Software Updates

[cpjitservices]

Hey everyone

Came in this morning to all the machines asking for adobe updates and flash etc, how does everyone roll out software updates ?

Is it a case of getting hold of the new version and packaging it and sending it out via GPO or is there some software that will run from a server that updates all the clients ?

Thanks everyone.

[SYNACK]

I use the MSI deployment packages from Adobe for Flash and Shockwave (we've excised Acrobat but there is an MSI for that to). I push these out by GPO and when new ones come out I set the policy to remove the old one then install the new one (this is usually more robust than the upgrade method in GPO).

[localzuk]

You need to get a distribution agreement for the Adobe MSIs for internal use - http://www.adobe.com/products/players/fpsh_distribution1.html

Once you've got that, they give you links to the MSIs and you can simply slap them in GPOs.

[sonofsanta]

I normally do it every half-term/term break, it leaves times when we're unpatched but it's less inconvenient than computers being slow to start up due to installs. Any major upgrades (e.g. Reader 10) get tested first. Plus if I did every patch as soon as it came out I'd be doing it constantly, between Adobe and Sun...

Normally I just do it by patching MSIs and using GPO, but there are other ways of doing it with SCCM, WSUS (see the Cool Things thread, a post by @pete near the end will tell you more) , and I saw something open source linked on here the other day for how to push out updates as well. So if you have the time, There Is A Better Way.

[3s-gtech]

I use a piece of software on my WSUS server called Local Update Publisher which lets me push out software via WSUS. I use this for Flash updates, but it'll do much more.

[cpjitservices]

I am currently trying LUP, but due to having my update folders hed on another drive I dont think LUP likes it as I get signature failures when it tries to find the WSUS folder. I also cant see where i can setup LUP to look on another drive.

[SHimmer45]

most xp rooms have the auto update turned off via the mms.cfg file in the flash dir. which is handy to stop pupils clicking on upgrade and borking the install.
upgrades done over the holidays, and we usually make sure we are in a "major" revision rather than updating for each slight version change.

Some websites flash detection can force the most up to date version to install which can be a pain, interesting that WSUS can be used so going to give that a go.

in one of the feeder schools i use GPO to roll out updates can be a little iffy if certain machines arent on and the update hasnt got enough time to get to the machine.

[cpjitservices]

yeah - we are getting popups for adobe and Java, I have looked around the Internet but realized we have a spare license for System Center Essentials which I believe can handle patch roll outs / updates IIRC, can anyone confirm or is any one using System Center Essentials ??