SCCM/MECM HP Third Party Updates - Which Model for which updates?

Tomnibus 21 Reputation points
2020-10-19T14:48:52.13+00:00

I recently got Third Party updates working and I subscribed to HP's catalog. Through the process I chose only the Models of HP desktops/laptops that we have. The updates sync and they all come through, hundreds of them. yay.

Now, Do I simply deploy them to EVERY HP workstation and only those that need it install? Or do I need to match up the drivers with the computer that they go with? I ask because I don't want to apply a NIC card driver to a machine and find that it was for the wrong one and they are now hosed.

Is SCCM/MECM smart enough to simply know that the computer doesn't need it?

Microsoft Configuration Manager Updates
Microsoft Configuration Manager Updates
Microsoft Configuration Manager: An integrated solution for for managing large groups of personal computers and servers.Updates: Broadly released fixes addressing specific issue(s) or related bug(s). Updates may also include new or modified features (i.e. changing default behavior).
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  1. Jason Sandys 31,186 Reputation points Microsoft Employee
    2020-10-19T18:12:16.037+00:00

    Is SCCM/MECM smart enough to simply know that the computer doesn't need it?

    Yes, but it's not up to ConfigMgr specifically. Updates have applicability rules and based on these, which the Windows Update client evaluates (in the form of compliance scanning), the ConfigMgr agent determines whether or to download and install specific updates deployed to the system. These applicability rules are defined by the creator of the update catalog.

    In general though, you should try to narrow down the targeting of non-universal updates as compliance scanning has overhead. This overhead managbale and non-crippling in most cases but that still doesn't mean you just want to deploy everything at all devices.

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  1. Tomnibus 21 Reputation points
    2020-10-19T18:19:59.177+00:00

    Okay, I have device collections for my different models. but I don't know which updates go for those models. So I don't know about which ones to deploy to what.

    For instance, one update says 89 computers need it. But I don't know which 89. Is there a way to find out?

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  2. Jason Sandys 31,186 Reputation points Microsoft Employee
    2020-10-19T18:44:45.61+00:00

    As noted, you don't have to micro-manage the process necessarily as that defeats some of the advantages, but at the same time, you don't want to just throw everything at all devices. How far you can easily narrow things down is going to based on the number of models and drivers involved. Even if you only narrow it down by half, that's still better than nothing.

    Is there a way to find out?

    Yes, look at the reports.

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