[sccm 2012] Slow deployments due to number of updates

[CMiller]

Hi All,

 

I've decided to deploy windows via a task sequence that installs the OS, then all the updates, followed by software.

Using a default Win 8.1 disk image as a base, there's 200+ updates to get through for each deployment, taking total deployment time to 5.5 hours per client!

 

This is just too slow...

 

Is anyone aware of a way to bundle those updates into the image or another way of speeding up the process?

My searches haven't turned up anything unfortunately.

 

 

I'd prefer to stick with the base image if possible, though injecting the updates into it is fine (if possible).

I'd like to avoid deploying, updating, and capturing a new base image.

 

Thanks all!

[sparkeh]

Offline servicing is what you are after. Right click your image and click 'schedule updates' - choose a good 'out of hours' time as it takes a while.

[cooka]

Or could you not deploy the updates to a reference machine and recapture your base image?

 

Edit - just read the last line in your post, ignore the above - My bad.

Edited January 29, 2016 by cooka

[halbaradkenafin]

Offline servicing is what you are after. Right click your image and click 'schedule updates' - choose a good 'out of hours' time as it takes a while.

 

This is the best way to do it, leave the "install updates" part of the task sequence there so it picks up any new updates you download and then once every few months redo the "schedule updates" on your WIM to speed things up a bit.

[Michael]

Why wouldn't you want to update your base image, with 200+ updates? The end result is the same, minus the hours required to install all updates.

 

As a general rule, (for example with Windows 7), I always kept the original image I make for a customer - but then, say 12 months down the line some workstations require a refresh, I'll make a more up-to-date image, based on the original reference image, but still keeping the original.

 

18 months down the line, you can do the same again based on the original reference image.

 

You also have to consider there are other benefits - updating specifics such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and others like it - again, keeping deployments as little time consuming as possible. Other considerations are if you had to urgently re-image someone's notebook which had become corrupt, you could get it back up and running within 30 mins and not hours.

 

With Windows 10 (similar to Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 in that respect), you cannot capture an OS which has been upgraded from 10240 > 10586, so you're forced to re-create an image from scratch.

 

In saying that (at the current time), all my builds are based around 10240, however later/newer captured images would include the January 2016 update as standard. At least I know in my mind (for example) Internet Explorer 11 is current and up-to-date at the point of capture/deployment.