Habitat Mac OS X Native Software Update Manager

Detailed descriptions and imagery explaining each tool available inside Habitat. Feel free to post feature requests under each tools forum post if you would like to see something added or changed in the tools.
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Cubert
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Habitat Mac OS X Native Software Update Manager

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Mac OS X Software Update Manager

Habitat keeps the Mac OS X software up to date using native update manager for Darwin agents. Deploy software, manage updates automatically with the Mac OS X Update Manager for ConnectWise Automate.


MacOSXUpdateManager.PNG
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Where is the tool:

You will find this tool located under the Habitat Control Center as a plugin tile. When launched it presents you with a list of Mac agents that may or may not have scanned yet for available software updates. This scan happens twice a day which may have not launched yet if this is a new install. Selecting the Scan Host button will force the scans to take place.

Each agent listed will have a last scan date and if updated by Habitat a Last Update date.

There are several controls available as menu items when an agent is selected in the view.
  1. Open Agent Console
  • Upgrade All Packages - Forces an update now
  • Reboot Agent
  • Auto Update - Enable/Disable
  • Only Recommended Update - Enable/Disable
  • Auto Reboot After Update - Enable/Disable
The functions you can enable or disable are displayed in the agents row as a column.
  • EAU Enable Auto Updates (Green =yes / Red = no)
  • UA Updates Available (Green =no / Red = yes)
  • OR Only Recommended Updates (Green =yes / Red = No)
  • AR Enable Auto Reboots (Green =yes / Red = No)
  • RB Reboot needed (Green =No / Red = Yes)



When Either Auto Updates or Only Recommended are selected the Automate host will manage updates for agent. It will scan for updates and if available it will update agents software. If the Auto Reboot function is enabled the the allow reboot flag will also be sent during the software update.

To see what automation is taking place review the Habitat plugin logs inside the server plugin logs tool.


How to Use Tool

This tool should auto populate with data from scan automatically performed twice daily on any online agent reporting to be a (Darwin) agent. If you need faster results you can use the buttons provided in the Mac OS X Update Manager.

RefresandRescanButtons.PNG
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The "Scan Hosts" button will schedule for immediate execution the Habitat Mac OS X Update Manager script and should only take a few minutes at most to execute (if in the same time zone as Automate host). This scan is very quick and uses little resources to request from agent any updates available. That information is brought back into Automate for use inside the tool.

The "Refresh" button reloads the current view. As scripts return data about the agents online the Automate database is updated and this reloads that newly collected data.


Auto Updating Mac OS X Agent

To allow Habitat to auto update the Mac OS X agents you must tell the Update Manager thats its ok to do so. To do this select the agent in question from the main view of the Habitat Mac OS X Update Manager tool and right click the agent. This brings up a menu to allow you to control the agent.Auto updates are done daily as agents reporting updates available become available online. Only one attempt to update per day is done by automation and typically within the first 30 minutes of becoming available online to Automate.


To enable or disable the install of updates select the following menu item. This will allow Habitat to send update commands to the end agent. (Uses all default settings)

Enable-Disable-AutoReboots.PNG
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To Enable or Disable "Only Recommended Updates" select from the menu the following item. If Auto Update is not enabled, selecting Only Recommended will enable the Auto Update feature as well. If you disable the Only Recommended setting the Auto update setting will remain unchanged. Only Recommended tells Mac to only update the software that is flagged as recommended. This typically is all software and software is rarely seen as otherwise.

Enable-Disable-OnlyRecommended.PNG
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To Enable or Disable "Auto Reboots" select from the menu the following item. This setting is sent with the update commands to the agent and should prevent or allow a reboot that is needed by software update. Habitat and Automate do not have any actual control over the rebooting of the OS if software decided it was required. if this setting fails a no reboot request it will directed by Habitat.

Enable-Disable-AutoReboots.PNG
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What are the Dots!

MainViewDots.PNG
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  • EAU Enable Auto Updates (Green =yes / Red = no)
  • UA Updates Available (Green =no / Red = yes)
  • OR Only Recommended Updates (Green =yes / Red = No)
  • AR Enable Auto Reboots (Green =yes / Red = No)
  • RB Reboot needed (Green =No / Red = Yes)


This data is reflective of the current settings and last scan results from each Darwin agent in the list. The Updates Available, when red denote that this agent has pending updates and if enabled the auto update service will be updating this agent soon.


Automation is logged in the Habitat plugin logs available on the Automate host at "C:\Program Files\LabTech\Logs" or using our plugin log tool in Habitat. (see image)

MacOSX-Tool-log.PNG
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