Windows Offlince Update Server?

[Mushin]

Where would one start if they wanted to create a server on our local network that would hold all the Windows updates.

We have been using some offline Windows update cd's but would like to centralize things a bit?

 

[mil0001]

This might help

http://www.infoworld.com/t/platforms/build-your-own-windows-update-server-445

Or you can just use WSUS offline and upload the files to a shared folder?

 

[FoolishTech]

Yep, we use an actual WSUS server at work for updates even to client machines (which is why I have a "Windows Updates vis WSUS" option in D7) because you must make group policy/registry changes to the machine to get it to function with the WSUS server - and you must remember to UNDO the changes when finished so their PC will update normally later on when it doesn't have access to your WSUS server... But it's sort of a hassle.

I haven't yet looked into the offline WSUS hacks, but I plan to, and in which case mil0001 is right, just put the app/updates on a centralized file share, right? Am I missing something here?

 

[silvano]

Yep, we use an actual WSUS server at work for updates even to client machines (which is why I have a "Windows Updates vis WSUS" option in D7) because you must make group policy/registry changes to the machine to get it to function with the WSUS server - and you must remember to UNDO the changes when finished so their PC will update normally later on when it doesn't have access to your WSUS server... But it's sort of a hassle.

I haven't yet looked into the offline WSUS hacks, but I plan to, and in which case mil0001 is right, just put the app/updates on a centralized file share, right? Am I missing something here?

@Foolishtech Would you mind elaborating on your WSUS setup? Do you have to force the updates, or does it automatically run when you connect them machines to your WSUS server? I'm looking at adding the 3rd party wsus plugin pack when we stand up our new server. Think that would work with your setup?

 

[FoolishTech]

@Foolishtech Would you mind elaborating on your WSUS setup? Do you have to force the updates, or does it automatically run when you connect them machines to your WSUS server? I'm looking at adding the 3rd party wsus plugin pack when we stand up our new server. Think that would work with your setup?

Well we just have a server on our network running MS WSUS (among other neat things like PXE boot to a linux multiboot environment, and WDS of course)...

You do have to force the update process, of sorts... nothing about it is automatic...

Because PC's connected to our network don't know that there is a WSUS server, so...

For any standard PC that comes in, we run the reg hack (via D7) on that machine which tells it to get it's updates from our WSUS server. Basically it's a registry change and stopping/restarting the windows update service.

After that, you have to manually use Windows Update on the PC as if it were a normal setup. XP goes to windowsupdate.microsoft.com and Vista/7 use the internal Windows Update.

The update process is identical, except the updates are being downloaded from our internal WSUS server, not via MS's servers over the internet.

The only way you know anything different is going on, is that in Vista/7 on the Windows Update screen where it says "You receive updates:" beside that it will say "Managed by your system administrator." In XP, you'd never know the difference.

When you're done with updates, however, you have to remember to undo the reg hack so in the future Windows Update will use Microsoft's servers instead of looking for your local WSUS server.

Basically the whole thing operates like a caching squid server, if you're familiar with that.

Unfortunately, the honest truth is it doesn't save *that* much time just because the updates sit on your local server.

Sure, having them all on your local network (especially if you have a decent gigabit setup) is FAST. But that's just the download phase.

There is still the update detection phase which can be slow as balls, as well as the installation phase... nothing about either of those phases is different...

 

[glricht]

...
I haven't yet looked into the offline WSUS hacks, but I plan to, and in which case mil0001 is right, just put the app/updates on a centralized file share, right? Am I missing something here?

We've been using the WSUS Offline technique for quite a while and have never looked back! It's simple and just works.

We have the WSUSOffline updates on a network share in the office, plus we also carry a copy on a USB ext HD for use when on-site.

I'm currently doing a N&P on a PC with XP MCE. Did the MCE install, updated the missing drivers and then activated XP. Then just plugged in the USB HD with WSUSOffline on it, and it's now installing SP3, the outstanding updates, any other items I want (e.g. .NET, MSIE 8, etc), etc. It reboots where needed and then continues. Pretty handy.

 

[mil0001]

It's more then handy. If this isn't on the repair of the week list it should be

 

[FoolishTech]

I'm currently doing a N&P on a PC with XP MCE. Did the MCE install, updated the missing drivers and then activated XP. Then just plugged in the USB HD with WSUSOffline on it, and it's now installing SP3, the outstanding updates, any other items I want (e.g. .NET, MSIE 8, etc), etc. It reboots where needed and then continues. Pretty handy.

Does it have an update detection phase (like Windows update) so it only installs the needed updates not the unnecessary/already installed ones, or does it just brute force install everything based on the updates you have downloaded or some profile you might create?

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

We've been using the WSUS Offline technique for quite a while and have never looked back! It's simple and just works.

We have the WSUSOffline updates on a network share in the office, plus we also carry a copy on a USB ext HD for use when on-site.

+1 it is a big time saver.

 

[ZenTree]

Does it have an update detection phase (like Windows update) so it only installs the needed updates not the unnecessary/already installed ones, or does it just brute force install everything based on the updates you have downloaded or some profile you might create?

It's been a while but i'm pretty sure it only installs the required updates and will even skip some updates if a later update does the same work and then something more. it does seem to take a while to run through that detection though so i've not noticed much diff in that phase.

 

[glricht]

Does it have an update detection phase (like Windows update) so it only installs the needed updates not the unnecessary/already installed ones, or does it just brute force install everything based on the updates you have downloaded or some profile you might create?

It does update detection and only installs what you need. Plus, it handles pre-reqs, post-reqs, black-listed and white-listed updates. In essence, it works exactly like Windows Update.