Do the "AWS SSM maintenance windows tasks" could be ran at the same "maintenance window duration time"?

Question

Hi,

I have 4 different maintenance windows with different tasks assigned.
One starts EC2 instance, second runs "Patch scanning", third runs "Patch installation" and fourth stops the instance.

As the minimum duration of the window is 2 hours + 1 hour of cutoff, it would take quite a long time for just those different tasks to be ran, if 1 "maintenance window task" cannot be ran at the same time with second one. And so the question in the title appeared.

Thanks.

Praveen Muppala · Answer

Yes, AWS Systems Manager (SSM) maintenance window tasks can be run concurrently within the same maintenance window duration. Each maintenance window allows you to define multiple tasks and specify their sequence and concurrency. You can configure tasks to run sequentially or in parallel depending on your needs.

In your case, you can configure the maintenance windows to run the tasks in parallel to optimize the total duration. Here’s how you can set it up:

Create a single maintenance window with a duration long enough to accommodate all tasks. For example, if you set the duration to 2 hours and the cutoff to 1 hour, you have a total of 3 hours for all tasks to complete.

**Add tasks to the maintenance window:**
* Task 1: Start EC2 instance.
* Task 2: Patch scanning.
* Task 3: Patch installation.
* Task 4: Stop EC2 instance.

See the below screenshot where you can add several tasks under a maintenance window :

![Enter image description here](/media/postImages/original/IMeLd-laHmR9uxR_yAEPesFg)

**Steps to Set Up:**
* Open the AWS Systems Manager console.
* Navigate to Maintenance Windows.
* Create a new maintenance window or modify an existing one.
* Add tasks to the maintenance window and configure their details, ensuring that the concurrency settings align with your needs.

Do the "AWS SSM maintenance windows tasks" could be ran at the same "maintenance window duration time"?

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