Is WSUS right for me?

[ChunkDog]

I work for small computer store, and we update a lot of systems. I'm getting tired of re-downloading all these updates for all the different machines we service. I was looking into WSUS as a solution, but from what I found, it pushes the updates to clients through Automatic Updates.

I would like to have the ability to install all Updates, including optional, while not using automatic updates, through the LAN (automatic updates does not install optional updates).

Now this is just for our customers computers, so I don't want to have to do any configuring of their systems just to get this to work. I would like the process to be as "natural" as the Windows Update website is.

thanks in advance

[chilifrei64]

I would say WSUS is not what you are looking for.. many people on this forum have these projects and scripts for like "XP SP3" and 2000 SP5 stuff going on.. I would probably say that would be more what you are looking for

for WSUS you would have to edit the registry on the machines to get them to download from your WSUS server

I dont know how any of those projects work or exactly what post they are in. I dont have any use for them.. I do all my stuff in corporate enviroments and just run a domain at my house.. so i have never tried that..

Anybody who used these patchers have any input?

[atomizer]

i may not understand what you're trying to do completely, nor do i know what "WSUS" is, but i'm thinking you may be able to just download all the updates you want and then deploy via a CD/DVD etc??? too bad it's not XP > RyanVM

[mendipjohn]

I have recently started using WSUS (Windows Server Update Services) at home.

It does greatly speed up the internal distribution of updates, but you'll find your server downloading alot of files depending on your settings. I think the last time I checked my server was downloading an additional 6gb of files!

My server is also low spec, and WSUS strains it a bit when it comes to performance, which isnt all that handy when it is performing multiple functions on my network.

Also note, that to get clients to update from your LAN server, you need to alter the Windows Update group policy object. Now that is simple enough, but you would have to ensure you changed it back to default settings before returning the machine to the customer, or their computer would still be looking for updates from your servers LAN address

It is a good technology, and it would be advantagious for you to use it, as you could really accelerate update times on the client machine. However, I would suggest you consider the following:

- your server spec (can it run WSUS and still perform its other network duties)

- server storage space (depending on your options, you'll end up with several gigabytes of updates)

- your internet connection (is it capped? how fast is it? will the update download time depreciate the value of using WSUS?)

- an appropriate patch management policy (dont send those computers home looking for your LAN server!)

My server: Pentium II 350mhz, 192mb RAM, 40gb HDD - WSUS folder is so far 6.4gb big!

[mickfarrar]

Hi

Try Autopatcher - released each month and includes lots of extras or just the patches.

Can also be scripted.

Autopatcher

Mick