Software updates are delivered to client computers in Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 by creating software update deployments. It is a multistep process to create software update deployments by using the Configuration Manager SDK interfaces. A basic approach to deploying software updates, by using the Configuration Manager SDK interfaces, is outlined below.

Coding examples (in C# and VBScript) for individual steps of the deployment process are included in the Software Updates Deployments section of the Configuration Manager SDK.

Select which software updates to install.

This can be something such as running a query to identify which updates should be installed. For information about queries that use criteria, such as selecting software updates for a specific knowledge base article, or selecting software updates that are a specific severity level, see How to Enumerate Updates Matching a Specific Criteria.

Obtain the configuration item identification (CI_ID) values.

The CI_ID value identifies the software updates information across several classes. For the purposes of using the Configuration Manager SDK interfaces, the CI_ID value is vital. The CI_ID value is a property of several classes and can be readily identified by using the SMS_SoftwareUpdate Server WMI Class class.For more information about a number of queries that include the CI_ID, see How to Enumerate Updates Matching a Specific Criteria.

Download the software update content.

Software update content must be downloaded manually. To identify which contents must be downloaded, query the SMS_CIToContent Server WMI Class class and obtain the list of ContentID properties that match the specific language criteria. After you have the list of ContentID properties, you can obtain the associated download URL and the related properties for the content files from the SMS_CIContentFiles Server WMI Class class by using the ContentID properties you obtained earlier.

Create a software updates deployment package.

The software updates deployment package holds the software updates content. For information about creating a deployment package, see How to Create a Deployment Package.

Add update content to the software updates package.

After a software updates deployment package has been created, software updates contents can be added to the package by using the AddUpdateContent method in the SMS_SoftwareUpdatesPackage Server WMI Class class. For information about adding software updates content to a deployment package, see How to Add Updates to a Deployment Package.

Create a software updates deployment to distribute the software updates.

Distribute software updates by creating a software updates deployment. For information about the process for creating a software updates deployment, see How to Configure and Deploy Updates.

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