Re: sms 2003 patch management is brutal!

From: Cathy Moya [MS] (camoya_at_online.microsoft.com)
Date: 11/12/04 

Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 23:59:17 -0800

The sync host is only selected once, during installation of the scan tool.
You don't re-select it when running the Distribute Software Updates Wizard. 

-- 
Cathy Moya, MCSE: Security
Technical Writer, Enterprise Management Content Group
Check out the SMS Technical FAQ: 
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sms/sms2003/techfaq/default.mspx
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties and confers no rights.
"yaba daba doo" <yabadabadoo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
news:B649B4D0-B6BA-43AB-B65D-E0A9CAA73260@microsoft.com...
>I am actually going thru implementing Patch Mgmt myself and I am running 
>into
> alots of problem.  Specially the wizard is not giving me the options that
> it's suppose to give me.  I am not able to select a synch host, it never
> gives me that option in the wizard.
>
> But I do have to say that people on this newgroup are quite helpfull with
> answering the questions.  I haven't given up on it yet.
>
> "Allan Tee" wrote:
>
>> i agree, i would rather also use SUS than SMS's software updates. but 
>> then
>> again, SUS can only handle OS/IE patches. SMS patch management is 
>> extremely
>> hard to implement!
>>
>> "Kim Oppalfens" wrote:
>>
>> > inline
>> >
>> > > I just started to play with patch management. I created an
>> > > advertisement for the latest IE cumulative update (834707) using the
>> > > Software Update Wizard. I then targeted it at my 'servers' 
>> > > collection.
>> > > In the options I told it to defer rebooting for servers.
>> > >
>> > > Here's my experience with it:
>> > >
>> > > - The program ran on servers that already had the patch installed
>> > > previously (isn't that the point of the scan tool, to determine what
>> > > patches are needed?)
>> > Yes, it is, are you sure the patch was installed and active? That means
>> > was the machine rebooted after the patch if needed? If a patch that
>> > requires a reboot is installed without rebooting the patch isn't really
>> > alive and the scan tool will report it as such. By consequence the 
>> > patch
>> > will reinstall.
>> >
>> > > - Despite telling it to not reboot the servers, lo and behold all the
>> > > servers tell me they are rebooting and gave me the countdown timer
>> > How did you tell it not to reboot the servers? I assume in the
>> > distribute software updates wizard. Did you also use the suppress 
>> > reboot
>> > switch on the patch? The wizard actually waits for the result of every
>> > patch you install if you suppress the reboot in the patch it will write
>> > to a log file that the reboot was suppressed. Once all patches have
>> > installed the wizard will check the log file and verify whether any
>> > reboots were suppressed. If so, the wizard tool might trigger a reboot,
>> > unless you suppress that reboot during the wizard.
>> >
>> > > - There's absolutely no logging in Event Viewer on the clients to say
>> > > that the patch was installed
>> > Not really an sms issue, this is something that the patches should take
>> > care of if we want that. Sms does generate a log file called
>> > patchinstall.log and registers in wmi.
>> >
>> > >
>> > > I think I'll stick with SUS........it's free, it's intuitive in
>> > > comparison, and it works as it's designed.
>> > I agree with all your observations on SUS, just want to add that sms
>> > works as designed as well.
>> >
>> > I think Microsoft is well aware of the not so intuitive way sms patch
>> > management works.
>> > >
>> > > J.
>> > >
>> >
>> > -- 
>> > Kim Oppalfens
>> > Proud father of Lennart Oppalfens
>> > Since 05/11/2004 08.53 GMT+1
>> >

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