How to Notify End Users About Patch Installation and Reboots

Key Points
Introduction: Explains why notifying users before patch installation and reboots reduces downtime, ticket volume, and lost work.
How Patch Manager Plus handles user notifications: Describes how deployment policies control user facing messages and reboot prompts during patch deployment.
Quick Setup: Shows where and how to configure end user notifications for patch installation and reboots.

Introduction

Patch installation and required reboots can interrupt active user sessions if they occur without warning. Notifying end users in advance allows them to save work, prepare for restarts, and reduces unexpected disruption during patching.

How Patch Manager Plus notifies end users

Patch Manager Plus notifies end users through deployment policy settings. These settings control the messages displayed before patch installation begins and the prompts shown when a reboot is required to complete patch installation. Once configured, the same notification behavior applies consistently across patch deployments.

Quick Setup

End user notifications for patch installation and reboots are configured through deployment policies in Patch Manager Plus.

1. Navigate to Deployment → Deployment Policies.
2. Create a new deployment policy or edit an existing one used for patch deployment.
3. Under Pre-Deployment Activities:
   • Configure Pre-Deployment reboot and enable "Notify user(s) about reboot" so users are informed in advance if a restart is required before patch installation begins.
4. Under Pre-deployment user notification:
   • Configure User Notification and enable "Notify users about Deployment" to display a message informing users that patch installation is about to start, allowing them time to save their work.
5. Under Post-Deployment Activities:
   • Configure Post Reboot/Shutdown to notify users when a restart is required to complete patch installation.

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