SCCM Automatic Deployment Rule
As a system administrator, managing updates for your organization’s desktops, laptops, and servers can be a challenging task. It requires a lot of time and effort to keep your machines up-to-date with the latest software updates and security patches. However, with the SCCM Automatic Deployment Rule (ADR) feature, you can automate the entire update management process and save valuable time.
An Automatic Deployment Rule (ADR) is a useful feature for organizations using System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) to manage their IT environment. With an ADR, administrators can automate the process of downloading, approving, and deploying software updates to client machines, saving time and effort compared to manually managing updates. Additionally, an ADR ensures that machines are up-to-date with the latest software updates and security patches, reducing the risk of security vulnerabilities and software bugs. By creating an ADR, administrators can specify what products and severity of updates they want to download, approve, and deploy, giving them greater control over the update management process. Overall, an ADR is an effective tool for streamlining the software update management process and maintaining a secure and up-to-date IT environment.
In this article, we’ll explore the SCCM Automatic Deployment Rule feature and show you how to create an ADR for your organization’s update management.
SCCM Automatic Deployment Rule FAQs
What is an ADR in SCCM?
An ADR is a feature of SCCM that automates the process of downloading, approving, and deploying updates to client machines.
How does an ADR work?
An ADR downloads the latest updates as per the requirements set by the administrator, distributes them to distribution points, and then deploys them to the target collection during the maintenance and deployment windows specified.
What are the benefits of using an ADR in SCCM?
The benefits of using an ADR include automating the update management process, saving time and effort for system administrators, ensuring machines are up-to-date with the latest software updates and security patches, and enabling control over what products and severity of updates to download, approve, and deploy.
How do I create an ADR in SCCM?
To create an ADR in SCCM, you need to open the SCCM console, navigate to the Software Library, expand Software Updates, and select Automatic Deployment Rules. From there, you can follow the steps to create an ADR, including selecting the products and classifications to include, configuring the deployment settings, and specifying the collection to which the updates will be deployed.
What are some best practices for using an ADR in SCCM?
Best practices for using an ADR in SCCM include following guidelines for patch management, creating a patch management process, setting maintenance and deployment windows, and monitoring Microsoft’s monthly patch releases.
Can an ADR be scheduled to run at a specific time?
Yes, an ADR can be scheduled to run at a specific time, such as after Microsoft’s monthly patch release.
How to create a SCCM Automatic Deployment Rule
ADR Creation
Creating the ADR is fairly easy process. Open your SCCM console and navigate to SOFTWARE LIBRARY, then expand SOFTWARE UPDATES. Now right click AUTOMATIC DEPLOYMENT RULES and choose CREATE AUTOMATIC DEPLOYMENT RULE.
ADR General TAB
Now give the rule a descriptive NAME that will easily identify what this ADR is for (ie Monthly Update deployment to Desktops), a DESCRIPTION, choose a TEMPLATE (I choose Patch Tuesday) and then the TARGET COLLECTION. Now you will need to choose between CREATE A NEW SOFTWARE UPDATE GROUP or to ADD TO AN EXISTING SOFTWARE UPDATE GROUP. The differences between these two settings is, Add to an existing Software Update Group will create a new Software Update group the first time it runs, but then subsequent schedules of the ADR will utilise this update group, or creating a new software update group will create a new update group each time the ADR runs. Choose one of the options and then click on NEXT.
(Make sure you have the checkbox enabled, ENABLE THE DEPLOYMENT AFTER THIS RULE TO RUN).
ADR Deployment Settings TAB
We are now presented with the Deployment Settings page next. You can choose to use Wake On Lan (if you have that enabled in your environment) and what level of detail we want regarding the Patch Deployment. You can also specify to Automatically deploy all software updates found by this rule and approve any license agreements. Obviously this will automatically approve and licenses agreements that may be required to deploy the updates, a very handy feature. Once you are happy to proceed, click on NEXT.
ADR Software Updates TAB
Next we get to choose the products and the severity among other things for the ADR. Choose the products you want (ie in this example Im choosing Windows 10) and the patch severity (Critical, Important, Low, Moderate or None) and date the patches were released (following on from my previous comments, I want the last months patch releases) . Click on NEXT when you have chosen the products you wish patches deploy to.
ADR Evaluation Schedule TAB
This tab allows you to configure the settings for when you would like the SCCM Automatic Deployment Rule to evaluate available software updates. You need to configure this schedule to run less frequently than your SUP synchronisation will run (highlighted in the example picture below). You can choose not to run this rule automatically (ie you will have to run this manually if required), after the SUP synchronisation happens (which is the default) or according to a schedule you specify.
ADR Deployment Schedule TAB
On the ADR deployment schedule TAB, we choose when we would like our updates to be deployed to our client machines. You can choose Universal Coordinated Time or Client machine local time, when you would like the updates to be available to clients, and the software installation deadline. Choose the last two settings carefully as the wrong choice will have a major impact on your environment and users if incorrect.
ADR User Experience TAB
One of the most important TABS, is the User Experience TAB. Do you wish to notify the users that updates are available and have them install them prior to the deadline you have set? Would you like the machines to automatically install restart at the deadline? Do you want to suppress a restart on Desktops or Servers, or even both? Choose the required settings and then click NEXT.
ADR Alerts TAB
The SCCM Automatic Deployment Rule alerts TAB is next. Various settings are available of how you would like to be alerted. From when the rule fails, to compliance settings to alert you of the percentage of machines that are compliant. Additionally, you can generate alerts to System Centre Operations Manager (or SCOM) if you have this in your environment. Again, choose your required settings and click on NEXT.
ADR Download Settings TAB
The ADR download settings tab will allow you to specify what and where the client machine downloads the updates from. Obviously, if they are connected to your corporate LAN, the nearest SCCM distribution point is the ideal location. Should the updates not be available on a preferred distribution point, then you can choose not to install updates, or from a fallback location. Allowing the client machines to share the update content with other clients on the same subnet is a great thing to have, especially if they do not have a local SCCM distribution point, or are on a slow WAN link. Additionally, you can allow those clients to download from Microsoft Update.
Click on NEXT when ready to proceed.
ADR Deployment Package TAB
We can now create a new deployment package, or select an existing one. I will create a new deployment package in this example to show you how that is done.
Choose CREATE A NEW DEPLOYMENT PACKAGE.
Give the deployment package a descriptive name, a description that is easy to identify, where you would like the source files to live (remember this should be a UNC path, so make sure to have shared out the folder and given the correct permissions for SCCM to save the updates to).
Click on NEXT when completed.
ADR Distribution Points TAB
Select the distribution points you wish the updates to be available from and for you client machines to download from. You can choose individual SCCM Distribution Points, or a Distribution Point Group. Click on NEXT when you have entered these details.
ADR Download Location TAB
Choose where to download the updates from. Should you have a location where updates are downloaded, you can specify that, or should you be using a Microsoft’s WSUS Server, to download them directly from the internet. Click on NEXT when done.
ADR Language Selection TAB
Now choose the appropriate languages you want the patches to download in and then click NEXT.
ADR Summary TAB
We are almost there. Almost finished. At the SCCM Automatic Deployment Rule Summary TAB, review the choices you have made and make sure they are correct. When you are happy with the settings, click on NEXT to continue.
ADR Completion TAB
We made it. We finally got there. The Automatic Deployment Rule is now setup and will run with the settings you have specified. You can now close the wizard.
If you followed this post and were careful with the settings you have chosen for your SCCM Automatic Deployment Rule, then the updates you have selected will now deploy to your client machines, when and how you have requested.
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