What Happens When a Patch Policy Fails?

When a patch policy fails, the outcome depends on the number of packages included in the patch run. Here's how failure scenarios can play out and what to do next.

Types of Patch Failures

1. Failure at the First Patch Update

   • What Happens: The patch process stops immediately, and no further updates are applied.
   • Next Steps:
     • Investigate the error by checking the OS logs for information and error codes. 
     • Resolve the underlying issue (e.g., network connectivity, missing prerequisites, or configuration errors).
     • Retry the patch policy after resolving the issue.

2. Failure Midway or Toward the End

   • What Happens: Updates applied before the failure are successful while the remaining updates fail.
   • Next Steps:
     • Investigate the error by checking the OS logs for information and error codes.
     • Ensure devices with successful patches are not included in subsequent policy iterations to avoid redundancy.
     • Reattempt the policy run after troubleshooting the failed patch.

Key Troubleshooting Tips

1. Check Automox Logs for specific error codes or messages.
2. Ensure the device is online and able to communicate with the Automox agent.
3. Restart the agent service if the patch failure persists:

Windows:

net stop amagent
net start amagent

Linux:

sudo service amagent restart

macOS:

sudo launchctl kickstart -k system/com.automox.agent

4. If errors are unresolved, consult Automox support with device logs and patch details.

Preventing Patch Failures

• Regularly verify device configurations and prerequisites before applying patches.
• Use Automox Worklets to pre-check conditions that could cause failure.
• Schedule patch policies during maintenance windows to reduce the risk of conflicts.