4.7 Automatic Remediation

Through scheduled scans, you can launch automatic remediation actions. This enables you to automatically download and deploy missing patches as well as to automatically uninstall unauthorized applications during scheduled operations.

To uninstall software, a 3-stage process is required in order to identify whether the selected application supports silent uninstall:

Stage 1 – Select the application to be auto-uninstalled

Stage 2 – Ensure that application supports silent uninstall by trying to remotely uninstall the application. This is called the validation process.

Stage 3 – Setup a scheduled scan, which will successfully uninstall all instances of that application from targets during a scheduled scan.

NOTE: Auto-remediation option of scheduled scans and application un-authorization only work for scanning profiles which perform Missing patches detection and/or Installed application detection

Important notes

1. Always test patches in a test environment before deployment.

2. By default Microsoft updates are not enabled for automatic deployment. Manually approve each patch (as it is tested) or set all Microsoft updates as approved.

4.7.1 Automatically deploy missing Microsoft updates

To automatically deploy missing patches follow the instructions below before setting up a scan with auto-remediation options.

Step 1: Approve the patches to deploy automatically.

1. From the Configuration tab, navigate to Microsoft Updates ► Patch Auto-Deployment.

2. Select the patches to approve for auto-deployment. Optionally, set the automatic patch approval options by selecting the To automatically approve patches and/or service packs, click here option. For more information, refer to the Auto-deployment settings section in this manual.

Step 2: Set up a scheduled scan.

Set up a scheduled scan that will have the option to automatically deploy all approved missing Microsoft updates. Within the scheduled scan, define what computers will be scanned for missing Microsoft updates and the frequency.

Step 3: Review scheduled scan status

Select Dashboard ► Scheduled Operations to review the status of scheduled scans and auto-remediation operations

4.7.2 Automatically uninstall unauthorized applications

To automatically uninstall unauthorized applications follow the instructions below before setting up a scan with auto-remediation options.

Step 1: Define unauthorized applications list.

1. From the Configuration tab, select Applications inventory sub-node.

2. In the right pane, click the application to unauthorized under the heading unauthorized on column.

3. Select a scanning profile to mark the application as unauthorized for that profile. Click Next to continue.

4. Review the currently affected applications screen and click Finish to finalize settings.

Refer to the Applications inventory section in this manual for further on defining unauthorized applications.

Step 2: Validate the applications to remotely uninstall.

1. From the Configuration tab, select Applications inventory ► Auto-Uninstall Validation sub-node.

2. In the right pane, select an application to validate click Validate… button.

3. In the Application auto-uninstall validation wizard click Next in the Welcome screen and select the computer on which to test the application auto-uninstall. Click Next to continue.

4. Provide the authentication details for the validation operation and click Next to continue.

5. Review the Auto-uninstall validation wizard information and click Start to validate application auto-uninstall.

For more information on auto-uninstall validation refer to Application auto-uninstall validation in this manual.

Step 3: Set up a scheduled scan.

Define a scheduled scan that will have the option to automatically uninstall all unauthorized applications, which are validated. Within the scheduled scan, define what computers are scanned, the frequency and which the unauthorized applications are.

Step 4: Review scheduled scan status

Select Dashboard ► Scheduled Operations to review the status of scheduled scans and auto-remediation operations.