Baseline Component Editing

Usage and Config Patch
1

(imported topic written by cbromley91)

Hello…

New to BigFix, and have a question. While creating a baseline, I am told that not all of the components have a default action. Unfortunately, when I go to edit the baseline, I can see the list of components, and can delete them, or move them up or down the priority list, but I can’t modify their actions as I don’t see the action drop down box. Is there something I am doing wrong?

Also, I am curious as to how a baseline would behave if I have, for example:

All Adobe Acrobat patches (810-811, 811-812, etc) in a single baseline, and I get a computer with 810. Would it go through the baseline once, see that it needs 8.1.1 and apply that, then require restart? And THEN would it, after the restart, go down the list and see that it needs 8.1.2 and so on? Or… would it know that it applied 8.1.1 and continue down the list applying each one in turn, THEN requiring a restart?

How do I make a baseline persistent so that I just have to add computers to BigFix and it will automatically apply a baseline? Or is this not possible?

This is a fresh install we have, and I am noticing that there are many, especially 3rd party, patches that need applied across our network. The only problem is that applying these patches almost always requires a restart before it will apply other patches, especially in a series. So, because it is a new install, and because I don’t want to inconvenience my users with constant reboots through the day, I am only requesting one restart a day… so it would appear that it will take several days, to a couple weeks to get every patch out to every machine and finally be ‘up to date’. With 120 machines, I am wondering if it might not be faster to just run from machine to machine and apply patches in one sitting??? I understand the BigFix advantage in the long run… but right after installation, it’s a LOT of management to go through on a daily basis to get machines caught up… and if our users don’t restart, many fixes don’t actually get applied.

By the way, I tried getting some questions answered via regular support, and while the person i spoke with was trying to be helpful, I was sent here, or to my sales rep for premium support because, apparently, creating a baseline is ‘custom programming’… and that isn’t supported. Really? Right clicking on the fixlet and adding it to a baseline, and asking questions about how that baseline is handled by clients constitutes ‘custom programming’??? Please tell me I accidentally got someone on their first day! Hah!!

2

(imported comment written by BenKus)

Hi cbromley,

Lots of questions… here are some notes/answers:

  • When you edit a Baseline, you should see a dropdown list next to the “X” and up/down arrows that lets you choose the action… do you not see this dropdown?

  • Baseline components apply in order so if they were relevant when the agent goes down the list, it will apply the Fixlets.

  • You note several times about requiring a restart messing with your plans to apply multiple patches… normally you can apply many patches at the same time even if they require a restart (with only a few exceptions for some Fixlets that can’t run if a restart is pending).

  • If you take BigFix actions and target “All computers”, then it it will apply to any computer that needs the Fixlet/Task/Baseline (even computers that haven’t had the agent install yet… Make sure you pick the expiration date of your action. Here is more info on “policy” actions: http://support.bigfix.com/cgi-bin/kbdirect.pl?id=113

  • The support person was mistaken. Our support policy is:

  • we will support all product functionality related to Fixlet content or the platform in standard support (this includes baselines)

  • we don’t provide support on “custom content” like if you build Fixlets/properties yourself in standard support, but if you have premium support, we will work with you to figure out issues/answer questions (but we won’t build it for you)

  • if you would like BigFix to build Fixlets for you, you can work with our services team and they will build your Fixlets for you (see Development Fixlet Pack: http://support.bigfix.com/services/)

I will talk to our support team and I hope it was a misunderstanding.

Ben

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(imported comment written by cbromley91)

Ben,

Thank you for your reply.

No, I do not see the drop down when I edit a baseline. When I initially created the baseline, I did see the drop down, but when I go back to edit it, it is gone. If, however, I add a fixlet to the baseline, I can see a dropdown on THAT fixlet only. And yet, at the top of the components list when I edit, it tells me that some fixlets don’t have default actions selected.

Is there a place that notes these patch exceptions that can’t run without the restart? One of the ones I am thinking of specifically are the numerous Acrobat patches that jump from one version to the next… without a restart, Acrobat still reports itself as the old version. Anyway, if there is a place where these types of patches are easily picked out, that would be helpful.

Thanks for the Policy info… I will read up on that and see how that goes.

And thank you for checking up with Support. I kinda figured that was how it was… I have to think it was this guys first day or week. No biggie. All is well. :slight_smile:

4

(imported comment written by cbromley91)

Nothing new on the editing of baselines not showing the dropdown?

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(imported comment written by NoahSalzman)

This may be a shot in the dark, but what OS and browser version are you using?

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(imported comment written by ErinC91)

I too don’t see the action dropdown list when editing a baseline. I’m using WinXP SP3 & IE7 - all fully patched

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(imported comment written by cbromley91)

On the server, the OS is Windows 2003 Standard SP2, and IE 7.0.5730.13

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(imported comment written by BenKus)

And which version of the BigFix console are you running?

Ben

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(imported comment written by cbromley91)

Bigfix Console 7.2.1.357

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(imported comment written by BenKus)

Hmmm… I appear to have been mistaken… Apparently you can’t edit the baseline to adjust which action runs unless you remove/re-add the Fixlet… This is filed as bug #23495…

Sorry about that…

Ben