Servers Auto Restarting After Installing Updates via Task Sequence

Good Afternoon Guys -

I need everyone's input and / or help with something. For this month's server patching, I started a new process which I implemented at a previous job for more control and easier configuration on update advertisements. It's much faster and easier than making new advertisements frequently as we patch monthly. Basically, it's structured as such:

What's Used

x56 Collections - Each a different group of servers
x1 Collection - Contains all members from 56 Collections above via dynamic rule
x1 Task Sequence - 1 step - "Install Updates"
x1 Task Sequence - 2 steps - "Install Updates" & "Restart System"
x1 Software Update Group with updates to deploy

The Setup

I advertise the Software Update Group to the single collection containing all as "Available"
I advertise one of the two task sequences to each of the 56 collections depending on if the group in charge wants them to auto reboot after updating or not

The Issue / Questions

Today was the first window which included 3 of the server groups. The task sequences advertised was the one which had the single "Install Updates" step only. Each received the advertisements properly and started working as they should.

Once the updates were installed (26 on average), the servers automatically restarted instead of just sitting there pending a restart. I went back and verified that they received the correct task sequence as well as that the task sequence was set up correctly, but all was good there. I've used this same process before, but haven't had this issue.

1. How can I prevent automatic restarting for servers receiving this task sequence in the future?

2. Is the issue that it performed "Install Updates" too thoroughly therefore restarted the server to finish the process?

Logs

I copied all of the SCCM & OS logs from one of the servers right after this happened. The reboot took place at 2:16:02PM CST on 1/9/14 (today). I tried to try to format the data below for easier reading. Here are some of the things I found...

Windows System Event Log

Occurred on 2:16:02 PM

The process C:\Windows\CCM\TSManager.exe (SERVERHOSTNAME) has initiated the restart of computer SERVERHOSTNAME on behalf of user NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM for the following reason: No title for this reason could be found
Reason Code: 0x80030002
Shutdown Type: restart
Comment: The task sequence execution engine initiated a system restart

execmgr.log

2:12:00 - Script for Package:A0000136, Program: * succeeded with exit code 0
2:12:01 - Execution is complete for program *. The exit code is 0, the execution status is Success
2:12:01 - The task sequence A0000136 was successfully started. See TSAgent.log and SMSTS.LOG for more details.
2:12:01 - Execution Request for advert A0020168 package A0000136 program * state change from Running to Completed
2:12:01 - Raising client SDK event for class CCM_Program, instance CCM_Program.PackageID="A0000136",ProgramID="*", actionType 1l, value , user NULL, session 4294967295l, level 0l, verbosity 30l
2:12:01 - Raising client SDK event for class CCM_Program, instance CCM_Program.PackageID="A0000136",ProgramID="*", actionType 1l, value , user NULL, session 4294967295l, level 0l, verbosity 30l
2:12:49 - MTC task with id {6114120F-726F-419E-8ABE-F745727E135B}, changed state from 5 to 5
2:16:02 - (Windows Event above this one took place)
2:16:03 - The user has logged off.
2:16:23 - CServiceWindowEventHandler::Execute - Received SERVICEWINDOWEVENT : END Event
2:22:32 - A user has logged on.

smsts.log

Here's a link to the entire "smsts.log" file referenced below

2:12:48 - Waiting for installation job to complete
2:13:48 - Waiting for job status notification ...
2:15:31 - NotifyComplete received
2:15:31 - Received job completion notification from Updates Deployment Agent
2:15:31 - Reboot Required
2:15:31 - Installation is not yet complete, action needs to be re-run after reboot
2:15:31 - Process completed with exit code 0
2:15:31 - !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
2:15:31 - Successfully completed the action (Install Software Updates) with the exit win32 code 0
2:15:31 - Set authenticator in transport
2:15:31 - Set a global environment variable _SMSTSLastActionRetCode=0
2:15:31 - Set a global environment variable _SMSTSLastActionSucceeded=true
2:15:31 - Clear local default environment
2:15:31 - The action (Install Software Updates) requested a retry
2:15:31 - Executing command line: "bcdedit.exe"
2:15:31 - Process completed with exit code 0
2:15:31 - Updated security on object C:\_SMSTSVolumeID.7159644d-f741-45d5-ab29-0ad8aa4771ca.
2:15:31 - Updated security on object D:\_SMSTSVolumeID.7159644d-f741-45d5-ab29-0ad8aa4771ca.
2:15:31 - Updated security on object E:\_SMSTSVolumeID.7159644d-f741-45d5-ab29-0ad8aa4771ca.
2:15:31 - Updated security on object F:\_SMSTSVolumeID.7159644d-f741-45d5-ab29-0ad8aa4771ca.
2:15:31 - Updated security on object D:\_SMSTaskSequence.
2:15:31 - Set a global environment variable _SMSTSNextInstructionPointer=0
2:15:31 - Set a TS execution environment variable _SMSTSNextInstructionPointer=0
2:15:31 - Set a global environment variable _SMSTSInstructionStackString=
2:15:31 - Set a TS execution environment variable _SMSTSInstructionStackString=
2:15:31 - Save the current environment block
2:15:32 - Expand a string: %_SMSTSMDataPath%\Logs
2:19:05 - Successfully restored logs from cache
2:19:05 - Environment scope successfully created: Global\{51A016B6-F0DE-4752-B97C-54E6F386A912}
2:19:05 - Environment scope successfully created: Global\{BA3A3900-CA6D-4ac1-8C28-5073AFC22B03}
2:19:05 - Loading the Task Sequencing Environment from "D:\_SMSTaskSequence\TSEnv.dat".
2:19:14 - Deleting volume ID file C:\_SMSTSVolumeID.7159644d-f741-45d5-ab29-0ad8aa4771ca ...
2:19:14 - Deleting volume ID file D:\_SMSTSVolumeID.7159644d-f741-45d5-ab29-0ad8aa4771ca ...
2:19:14 - Deleting volume ID file E:\_SMSTSVolumeID.7159644d-f741-45d5-ab29-0ad8aa4771ca ...
2:19:14 - Deleting volume ID file F:\_SMSTSVolumeID.7159644d-f741-45d5-ab29-0ad8aa4771ca ...
2:19:14 - Compiling Config policy
2:19:14 - Start to compile TS policy
2:19:14 - Policy complied successfully in WMI 'root\ccm\policy\defaultmachine\requestedconfig' namespace
2:19:14 - End TS policy compilation
2:19:14 - Start to compile TS policy

The last 4 lines repeat a few times...

2:19:30 - RequestedConfig policy instance(s) : 0
2:19:30 - Total RequestedConfig policy instance(s) : 9086
2:19:33 - New/Changed ActualConfig policy instance(s) : 8
2:19:33 - [1] Added/updated setting 'ccm_networkaccessaccount:sitesettingskey=1'.
2:19:33 - [2] Added/updated setting 'ccm_rebootsettings:sitesettingskey=1'.
2:19:33 - [3] Added/updated setting 'inventorydataitem:dataitemid={061daeaa-a5d2-463c-84fd-7c1e278b83e0}:itemclass=filesystemfile:namespace=\\.\root\ccm\invagt'.
2:19:33 - [4] Added/updated setting 'inventorydataitem:dataitemid={0d46166f-067a-48f2-bbd3-b0c2d5c27a0b}:itemclass=win32reg_addremoveprograms64:namespace=\\localhost\root\cimv2'.
2:19:33 - [5] Added/updated setting 'inventorydataitem:dataitemid={35a43166-a50f-4bfa-92f3-cded58d4c37f}:itemclass=win32reg_smsguestvirtualmachine:namespace=\\.\root\cimv2'.
2:19:33 - [6] Added/updated setting 'inventorydataitem:dataitemid={5cc87e68-b642-409e-8675-7ba8a0837ef1}:itemclass=win32reg_addremoveprograms:namespace=\\localhost\root\cimv2'.
2:19:33 - [7] Added/updated setting 'inventorydataitem:dataitemid={df2d8de5-6057-460f-a313-37c7f9bb7f33}:itemclass=win32reg_smsguestvirtualmachine64:namespace=\\.\root\cimv2'.
2:19:33 - [8] Added/updated setting 'inventorydataitem:dataitemid={f9cc2849-3c27-4528-9adb-4ad8c9eb8aae}:itemclass=filesystemfile:namespace=\\.\root\ccm\invagt'.
2:19:33 -

Raising event:
instance of CCM_PolicyAgent_SettingsEvaluationComplete
{
ClientID = "GUID:CA7CBCE8-7BD7-424E-8E83-24CED8B6C573";
DateTime = "20140109201933.161000+000";
PolicyNamespace = "\\\\serverhostname\\root\\ccm\\policy\\machine\\actualconfig";
ProcessID = 2724;
ThreadID = 2872;
};

2:19:33 - Failed to submit event to the Status Agent. Attempting to create pending event.
2:19:33 -

Raising pending event:
instance of CCM_PolicyAgent_SettingsEvaluationComplete
{
ClientID = "GUID:CA7CBCE8-7BD7-424E-8E83-24CED8B6C573";
DateTime = "20140109201933.161000+000";
PolicyNamespace = "\\\\serverhostname\\root\\ccm\\policy\\machine\\actualconfig";
ProcessID = 2724;
ThreadID = 2872;
};

2:19:33 - Successfully submitted pending event to WMI.
2:19:33 - End TS policy evaluation
2:19:33 - Policy evaluation initiated
2:19:33 - Waiting for policy to be compiled in 'root\ccm\policy\machine' namespace
2:19:33 - Policy verification done
2:19:33 - Config policies compiled successfully
2:19:33 - Waiting for CcmExec service to be fully operational
2:22:31 - CcmExec service is up and fully operational

Here's a link to the entire "smsts.log" file referenced above.

Any suggestions you can offer would be awesome - Thank You!

Ben K.