Microsoft Updates

[nevets2001uk]

I was wondering if there is any easy way to create your own 'service packs' for Windows.

We have about 100 PC's that we want to keep updated with the latest Security releases from Microsoft but if we get each user to carry out automatic updates it will grind our WAN (Internet Access and Email) to a halt.

Ideally we would like to be able to download the critical updates once and then create a deployment method which we can use on the network or from CD.

There's got to be an easy way to keep on top of these updates!!

All ideas welcomed,

Cheers

Steve Gordon

http://www.celebrity-hunt.co.uk

 

[Andyleates]

What you need is

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/sus/default.mspx

Andy Leates MCSE CCNA MCP+I

 

[techwtr]

We also did SUS to get Windows patches out to all the desktops in the company. Since we use Zenworks in our offices, we got the intital SUS rolled out using ZEn to deploy it. Due to the concern that the network would grind to a halt with everyone downloading Windows XP sp1 at the same time, rollout was done in the evening.

I would pick three or four workstations a night and within 30 minutes of the end of day, I would push the initial SUS Zen app to the customer workstation and have them reboot. After they reboot, have them log back in and leave their computers on overnight ( I would show them how to lock their workstations so no one could access it after they left for the day). This way if their machine needed the Windows XP sp1 download let's say, it would download after hours. When the customer comes in the next day the update is ready for them to run. If a reboot is in order they can do that then and it didn't really cause them too much delay in getting started for the day.

I had at lease 70+ machines in my territory to get done. Because you are doing it at night or over the weekend, the amount of users you pick to due the download after hours can vary. If you have good network line speed in that office, you could go up to maybe 10 machines a night.
Those locations that didn't have good wan speed, I did them over a weekend only ( to make sure the download had time to work).

 

[philbeardmore]

I am going to use SUS too, and I plan to update all PC's (Approx 200) after hours - Probably about 21:00. Luckily most of our staff have the latest service pack, so it should only be updates that are installed.

TECHWTR - Have you had any problems with SUS? I have trialed it, and it appears to work fine, however, although you set an update time, I have found it is very approximate. I.E if you set it to 9:00, it could take place anywhere within an hour. SUS misses the option to push patches out in realtime at the click of a button. On the whole though, a very handy tool!

 

[techwtr]

During the initial deploy of SUS, I never had any problems with it. When do the deploy in small numbers at a time after hours, all went well.

As far as timing goes, when we do future SUS rollouts normally we tell people they are coming and to start expecting them within 24 to 72 hrs after we deploy the update. This last one, I got it on my machine two days after rollout. As I work on other computers around the office, I see it pop up at various times on computers during the day. We have been doing this all year now and no problems to speak of. Only the occasional person turning off their computer in the middle of a update that they think wasn't done or stuck and they kill their computer.

Good Luck!