Last Updated: 28-03-04 09:55 AM -0000
Software Update Services (SUS) is a set of components for that enable administrators to deploy critical updates, patches and major service packs to server and client computers running Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP. In addition, SUS now also enabled deployment of OS Service Packs (SPs). SUS delivers all current and future SPs for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 post SP4 (and really, if you have Windows 2000 today you really should be running SP4 or later!). For more information on SUS, you can see the SUS home page, or visit Microsoft's SUS FAQ page.
The next version of SUS, which is now known as Windows Update Service (WUS), is now available for evaluation. Previously known as SUS 2.0, WUS is available for evaluation. Expected to be released later this year, you can register to get WUS from Microsoft's Register for the Windows Update Services Open Evaluation Program page.
Here are the Power Point slides from the Patching with SUS web cast (4.5MB). I'll post a link to the webcast replay when this is made available.
Here are the slides from the Birmingham Patch Management TechNet Event (4.7MB).
For details on how to update the AU client more frequently, please take a look at the web log entry I've made at my on line web log. I have a web log at: http://tfl09.blogspot.com.
For details on AU client registry settings related to SUS, see
There are some good scripts, and other SUS material over at www.susserver.com. The neat scripts include:
AUBehave.vbs - this script reads the registry entries for AU behaviour, and displays this on the screen. See the author's information page for more details.
Autoapproveupdates.vbs - this script automatically approves all SUS downloads. See the author's information page for details of this script.
Force SUS to update from a particular server - this should be a cool script (but at present I can not downlaod it). In theory, it enables updating from a specified SUS server, forces windows to check for updates and on reboot it restores the windows update settings to default. A great script for setup guys, etc. You should be able to grab this script from http://www.nextwish.org/geek.php?page=susutil.
SUS Reporting Utility - this tool takes the raw client ping back data from IIS log files, import this into a SQL Database and then allows you to generate reports to determine the SUS Client activity. I have not tested this - but the idea looks sound, and better than what SUS provides natively.
Here is a list of Patch Management Products that I'm aware of, with URLs. The links in the Product Name column point to Google searches for the product, to help you find more information about the actual product.
Company Name | Product Name | Company URL |
Altiris, Inc. | ||
BigFix, Inc. | ||
Configuresoft, Inc. | ||
Ecora, Inc. | ||
GFI Software, Ltd. | ||
Gravity Storm Software, LLC | ||
LANDesk Software, Ltd | ||
Novadigm, Inc. | ||
PatchLink Corp. | ||
Shavlik Technologies | ||
St. Bernard Software |
Last Updated: 28-03-04 09:55 AM -0000