Checklist for installing update 1610 for Configuration Manager

Applies to: Configuration Manager (current branch)

When you use the current branch of Configuration Manager, you can install the in-console update for version 1610 to update your hierarchy from version 1606. If your hierarchy runs version 1511, 1602, or 1606, you can update to version 1610.

To get the update for version 1610, you must use a service connection point site system role at the top-level site of your hierarchy. This can be in online or offline mode. After your hierarchy downloads the update package from Microsoft, you can find it in the console under Administration > Overview > Cloud Services > Updates and Servicing.

  • When the update is listed as Available, the update is ready to install. Before installing version 1610, review the following information about installing update 1610 and the checklist for configurations to make before starting the update.

  • If the update displays as Downloading and does not change, review the hman.log and dmpdownloader.log for errors.

    • Usually, you can also restart the SMS_Executive service on the site server to restart the download of the update's redistribution files.

    • Another common download issue occurs when proxy server settings prevent downloads from silverlight.dlservice.microsoft.com and download.microsoft.com.

For more information about installing updates, see In-console updates and servicing.

For information about the versions of the Current Branch, see Baseline and update versions in Updates for Configuration Manager.

About installing update 1610

Sites:
Update 1610 can only be installed at the top-level site of your hierarchy. This means you initiate the installation from your central administration site if you have one, or from your stand-alone primary site. After the update gets installed at the top-tier site, child sites have the following update behavior:

  • Child primary sites install the update automatically after the central administration site completes the installation of the update. You can use service windows to control when a site installs updates. Prior to version 1606, service windows were called maintenance windows. For more information, see Service windows for site servers.

  • You must manually update secondary sites from within the Configuration Manager console after the primary parent site completes the update installation. Automatic update of secondary site servers is not supported.

Site system roles:
When the site server installs the update, the site system roles that are installed on the site server and those that are installed on remote computers automatically get updated. So before installing the update, make sure that each site system server meets any new prerequisites for operation with the new update version.

Configuration Manager consoles:
The first time you use a Configuration Manager console after the update has finished, you will be prompted to update that console. To do so, you must run Configuration Manager setup on the computer that hosts the console, and then choose the option to update the console. We recommend that you do not delay installing the update to the console.

Checklist

Ensure that all sites run a supported version of Configuration Manager: Before you start the installation of update 1610, each site in the hierarchy must be running the same version of Configuration Manager: either version 1511, 1602, or 1606.

Review the status of your Software Assurance or equivalent subscription rights:
You must have an active Software Assurance (SA) agreement to install update 1610. When you install version 1610, you will have the option on the Licensing tab to confirm your Software Assurance expiration date.

This is an optional value that you can specify as a convenient reminder of your license expiration date, which is visible when you install future updates. If you installed Configuration Manager from the version 1606 baseline media, you might have previously specified this value during setup, or on the Licensing tab of the Hierarchy Settings after site installation.

For more information, see Licensing and branches for Configuration Manager.

Review installed Microsoft .NET versions on site system servers: When a site installs update 1610, Configuration Manager automatically installs .NET Framework 4.5.2 on each computer that hosts one of the following site system roles when .NET Framework 4.5 or later is not already installed:

  • Enrollment proxy point
  • Enrollment point
  • Management point
  • Service connection point

This installation can put the site system server into a reboot pending state and report errors to the Configuration Manager component status viewer. Additionally, .NET applications on the server might experience random failures until the server is restarted.

For more information, see Site and site system prerequisites.

Review the site and hierarchy status and verify that there are no unresolved issues: Before you update a site, resolve all operational issues for the site server, the site database server, and site system roles that are installed on remote computers. A site update can fail due to existing operational problems.

For more information, see Use the status system.

Review file and data replication between sites: Ensure that file and database replication between sites is operational and current. Delays or backlogs in either can prevent a smooth, successful update. For database replication, you can use the Replication Link Analyzer to help resolve issues prior to starting the update.

For more information, see Replication Link Analyzer in the Monitor database replication topic.

Install all applicable critical updates for operating systems on computers that host the site, the site database server, and remote site system roles: Before you install an update for Configuration Manager, install any critical updates for each applicable site system. If an update that you install requires a restart, restart the applicable computers before you start the Configuration Manager update.

Disable database replicas for management points at primary sites:
Configuration Manager cannot successfully update a primary site that has a database replica for management points enabled. Disable database replication before you install an update for Configuration Manager.

For more information, see Database replicas for management points for Configuration Manager.

Set SQL Server Always On availability groups to manual failover:
Before installing updates, such as version 1610, ensure that the availability group is set to manual failover. After the site has been updated, you can restore failover to be automatic. For more information see Prepare to use an availability group.

Reconfigure software update points that use NLBs:
Configuration Manager cannot update a site that uses a network load balancing (NLB) cluster to host software update points.

If you use NLB clusters for software update points, use Windows PowerShell to remove the NLB cluster. For more information, see Plan for software updates.

Disable all site maintenance tasks at each site for the duration of the update installation on that site:
Before you install the update, disable any site maintenance task that might run during the time the update process is active. This includes but is not limited to the following:

  • Backup Site Server
  • Delete Aged Client Operations
  • Delete Aged Discovery Data

When a site database maintenance task runs during the update installation, the update installation can fail. Before you disable a task, record the schedule of the task so you can restore its configuration after the update has been installed.

For more information, see Maintenance tasks for Configuration Manager and Reference for maintenance tasks for Configuration Manager.

Temporarily stop any antivirus software on the Configuration Manager servers: Before you update a site, ensure that you have stopped antivirus software on the Configuration Manager servers.

Create a backup of the site database at the central administration site and primary sites: Before you update a site, back up the site database to ensure that you have a successful backup to use for disaster recovery.

For more information, see Backup and recovery for Configuration Manager.

Plan for client piloting:
When you install an update that updates the client, you can test that new client update in pre-production before it deploys and upgrades all your active clients.

To take advantage of this option, you must configure your site to support automatic upgrades for pre-production before beginning installation of the update.

For more information, see Upgrade clients and How to test client upgrades in a pre-production collection.

Plan to use service windows to control when site servers install updates:
You can use service windows to define a period during which updates to a site server can be installed.

This can help you control when sites in your hierarchy install the update. Prior to version 1606, service windows were called maintenance windows. For more information, see Service windows for site servers.

Run the setup prerequisite checker:
When the update is listed in the console as Available, you can independently run the prerequisite checker before installing the update. (When you install the update on the site, prerequisite checker runs again.)

To run a prerequisite check from the console, go to Administration > Overview > Cloud Services > Updates and Servicing. Next, right-click Configuration Manager 1610 update package, and then choose Run prerequisite check.

For more information about starting and then monitoring the prerequisite check, see Step 3: Run the prerequisite checker before installing an update in the topic Install in-console updates for Configuration Manager.

Important

When the prerequisite checker runs independently or as part of an update installation, the process updates some product source files that are used for site maintenance tasks. Therefore, after running the prerequisite checker but before installing the 1610 update, if you need to perform a site maintenance task, run Setupwpf.exe (Configuration Manager Setup) from the CD.Latest folder on the site server.

Update sites: You are now ready to start the update installation for your hierarchy. For more information about installing the update, see Install in-console updates.

We recommend that you plan to install the update outside of normal business hours for each site, when the process of installing the update and its actions to reinstall site components and site system roles will have the least effect on your business operations.

For more information, see Updates for Configuration Manager.