Patch Management - Notifying user of apps that must quit

[UESCDurandal]

Hey all,

I'm setting up Patch Policies for the first time and wanted to test the user experience when an app is set to automatically install and the app is running.

In my test I see that "Notifying user of apps that must quit..." is written to jamf.log, however no notification is displayed. The grace period timer does start because 15 minutes later the package attempts to install.

I'd like to know what notification method is used for this feature. Is this a notification center dialog box? Does it disappear after a few seconds or does it wait for interaction to close?

[howie_isaacks]

For us, it has been a Notification Center dialog that slides out from the top right. I have the patch management policies scoped to my own Macs so that I can experience patch management the same way my users do. The notification goes away after about 10 seconds. Since you can scope patch management the same way you can other policies, why not scope it to a test system, or another Mac that you directly control, and try it out?

[CasperSally]

In case you're interested in my patch related FR @UESCDurandal

Better options for user interaction and deferral for patch and all policies

Give customers option for Jamf patch policies to also install at startup

[UESCDurandal]

@howie_isaacks Thanks, for the info. I'm only running the policy against my testing systems right now in order to verify user experience.

I was able to get the dialog box to finally appear on another test machine. I was saddened to see that the default patch policy text was too long to display and the box disappeared after 5 seconds. IMO, this is not an acceptable way to properly notify users.

@CasperSally Thanks for the links. I've upvoted both. I agree that this solution needs to be improved before it can be fully utilized. Ideally, this box would remain onscreen and allow the user to opt to proceed or defer.

[howie_isaacks]

You’re right. The alert needs to stay there longer. Oddly, none of my users have complained.

[sdagley]

@UESCDurandal For Office 2016 updates have you taken a look at @pbowden's Using the 'msupdate' command-line tool in Microsoft AutoUpdate course? The new msupdate command line tool eliminates the need to roll your own "Please quit... to install updates" notification system for the Office apps as well as Skype for Business, OneNote and Remote Desktop (not that such a system isn't useful for other apps).

[dpertschi]

Unfortunately JAMF's Notification Center alert style is set to Banner by default. As such, it disappears after 5 seconds and no one ever sees it. Alert style its what we really want, and that would stay on screen utill dismissed.

I've searched in the past, and there does not seem to be an easy way for us to programmatically change the alert style for a given Notification Center item. (sad face)

[peterj]

Is there any way to have this pop up as a message box that needs acknowledging before it shuts down the app.
This alert is pretty much going unnoticed by users

[tlarkin]

I wrote an app quitter for this purpose and just use policy driven flows instead of Patch

Here is my repo

This is my messaging: