How to Create and Assign a Servicing Window in VMM

 

Updated: May 13, 2016

Applies To: System Center 2012 SP1 - Virtual Machine Manager, System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager, System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager

Servicing windows provide a method for scheduling servicing outside Virtual Machine Manager (VMM). In VMM, you can associate a servicing window with individual hosts, virtual machines, or services. Before using other applications to schedule maintenance tasks, you can use Windows PowerShell scripts or custom applications to query the object and determines if it is currently in a servicing window. Servicing windows do not interfere with the regular use and functionality of VMM.

To create a servicing window

  1. In the Settings workspace, on the Home tab, in the Create group, click Create Servicing Window.

  2. In the New Servicing Window dialog box, enter a name and optional description for the servicing window.

  3. In Category, enter or select the category of servicing window.

  4. In Start time, enter the date, time of day, and time zone for the maintenance window.

  5. In Duration, specify the number of hours or minutes in the servicing window.

  6. Under Recurrence pattern, select the frequency (Daily, Weekly, or Monthly), and then schedule the occurrences within that frequency.

    • To configure a daily servicing window, click Daily. Then, either click Every and enter the number of days between servicing, or click Every weekday to configure daily servicing.

    • To configure a weekly servicing window, click Weekly. In Recur every, enter a number to specify the number of weeks between servicing. For example, enter 2 to configure servicing every other week. Finally, in weeks on, select each day on which to perform servicing.

    • To configure a monthly servicing window, click Monthly, and then use one of the following methods to configure the monthly servicing window.

      Click Day, enter a number to indicate which day of the month, and in of every, enter a number to indicate the number of months between servicing. For example, you might configure a servicing window to be performed on the first day (day 1) of each quarter (every 3 months).

      Click second option (beginning with The). Select the week of the month (first, second, third, fourth, or last). Select a day of the week. Then, in of every, specify the number of months between servicing. For example, you might specify the second Tuesday of every month (every 1 months).

  7. Click OK to save your servicing window.

    Note

    On the Home tab, in the Properties group, click Properties to modify a servicing window.

After you save the new servicing window, you can view it by clicking the Servicing Windows node on the Settings pane.

Use the following procedure to add a servicing window to a host. You can perform the same procedure on a virtual.

To add a servicing window to a host

  1. In the Fabric workspace, on the Fabric pane, expand Servers, expand All Hosts, and optionally navigate to the host group that contains the host.

  2. On the Hosts pane, click the host.

  3. On the Host tab, in the Properties group, click Properties.

    The host properties dialog box opens.

  4. On the Servicing Windows page, click Manage.

    The Manage the list of Servicing Windows dialog box opens.

  5. Under Available servicing windows, click the servicing window that you want to add to the host, and then click Add.

    The selected servicing window moves to the Selected servicing windows list.

  6. Click OK to add the servicing window and click OK again to save the updated host properties.