Deployment Channels and Deployment Channel Processes

Deployment Channels serve as a virtual queuing system for updates that helps prevent constant disruptions to end-users. Rather than deploying updates at once upon release, OneSite Patch adds updates to the Deployment Channel queues and releases the patches at a scheduled installation time. This approach combines process terminations, notifications, and device reboots into a single cycle, reducing the impact and disruption to users.

Deployment Channel Processes are responsible for deploying patches to Business Units and specifying the deployment schedule. When a patch is ready for deployment, it is queued and held until the next scheduled execution. At that point, the Deployment Channel Process activates, processes all queued patches, and deploys them to the appropriate Business Units.

Deployment Channels

Configuration options include classifying different patches and adding them to various Deployment Channels based on a desired execution schedule. For example, you can add critical updates to a Daily channel that deploys critical patches within 24 hours and add less critical updates to a monthly channel which deploys all queued updates on a chosen date every month. The scheduling and frequency are completely customizable. OneSite Patch includes multiple, preconfigured Deployment Channels. Administrators can modify existing configurations or create new Deployment Channels.

Understanding Channel Merging Rules

Channel Merging Rules use a designated Target Channel and a defined Merging Duration to govern the merge of patch deployments from multiple Deployment Channels. The purpose of this merger is to prevent multiple channels from operating simultaneously. Therefore, when a daily channel overlaps a weekly channel once per week and the weekly channel overlaps the monthly channel once every four or five weeks, the Channel Merging Rules prevent multiple channels from executing simultaneously.

You can create multiple Channel Merging Rules for a Deployment Channel to address various potential scheduling issues. The Deployment Channel evaluates the rules according to the hierarchy; therefore, place higher-priority rules before lower-priority rules in the Channel Merging Rule dialog. The Deployment Channel evaluates each rule, and evaluation stops as soon as one rule matches. Then, all submitted patches in this Deployment Channel merge with the target channel specified.

Creating a Deployment Channel

Settings in a Deployment Channel template allow you to create a deployment that meets the needs of your organization. Deployment Channels require some settings, such as a designated channel process and a Deployment Wave, and several optional configurations, including Approvals, Notifications and Content Prestaging.

Open and Save a Deployment Channel Template

1. Hover over or select Deployment Channels in the left navigation menu of the Patch Management Dashboard, and then select Deployment Channels. This opens the table of existing Deployment Channel templates.

2. Create a New Folder for Objects in the Deployment Channels menu.

3. Select Show All to view the available templates.

   
4. Select the Name of an existing Deployment Channel template to open it.

5. Save the template with a new Name:

   a. In the upper-left of the dialog, select More, and then select Save As.

   b. Enter a new name for the template, and then select Save as. This returns you to a copy of the template with the new name.

   c. Enter a detailed Description of the process covered in this template, or leave the prepopulated description. Add a character to enable the Save button, and then select Save.

6. Move the new template to the folder you created, either now or after completing your changes.

Deployment Process Settings

To add Deployment Process Settings to a Deployment Channel template:

Open a Deployment Channel template, and then scroll down to Deployment Process Settings in an open Deployment Channel template.

This opens the Deployment Process workspace.

Add or Change a Deployment Process Schedule

1. Select +Add Schedules from the Deployment Process Settings workspace of an open Deployment Channel template.

2. Select one or more schedules from the All Schedules table, and then select OK on the lower-left of the dialog.

   
3. Select Save on the upper-left to save your changes:

   a. Check the Error View and resolve any errors.

   b. Select Save again if you make any changes.

Add or Change a Deployment Channel Process

1. Select +Add Schedules from the Deployment Process Settings workspace of an open Deployment Channel template.

2. Select Show All to see the available processes, and then select the Process to use for this Deployment Channel.

   
3. Select Add Deployment Channel Process on the lower-left to return to the template.

Deployment Control

Deployment Control settings in a Deployment Channel template allow you to choose whether to use this Deployment Channel to deploy patches to all approved Business Units or to add a Deployment Wave and restrict deployment to authorized Business Units only. For more information about Deployment Waves, see Deployment Waves.

To configure Deployment Control:

Open a Deployment Channel template, and then scroll down to the Deployment Control workspace.

Enable Deployment Control

The Deployment Control settings default to disabled, which allows deployment of patches using this Deployment Channel to all Business Units.

To enable Deployment Control:

1. Select the Restrict Patches to Deployment Wave toggle to enable using a Deployment Wave to manage deployments in this Deployment Channel.

   
2. Select Browse next to Add Deployment Wave.

3. Select a Deployment Wave, and then select Add Deployment Wave on the lower-left of the dialog. To create a new Deployment Wave, see Open and Save a Deployment Wave Template.

   
4. Select Save on the upper-left to save your changes:

   a. Check the Error View and resolve any errors.

   b. Select Save again if you make any changes.

Disable Deployment Control

The Deployment Control setting defaults to disabled, which allows the deployment of patches using this Deployment Channel to all Business Units.

1. Select the Restrict Patches to Deployment Wave toggle to disable it.

   
2. Select Save on the upper-left to save your changes:

   a. Check the Error View and resolve any errors.

   b. Select Save again if you make any changes.

Approval Chains

Approval Chains define and manage the approvals required before the Deployment Channel deploys patches to Business Units. Including an Approval Chain in a Deployment Channel template requires selecting an existing Approval Chain and saving it in the Deployment Channel template. For more information about Approval Chains, see Using Approval Chains.

Add an Approval Chain

Add an Approval Chain to the Deployment Channel to request approval before deploying patches to Business Units.

1. In an open Deployment Channel template, scroll down to the Approval Chain workspace, and then select Browse next to Add Approval Chain.

   

   This opens the table of existing Approval Chains.

   
2. Select an Approval chain, and then select Add Approval Chain to return to the Deployment Channel template.

Notifications

Notification settings in the Deployment Channel template include adding a Notification Chain and Patch Notification Bots, as well as creating Notification Settings and Channel Merging Rules.

Add a Notification Chain

Notification Chain settings exist in the object templates for Patching Strategies, Deployment Channels, and Business Units.

1. Expand the Notifications box in an open object template to show the available configuration options.

2. Select Browse next to Notification Chain. This opens the Notifications Chain dialog.

   
3. Select ** Notification Chains**, and then select Show All to see the available templates.

4. Select a Notification Chain from the table. To edit or create Notification Chains, see Using Notification Chains.

5. Continue editing the Notification settings, or select OK (lower-left corner) to return to the template.

Create Notification Settings

Set Notification Urgency

These values must match the corresponding values defined in the Notification Bots. Otherwise, the Notification Cycle does not send a notification.

1. Select +Create Notification Setting under Notifications of the object template.

   
2. Expand the list of options next to Notification Urgency, and then select the urgency setting that matches the Notification Bot.

   
3. Continue editing the Notification settings or select Create Notification Settings to return to the template.

Add Execution Schedules

Execution Schedules control when and how often a Notification Cycle sends notifications. Choose schedules based on when and how often receiving parties require notification.

1. Select +Create Notification Setting from the Notifications workspace of an object template.

2. Select +Browse next to Execution Schedules to display the available schedules.

3. Select one or more schedules from the All Schedules table, and then select OK on the lower-left of the dialog.

   
4. Continue editing the notification settings or select Create Notification Settings to return to the template.

Enable Notifications for Patching Strategy and Business Unit Chains

When enabled, it sends notifications to the Roles shown in the Notification Chain associated with the Patching Strategy or Deployment Channel template. Defaults to disabled.

1. In the +Create Notification Setting dialog in the Patching Strategy or Deployment Channel template, decide whether to enable notifications:

   • Select the Notify Patching Strategy Chains toggle to enable or disable (default) whether the notification cycle sends notifications to the chains included in the strategy.

   • Select the Notify Business Unit Chains toggle to enable or disable (default) whether the notification cycle sends notifications to Business Unit chains included in the strategy.

2. Continue editing the Notifications settings or select Create Notification Settings to return to the template.

Choose a Notification Cycle Workflow

This setting names the Notification Cycle that processes the Notifications for the Patching Strategy or Deployment Channel. Notification Cycle workflows are customized for specific uses. Adaptiva does not provide sample Notification Cycle templates. These templates exist only if you create them for your environment.

Important

Contact Adaptiva Customer Support for assistance with Notification Cycle templates.

1. Select +Create Notification Setting under Notification in the object template.

   

   This opens the Create Notification Setting dialog.

   
2. Select Browse on the Add Workflow line. This opens the list of available workflows.

3. Select your custom workflow from the list, and then select Add Workflow on the lower-left of the dialog.

4. Continue editing the Notification settings or select Create Notification Settings to return to the template.

Set the Time Limit

Specifies the maximum length of time that the Notification Cycle Workflow runs before timing out. If set to all zeros (default), the workflow may run indefinitely. Choose this setting with care. If the notification times out before sending all notifications, the next cycle triggers the notifications again.

1. Select +Create Notification Setting under Notification of the object template.

2. Next to Time Limit, set the Hours, Minutes, or Seconds that the Notification Cycle will run, or leave the setting default at 0 for each item to allow the workflow to run indefinitely.

3. Continue editing the Notification settings, or select Create Notification Settings to return to the template.

Add Patch Notification Bots

Both Patching Strategies and Deployment Channel templates have an option to Add Patch Notification Bots.

1. Select +Browse next to Patch Notification Bots in the Notifications workspace of the object template. This opens the Select Patch Notification Bots dialog.

   
2. Select Patch Notification Bots, and then select Show All to list all available Patch Notification Bots, or select any Filtered by: folder to see the Bots associated with that filter.

3. Choose one or more Notification Bots to set requirements for this template. To create more Notification Bots, see Creating Notification Bots.

4. Select OK on the lower-left of the dialog to return to the starting template.

Create Channel Merging Rules

Channel Merging Rules merge patch deployments from multiple Deployment Channels when deployment schedules from two or more channels overlap. Settings here include adding a Deployment Channel to serve as a Target Channel and setting the timing for the Merge Duration. For more information, see [Understanding Channel Merging Rules].

1. Select Browse next to Add Deployment Channel, and then select a Deployment Channel.

2. Select +Create Channel Merging Rule under Notification of a Deployment Channel template.

3. Select Add Deployment Channel at the lower-left to return to the Channel Merging Rule template.

4. Set the Merging Duration to the number of hours, minutes, or seconds before this Deployment Channel executes.

Content Prestaging Settings

The Content Prestaging feature deploys content to devices ahead of the scheduled deployment, either pushing content to a location or allowing a client to pull content. Prestaging content makes the content available on the device locally when the deployment time arrives. This reduces the deployment time and minimizes the chances of missing service windows or having devices going offline before a content download finishes.

Set Content Prestaging Settings

Use this procedure to add or change Content Prestaging Settings in Patching Strategy, Business Unit, or Deployment Channel templates.

1. Expand the Notifications in an open object template, and then scroll down to the Content Prestaging Settings.

   
2. Expand the Content Prestaging Settings to view the available settings.

   

Enable Client Content Pull

Client Content Pull defaults to Not Enabled. To enable pull settings, complete the following steps in the Content Prestaging Settings of a Patching Strategy, Business Unit, or Deployment Channel template:

1. Select the arrow to the right of Client Content Pull to expand the menu of available options.

   
2. Select the option you need for the object template you are using. For definitions of push options, see Defining Content Prestaging Settings.

3. Select Save on the upper-left to save your changes:

   a. Check the Error View and resolve any errors.

   b. Select Save again if you make any changes.

Enable Server Content Push

Server Content Push defaults to Not Enabled. To enable push settings, complete the following steps in the Content Prestaging Settings of a Patching Strategy, Business Unit, or Deployment Channel template, complete the following steps:

1. Select the arrow to the right of Server Content Push to expand the menu of available options.

   
2. Select the option you need for the object template you are using. For definitions of push options, see Defining Content Prestaging Settings.

3. Select Save on the upper-left to save your changes:

   a. Check the Error View and resolve any errors.

   b. Select Save again if you make any changes.

Customer Extension Data

Customer Extension Data is an advanced feature of Adaptiva. The Customer Extension Data fields allow advanced users to specify different key/value pairs for use in customized Patching Strategies, Deployment Chains, or Business Units when necessary to achieve different results.

Customer Extension Data fields relate directly to fields in a customized template. If you do not have customized templates with key/value pairs you can modify, you do not need to configure or use this feature.

If you want to create customized templates that use key/value pairs for some settings, contact Adaptiva Customer Support.

Deployment Channel Processes

Deployment channel processes collect patch approvals, and then execute according to the schedule defined in the Deployment Channel. The logic in the Channel Process defines how to roll out patches to Business Units (one at a time or following the deployment waves, and so on).

Creating Deployment Channel Processes

If you want to create your own Channel Processes, enter a support ticket, and request help from Adaptiva Customer Support. Customer Support will help you understand the nuances of Channel Processes and assist with creating templates that support your requirements.