Patch Management updating O365 Channels 1701 issues

Products

Patch Management Solution for Windows

Issue/Introduction

Found that Patch Management Solution deployed Microsoft O365 updates and the Deferred Channel 1701 was upgraded to 1705.

Reviewed deployment support from Microsoft and the following is not supported by Patch Management Solution:

Deferred2: 1705 - 8201.2217 January 9, 2018
- Deferred Channel will be named Semi-Annual Channel starting in January 2018.

Reviewed the Console > Actions > Software > Patch Remediation Center; highlighted MS17-09-OFF/MS18-01-O365, right-click > Details, and confirmed the following listed for Office 365 (O365) supported Channels:

Office365-16.0.8201.2193-Deferred.cab
Office365-16.0.8326.2107-Current.cab
Office365-16.0.8431.2079-FirstReleaseDeferred.cab

Cause

The current PMImport datafeed includes the latest release for Deferred (Semi-annual) channel, and installation of this release will result in an upgrade if the updated environment had the earlier release previously installed.

By default, Click-to-Run for Office 365 installations are automatically updated within the software, but most administrators change the update source within Office 365 to control when these installations are updated via Patch Management Solution.

Moreover, Office 365 patching differs from other Microsoft patches, for Office 365 updates are installed by initiating the Microsoft Office 365 Click-to-Run update process, which prompts the target machine to download the patch and run the software update when executed via Patch Management Solution as detailed in INFO3521.

Environment

Patch Management Solution 7.5.x, 7.6.x and 8.x

Resolution

Patch Management Solution deployment: Open the Console > Home > Patch Management > Windows segment; Compliance and Remediation > Compliance by Update; search on the OFF, O365 or W10 (depending on which updates are vulnerable per the Windows Compliance by Bulletin) and highlight > right-click > Distribute Packages to deploy the Bulletin targeting for that specific Channel Build; otherwise, the utilization of Software Delivery will need to be implemented for custom update package deployment.

Note: Symantec Corp is currently reviewing the targeting process to configure O365 to allow deferred channel versions to be maintained while updating with Patch Management Solution. Please subscribe to this article to receive email notifications once it has been updated.

Additionally, the name scheme changes have been detailed on INFO4811, and enhancement to update them is under review.