Create an emergency patch cycle

When an update can't wait for the normal staged rollout, an emergency patch cycle pushes the updates you choose to the rings you choose, at the time you choose. It bypasses ring ordering and skips the usual draft-and-approve step.

Before you start

• You need the Emergency Patch Cycles permission. Permissions are granted per group under Administration → Groups (see Assign Permissions).
• A patch policy whose catalog already holds the update you need to roll out (see Set up patch policies and cycles).

Create the cycle

1. Go to Patch Management → Patch Cycles and click Emergency rollout.
2. Choose the Patch policy.
3. Under Updates to roll out, search for and select the updates to include.
4. Under Target rings, choose which rings to roll out to. All rings are selected by default, and ring ordering does not apply.
5. Set the Schedule: pick Roll out now, or Schedule for a specific time and choose a date and time.
6. Set the Window duration (hours) — how long the maintenance window stays open (default 4, up to 168).
7. Optionally add Notes explaining why you're rolling out early.
8. Click Create emergency cycle.

The cycle is created already Approved — it skips the draft review — and carries an Emergency badge. It installs during its window like any other cycle; follow its progress from the cycle's results.

Note: A global block still wins. A globally blocked update is never installed on any device, even when you add it to an emergency cycle.

See also: Patch Management for the full picture, Set up patch policies and cycles for the normal staged rollout, and Assign Permissions for the Emergency Patch Cycles permission.