ConfigMgr 2012 / SCCM 2012 SP1 Step by Step Guide Part 15: Software Updates (Microsoft)

ConfigMgr 2012 / SCCM 2012 SP1 Step by Step Guide Part 15: Software Updates (Microsoft)

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Part 15 of the guide describes the implementation of a software updates solution. This section is for Microsoft updates only. Non-Microsoft updates are discussed in Part 16.

The process is divided into the following sections:

1. WSUS Role
2. Config Mgr Software Update Point
3. Updates Infrastructure and deploying updates
4. Client view

1. Add WSUS Role


 Launch Add Roles and Features Wizard




Choose Role-based or feature-based



Choose local server


Choose WSUS role. You are prompted to add features that are required for WSUS.


Select to Add Features. Click Next to continue


Click Next



Click Next




Select required role services. Note that we need WSUS services and Database. We will not be using Windows Internal Database (SQL Server Embedded)


Choose location for WSUS updates. Note that this folder will only contain WSUS metadata and will not grow massive in size. (ConfigMgr will manage the download of the actual updates files to deployment packages). Choose a folder. Note that it must exist already.


Enter the database server name and click "Check Connection"


Click Install to continue installing WSUS




When installation has succeeded click Close to finish

Launch Administrative Tools


Double-click WSUS to continue the installation


Enter WSUS content location. Catalog information and EULA are downloaded here during synchronisation with Microsoft Updates. Note that Updates will not downloaded to this location. Updates will be downloaded to ConfigMgr Deployment packages.


WSUS has been installed. We do not need to configure it. Config Mgr will do that for us. Click Cancel to finish.


Verify that the database has been created.


2. Config Mgr Software Update Point




Right click Site Server and choose Add Site System Role


Verify server name and click Next


We do not need proxy server this time. Click Next



Choose Software Update Point


Choose 8530 and 8531 for client communications


Click Next


Choose to Synchronize with Microsoft Updates





Choose to enable sync on a schedule. Every 7 days is sufficient



Choose default supersedence behaviour


Choose your required classifications




Choose the required products. I chose Windows 7 and Office 2010.



Choose English only (or not as the case may be)


Verify your choices and click Next to continue


Software Update Point has been added. Click Close to finish.





Navigate to Software Library. Right click on Software Updates and click Synchronize Software Updates. This manually starts the first sync with Microsoft Update catalog.


Click Yes to verify


Verify sync via WSYNCMGR.LOG



Updates start to appear in the console. Note that these entries just show details of available updates in the catalog. We will download the updates in the next phase.


3. Updates Infrastructure and deploying updates

Create a test collection




Add test resources to the collection




Prepare folder structure for Windows 7 and Office 2010

Note that the Deployment process involves Software Update Groups and Deployment Packages. Software Update Groups should be created monthly and are deployed to collections of devices. They will contain all the updates released that month and are simply a filtered list of downloaded updates (note that a SUG can contain a maximum of 1000 updates). The same deployment package can be used each month. The deployment package contains all the downloaded updates binaries.

See here for a possible software update strategy for your organization.

For the sake of demonstration we will just consider Windows 7 updates in this example.

Open Software Updates. On top right hand side of screen click Add Criteria (this is merely for filtered searching of updates)





Choose Product, Bulletin ID, Expired and Superseded and click Add




Now filter the criteria as above




Click Search

You are now presented with a filtered list of Windows 7 updates which are not expired or superseded.

Save Search Criteria for future use (Save Current Search)



This is now accessible under Saved Searches

If you scroll down through the list you will notice that none of the updates have been downloaded. The next time we do this (next month) we will select only those updates that haven't been downloaded.

Highlight the updates and right click to deploy



This launches the Deploy Software Updates Wizard



Enter suitable names for the Deployment and the Software Group. Select Deploy (as this is our first time we have no deployment template. We can create one as part of this initial process).

Choose to deploy to the test collection



Leave default "Required". After all updates should not be optional.



For the sake of testing we will choose Deadline to be "As soon as possible". You would not use this in production. Allow a week or so before forcing the installation. Users will be informed for a week that they should install the updates. When the deadline is reached the installation will commence.


  

Click Next


Click Next


Click Next


Choose to Create new deployment package, enter a name and a location for updates to be downloaded. We created these folders earlier.


Select the DPs which will host this deployment package 


Click Next



Click Next to download the updates, add to the deployment package, distribute to the DP and deploy to the test collection



See the folder populating. Monitor progress via PATCHDOWNLOADER.LOG


On successful completion, click close to finish


4. Client view

When policy retrieval is initiated at the client the updates start to download and install




See installed software updates in the Software Center


As the deadline has already been reached the restart countdown commences.





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