Sonoma, JAMF 11.2 and updates

[MMTechno]

Hi everyone, 

i can for the life of me work out how to efficiently deploy updates to my devices. I have been testing with Sonoma 14.0 as a baseline and JAMF 11.2 in the lab.

What i want to achieve is deploy an update and allow the end user to defer it by a number of days. I have tested deploying an update and installing immediately and it works. 

In JAMF, Computers > Software Updates > i can target a group with the option : Download, install, and allow deferral

and i can specify a number. Apparently these are the deferrals i can allow the user. How do i specify the days i want the user to be able to defer? Do i need a config profile?

Is software updates solely from JAMF really achievable ? I think i am wasting my time here. Will Nudge or any other script help with that? I am at my wits end with how updates work on Macs.

Any insights would be appreciated.

[AJPinto]

There is currently a bug in Jamf that is not expected to be fixed until after 11.3. Make sure you are telling the devices to install the latest available update and not specifying a version. Jamf bug aside, managing updates on macOS is a nightmare even with Declarative Device Management due to how poorly the workflow apple has designed functions. 

PI116287 "Scheduled Software Updates (DDM) using Specific Versions Does Not Work" 

[MMTechno]

Thanks for letting me know. 

If i use the option to  Download, install, and allow deferral will i be able to use Nudge as well to point the user to the right direction ? I assume that deferral means days right?

Apart from that, do i need to deploy any configuration profiles to the devices for any other update settings?

[tdenton]

You need super https://github.com/Macjutsu/super had some great sucess with it for major OSX upgrades Its what we will be using for our lab upgrades from Ventura to Sonoma.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj26nuCH1jA

[MMTechno]

Currently looking into that.

How easy / hard is for super to be set up?

[tdenton]

Straightforward if you follow the wiki they provide

[DBrowning · Accepted solution]

@MMTechno deferral means how many times they can defer it.  If you set it to 3, macOS should prompt them 3 times and on the 4th it will install the update.  This does work out to be days as the MDM command repeats every 24 hours.

[MMTechno]

Thanks for clarifying that!

[MMTechno]

Thanks for letting me know. Currently investigating what is the best method of doing this.. I guess i have 3 options.. Use the out of the box option in Jamf 11.2 or choose between Nudge and super