Initial Situation
To fully integrate macOS devices into automated patch management, we need the ability to distinguish macOS updates based on their version increment.
Currently, macOS updates cannot be adequately categorized by their scope and automatically rolled out with different delay times.
Desired Functionality
macOS updates should be automatically categorized based on the version change, for example:
Major Upgrade:
15.x.x → 16.x.xMinor Update:
15.6.x → 15.7.xPatch update:
15.6.1 → 15.6.2
It should be possible to define a custom delay period for each of these categories before automatic installation.
Example:
15.6.1 → 15.6.2 → 7 days
15.6.x → 15.7.x → 14 days
15.x.x → 16.x.x → 30 days
The time periods should be freely configurable.
Desired Process
After an update is released, Octoja automatically detects the update’s category.
The delay period configured for that category then begins. Once this period has elapsed, the update is automatically released or installed on the affected macOS devices.
Example:
A new major upgrade from macOS 15 to macOS 16 is released.
A 30-day delay is configured for major upgrades.
Octoja holds the upgrade for 30 days and then automatically releases it for installation. Manual intervention by an administrator is not required during the regular process.
Goal
The goal is fully automated macOS patch management that can accommodate major operating system upgrades without rolling them out immediately upon release.
By using different delay periods, minor security and maintenance updates can be installed promptly, while a longer waiting period is observed for major version jumps.
This would allow macOS devices to be fully integrated into the automated patch management process without requiring major upgrades to be manually managed on an ongoing basis.