macOS Update Management provides a centralized interface for deploying, monitoring, and managing operating system updates across managed devices. It enables administrators to maintain device compliance, automate update deployments, and gain visibility into update activity from a single dashboard.
Administrators can use macOS Update Management to:
Deploy operating system updates to managed devices.
Schedule update installations.
Configure update enforcement deadlines.
Publish updates to the Self-service application for user-initiated installation.
Monitor deployment progress and update status.
Review update activity through detailed event logs.
View trends with the help of trend indicators
Update deployments are managed through Operations, which provide a structured method for targeting devices, configuring deployment settings, and tracking installation progress throughout the deployment lifecycle.
Pre-requisites
Before deploying operating system updates to your macOS fleet, ensure your environment meets the following requirements:
Enroll macOS devices with Scalefusion
Devices should have a minimum of 50% charging to install an update.
Supported macOS Versions:
Declarative Device Management (DDM): macOS 14.0 (Sonoma) and later.
Legacy MDM Protocol: macOS 10.15 (Catalina) through macOS 13 (Ventura).
Network Access: Ensure target Macs have unhindered outbound communication to Apple's software update servers (*.apple.com).
Accessing macOS Update Management
To access Apple Update Management:
Sign in to the Scalefusion Dashboard.
Navigate to Update & Patch Management.
Click macOS Update Management.
The Apple Update Management console is organized into the following sections:
These sections provide different views of update-related information, allowing administrators to manage deployments, review device status, monitor update activity, and investigate update-related events. Click on links above to understand in detail what each section displays.
Trend Calculations and Visual Indicators
Many dashboard metrics display a trend indicator to help administrators understand how a metric has changed over time. Trends are calculated by comparing the current value with the value recorded seven days earlier.
Formula:
Trend = Current Value − Historical Value (7 Days Ago)
Example:
Current value: 15
Value 7 days ago: 10
Trend: +5
This indicates that the metric has increased by 5 during the last seven days.
Trend Indicators
The dashboard uses visual indicators to represent changes in metric values using a directional arrow and the change value.
Positive change: Displays a green upward arrow (↑) along with the increase in count.
Negative change: Displays a red downward arrow (↓) along with the decrease in count.
For example, The Total Devices card displays the total number of devices currently enrolled in macOS Update Management and included in update monitoring and deployment activities. A trend indicator is displayed to show how the metric has changed compared to seven days ago.
Clicking the card redirects administrators to the Devices section, where they can view all managed devices and their update status.
