Software Updates via SMS

[drewdown]

I am under the assumption that all you need to push it the Windows Update (SMS 2003 SP2) tool now? The office Scan tool is obsolete now when running SMS 2003 SP2 correct?

Anyone have an easy to query a group of computers for only computers needing a specific software update? I would like to create a collection that only contains computers needing Visio 2003 SP1/2 and then push the software update to them.

However when I go to create the query via Add/Remove Programs there arent any office products showing.

 

[tbrennans]

As long as you have the ITMU tool installed, also you need to upgrade it to version 3 as the earlier versions will lose MS support in March.

There should be a builtin web report for count of instances of specific software registered with add remove programs.

If it doesnt show up there you could always create a query based collection for machines less than a certain version

 

[drewdown]

Thanks man. I can run the report to tell me which machines do not have a specific update installed.

Example:

I have 20 some machines with VS2005 installed, 13 of them are in need of MS06-073. I can create a query that pulls all machines with VS 2005 installed. I can also add to that query to pull any computers without a specific software update. However, the update in question, QNumber 925674, Update ID MS06-073 doesnt show up as a value when I attempt to do so. Frustrating to say the least.

Any idea?

 

[tbrennans]

Yeah, I had to make a sql query that was a royal p.i.a. to get the q numbers to show up seems to me I had to make a sql query to get that BUT>>>

That info is in the sms_<sitecode> software_updates_Extended_Data table. A sql guy could squeeze it out of that fairly simple I would think. (I need a sql class)

 

[tbrennans]

I would give you the query BUT I'm not at that client, and don't remember what the gory details of it was, other than it took a week and I swore a lot when I made it.....

 

[drewdown]

Solved part of my problem, still not able to get all the qnumbers to show. However I was able to query my clients for updates that were needed.

This is what I did:

Limited the colletion to WindowsXP systems, then edited the membership rule collection query to say:

Extended Software Update. Time Applied is NULL
and
Extended Software Updates.QNumber is equal to "<qnumber>"

I was able to query my clients for only the machines that needed that paticular update.

The key is the time applied, because if they didnt have the update installed already then obivoulsly there is no time applied.

Easier than I thought when I finally decided to look at it again.