

You can also use VCM's automatic event-driven and scheduled patching for managed Windows machines.
For a list of supported machines for VCM patching, see the VCM Installation Guide.
To configure VCM for automatic, event-driven patch deployment, see "Configure VCMfor Automatic
Event-Driven Patch Assessment and Deployment" on page 170.
To configure VCM for automatic scheduled patch deployment, see "Configure VCM for Automatic
Scheduled Patch Assessment and Deployment" on page 176.
To manually deploy patches to managed machines, see the VCM online help.
Configure VCMfor Automatic Event-Driven Patch Assessment and
Deployment
To ensure that Linux, UNIX, and Windows managed machines always include the latest patches, you can
have VCM deploy patches to the managed machines when certain events occur in your environment.
After you perform the initial configuration for the automatic deployment, no intervention is required to
deploy patches to managed machines.
To configure the automatic, event-driven patch assessment and deployment, you must generate a patch
assessment template and run a patch assessment on the managed machines. Optionally, you can add
exceptions for the automatic patch deployment.
To support automated patching of Linux and UNIX managed machines, VCM uses a job chain. The steps
in the job chain download patches from vendor sites to the patching repository, copy the patches to the
alternate location machines, stage patches on the target Linux and UNIX managed machines, deploy the
patches to managed machines, and reboot the managed machines. The status of the job chain, including
the running jobs in the job chain, appears in the VCM Job Manager. Finished job chain jobs appear in Job
Manager History.
VCM supports patching exceptions for machines that should not be patched using VCM, and for specific
patches or bulletins that VCM should not deploy. VCM also supports exceptions for specific patches or
bulletins that do not apply to certain machine groups, or patches or bulletins that are not necessary,
because they are already deployed. VCMapplies patching exceptions during the automatic patch
deployment process to the machine group that you select when you define the automatic deployment
mapping.
When VCM deploys patches to managed machines, a job is created for each machine. When a reboot of
the managed machine is required, VCM creates a deployment job and a reboot job for the machine. The
deployment occurs either immediately or when scheduled. After the deployment is finished, the reboot
job begins either immediately or at the scheduled time. If the scheduled time has passed, the reboot job
fails.
Depending on the number of managed machines being patched and the number of jobs, the time allowed
for the patching window might expire before the patching jobs are finished, because the request might
become stale or the number of maximum concurrent VCMAgent installations might be set too low. If
patching jobs time out, see the troubleshooting topic in the VCM Troubleshooting Guide.
Prerequisites
Configure VCM. See "Configuring VCM to Work with the Patching Repository and Alternate Locations"
on page 162.
vCenter Configuration Manager Administration Guide
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