Reboot Windows
CM provides automated rebooting after specific operations, such as after a patch or a software installation, when it is necessary. However, end users should not be interrupted with a reboot request at the wrong time. The devices CM manages are production devices, and even though rebooting a desktop or laptop seems like it may not be a problem, it could potentially have a very large impact when happening at the wrong moment.
Some device are running time critical applications, for example in a hospital. If patches are applied on hospital beds that are currently in use, very bad things can happen if you apply a broken patch or reboot at the wrong time.
Another example would be being patched and rebooted during important presentations to large audiences. If the reboot pop-up window appears in the middle of such a presentation, it at the least causes quite a distraction when hiding the presented slide or other document, and at the worst might lead to a complete disruption if the presenter clicks the wrong button.
IT departments are trying to keep all machines of their environment patched and up to date. CM has extremely aggressive patching enabled due to business financial needs. This means continuous patching where it is not possible to narrow the scope when patching takes place.
Reboot windows are specifically designed with regards to these critical situations and allow the CM administrator to define timeframes in which devices can be rebooted or are absolutely not to be rebooted. These windows can be assigned to individual devices as well as to device groups.
All reboot windows are created and managed under the Global Settings > Reboot Windows node. A reboot window permits you to assign one or several timeframes to an individual device or a group of devices, during which a device reboot is permitted or prohibited. A reboot window's role is to provide a simple lookup service to verify whether the reboot can take place. They are used to manage the list of allowed or disallowed hourly "slots" during which the agents in the network can launch the reboot.