Business Hours vs. Maintenance Windows with System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
Introduction
The System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (SCCM) provides a wide range of features to help manage Windows client and server machines. One of the key features of SCCM is the ability to manage maintenance windows for software updates. Maintenance windows are used to control when software updates can be installed on client machines, allowing administrators to ensure that machines are not disrupted during critical business hours.
What is a Maintenance Window?
A maintenance window is a period of time when software updates can be installed on client machines. This window can be configured to run at any time of day, and the duration of the window can be adjusted to ensure that any updates will not disrupt critical business processes.
What is the Difference Between Business Hours and Maintenance Windows?
The main difference between business hours and maintenance windows is that business hours are when users are actively using the system, while maintenance windows are when the system is not being used. This means that any software updates that are installed during a maintenance window will have no impact on user productivity.
How to Configure Business Hours in SCCM
Configuring business hours in SCCM is a straightforward process. First, open the SCCM Console and navigate to the Software Updates node. Select the “Maintenance Windows” tab, then click the “Create Maintenance Window” button.
In the “Create Maintenance Window” dialog box, enter the name of the maintenance window, select the “Business Hours” option, and enter the start and end times for the maintenance window. You can also select the days of the week when the maintenance window should be active.
How to Configure Maintenance Windows in SCCM
Configuring maintenance windows in SCCM is similar to configuring business hours. However, instead of selecting the “Business Hours” option, select the “Maintenance Window” option.
In the “Create Maintenance Window” dialog box, enter the name of the maintenance window, select the “Maintenance Window” option, and enter the start and end times for the maintenance window. You can also select the days of the week when the maintenance window should be active.
Using PowerShell to Configure Business Hours and Maintenance Windows
The SCCM console provides an easy way to configure business hours and maintenance windows, but you can also use Windows PowerShell to configure these settings. The following script can be used to create a business hours maintenance window with the name “Business Hours”, which runs from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday.
# Create a business hours maintenance window
$maintWindow = New-CMMaintenanceWindow -Name “Business Hours” -BusinessHours -StartTime 8:00 -EndTime 17:00 -RecurringDays Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday
The following script can be used to create a maintenance window with the name “Maintenance Window”, which runs from 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM Monday through Saturday.
# Create a maintenance window
$maintWindow = New-CMMaintenanceWindow -Name “Maintenance Window” -StartTime 20:00 -EndTime 05:00 -RecurringDays Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday,Saturday
Conclusion
The System Center 2012 Configuration Manager provides a powerful way to manage business hours and maintenance windows. By using the SCCM console, or Windows PowerShell, administrators can easily configure business hours and maintenance windows to ensure that software updates do not disrupt critical business processes.
