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Is it possible to maintain a local Windows Update Server?

N

ndee

Lifer
Like a central-server where our clients get the updates instead of the Windows Update site. Our Internet Connection is not the fastest(768kbps) and updating every client with 10MB downloads is kinda slow.

TIA
 
Software Update Services is your friend!

Link

You need a dedicated machine for it to run on, running one of the server operating systems. This server connects to windows update and downloads the patches. You then install the client on the target machines, point them at your local server. You can set various schedules on when the machines get updated.
 
SUS is pretty nice, I am doing it for the college I work at.

Here's the requirements according to microsoft:
Windows 2000 Server
700MHZ CPU
6gb hard drive
512mb ram

I'm running it on the following:
Windows 2000 Server
450mhz CPU
8gb hard drive
256mb ram

My server works fine, but the whole campus isn't setup yet, only about 30 or so clients. MS says that the 700mhz server can handle up to 15,000 clients. I figure mine can at least handle half that, which is more than we have for clients anyways...

Also, you need to be aware that your clients will need to be configured via the registry, unless you have Active Directory setup. The registry settings are pretty simple, maybe 10 total. Read the docs from MS for details.

Since you have to use Automatic Update to get the updates, you can't manually get them anymore unless you go to windowsupdate.microsoft.com. So you have to monitor your server, approve any new updates from MS, then wait for the clients to get them. It can take up to a day or two for all your clients to update from your server.

I hope this helps, feel free to PM me with any questions.
-Josh

 
Originally posted by: ndee
Like a central-server where our clients get the updates instead of the Windows Update site. Our Internet Connection is not the fastest(768kbps) and updating every client with 10MB downloads is kinda slow.

TIA
Click to expand...

Why dont you just setup the Windows Update Service to download the updates automatically so all you have to do is install them? The Background Intelligent Transfur Service does a pretty good job of using the idle network bandwidth to download updates in the background so there shouldnt be a very noticable differance in available bandwidth when it is downloading updates.

Now if you already have dedicated servers on site than you may want to consider SUS, but depending on how many clients you are running that may or may not be the easiest way to go.

-Spy
 
Either way, if you have your own local SUS server, or go from MS servers on the net, you can schedule the download time to be at midnight if you want, you shouldn't have much going on that late at night, so all your bandwidth can be used for downloading to either your new SUS server, or directly to your clients.
 
can't the patches only be installed as Administrator? I tried to go to Windowsupdate as normal user and I couldn't install the patches. Is that different when I'm using that Automatic feature?

Thanks for your help guys!
 
yes, if you setup automatic updates to automatically download and install the updates they will still get installed when an account with non-administrative privilages is logged in. This is the way SUS works, the only differance with SUS is that it looks to your server instead of the MS server for updates.

-Spy
 
Originally posted by: spyordie007
yes, if you setup automatic updates to automatically download and install the updates they will still get installed when an account with non-administrative privilages is logged in.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Next time a patch is released, I'm going to have to revoke my admin privileges and try some things 😉.
 
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