Jamf Pro and patching
One of the main elements of Jamf Pro that sets it apart from the competition is the ability to enforce monthly ‘patches’ i.e. application and macOS updates. This can be used to ensure that all Macs in your environment are running the same, up to date, software versions for optimum performance, security & compliance.
Delivering this monthly macOS patching requires a deep understanding of a number of technologies, these include:
- General macOS competency
- Bash scripting
- Python scripting
- Detailed knowledge of the macOS installer process
- Certificate signing
- Package signing
moofPatch
moofPatch has a clear goal, to automate this complex process to deliver a streamlined monthly patching service to our clients macOS estates, in a smooth and efficient manner.
It is the automated device patching component of the solution and means that every Mac that is enrolled into Jamf Pro will have its applications and operating system patched once a month via moofPatch.
What can moofPatch deliver?
The patches that are updated include, but aren’t limited to:
- macOS updates, including MRT, XProtect and Gatekeeper data
- Third-party application updates, including Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud and Apple’s iWork suite
- OS and internet Plugins, including Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight
How are the patches delivered?
We can tailor moofPatch to meet with clients’ change control procedures, but as standard the patches are rolled out to pilot user groups in the first instance, for a short period of testing, and then to the remainder of the estate once the pilot phase has been approved.
End-users can choose to deploy these patches via Jamf’s self-service application at their own convenience or, if they choose to ignore them, they are forced after an agreed period of time.
We keep the users informed via the following pop-ups:
Summary
The technologies and professional services that the moofPatch service is comprised of are complex, time consuming and really quite geeky…. but the outcome is simple:
A reliable central patching solution that ensures our client’s macOS devices are patched, secure and compliant on a monthly basis.
Please get in touch if you would like to know more, hello@moof-it.co.uk
