Sample plan: Microsoft® Windows® 2008 Cluster - OS patching

This sample Automation Plan automates Microsoft® Windows® cluster patching. As well as managing the cluster as it is patched, the automation flow runs all of the Baselines contained is a site against the nodes in the cluster. Add the Baselines to a custom site before running this plan. All sample plans are read-only. To use a sample plan, you must copy it, re-name it, and then update the placeholder Fixlets with Fixlets, Tasks, or Baselines as per your requirements.

About this task

Before running this plan, create a custom site and add all of the Baselines that you want to execute to the custom site. Then when you are running the plan, you select the site containing the Baselines to patch the nodes in the cluster. This plan works in two identical phases, steps 1 to 5 patch the first node or set of nodes in the cluster, and steps 6 to 10 patch the second node or set of nodes in the cluster. So for steps 1 to 5, you target the first node or set of nodes, and for steps 6 to 10 you target the second node or set of nodes.

For more information about running Baselines from sites, see Running baselines from a site. For important information about automating patching of Microsoft® Windows® clusters, see Automating patching of operating systems in Microsoft Windows clusters. The Windows cluster control scripts must be installed on the target nodes in the cluster. You can install these scripts by running the 110 Install Windows Cluster Control Application Fixlet.

Complete the following steps to run the sample Automation Plan.

Procedure

  1. Open theServer Automation domain.
  2. From the navigation tree in the Domain Panel, click Automation Plans.
  3. In the Automation Plans dashboard, enter 139 and press Enter. This is the ID of the sample Automation Plan.
  4. Select the Automation Plan from the list of Automation Plans.
  5. Click Copy to copy the Automation Plan, enter a name and then save the copy that you have just created.
  6. To run the copied Automation Plan, click Take Action.
  7. The following table lists each of the steps in the plan and describes what you need to do run them successfully.
    Table 1. Plan steps, parameters, and targets
    Step Description
    Pause Node (Windows 2008-2022) This step pauses the first node or group of nodes in the cluster in advance of patching. Target the first node or set of nodes in the cluster.
    Move Groups from Node (Windows 2008-2022) This step moves workloads from the first node or group of nodes in the cluster. Target the first node or set of nodes in the cluster.
    Dynamically Run Baselines from a Site This step runs all of the Baselines contained in a site against the first node or group of nodes in a cluster. Target the first node or set of nodes in the cluster. From the Parameters tab, select the site that contains the Baselines that you want to run to patch the nodes in the cluster.
    Restart Endpoint on Pending Restart and Wait for Restart to Complete This step restarts the first node or group of nodes in the cluster. Only endpoints in a Pending Restart state are restarted. Target the first node or set of nodes in the cluster.
    Resume Node (Windows 2008-2022) This step resumes the first node or group of nodes in the cluster. Target the first node or set of nodes in the cluster.
    Pause Node (Windows 2008-2022) This step pauses the second node or group of nodes in the cluster in advance of patching. Target the second node or set of nodes in the cluster.
    Move Groups from Node (Windows 2008-2022) This step moves workloads from the second node or group of nodes in the cluster. Target the second node or set of nodes in the cluster.
    Dynamically Run Baselines from a Site This step runs all of the Baselines contained in a site against the second node or group of nodes in a cluster. Target the second node or set of nodes in the cluster. From the Parameters tab, select the site that contains the Baselines that you want to run to patch the nodes in the cluster.
    Restart Endpoint on Pending Restart and Wait for Restart to Complete This step restarts the second node or group of nodes in the cluster. Only endpoints in a Pending Restart state are restarted. Target the second node or set of nodes in the cluster.
    Resume Node (Windows 2008-2022) This step resumes the second node or group of nodes in the cluster. Target the second node or set of nodes in the cluster.
  8. Click OK to run the Automation Plan.