Topic last updated—March 2008
Use the General tab in the Configuration Manager 2007 Software Updates Client Agent Properties dialog box to enable or disable the Software Updates Client Agent, and if enabled, to specify the software updates evaluation cycle and update installation settings. The client agent is enabled in Configuration Manager 2007 by default, allowing the client computer to scan for software updates compliance and software updates to be deployed to client computers. The scan schedule setting is available only after an active software update point site role has been installed on a site system server for the site.
 Note |
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| Before software updates can be deployed, there are other components and settings that need to be configured. For more information, see Administrator Checklists for Software Updates. |
The General tab contains the following elements:
- Enable software updates on clients
- Specifies whether the Software Updates Client Agent is enabled or disabled for the site. The Software Updates Client Agent is installed on Configuration Manager 2007 clients by default. If the client agent is disabled, the client agent components are put into a dormant state but not removed on clients. Existing deployment policies will be removed from client computers when the client agent is disabled. Reenabling the Software Updates Client Agent will initiate a policy to request that the components on clients be enabled and the deployment metadata is downloaded. The Software Updates Client Agent is configured on a site-by-site basis and only affects clients assigned to that site. Disabling the Software Updates Client Agent at a site prevents software update compliance assessment and software updates from being deployed.
- Simple schedule
- Specifies how often the client initiates a software update compliance assessment scan. By default, the compliance scan is initiated once a week and the site database is updated with any changes since the last scan. The minimum value allowed for the scan schedule is 1 day and the maximum is 31 days. The default setting is 7 days.
- Custom schedule
- Specifies that the scan for software update compliance is
initiated on a custom schedule. When the Custom option is
selected, click the Customize button to open the Custom
Schedule dialog box and specify the schedule start date and
time, and recurrence using the following settings:
- Start: Sets the date and time when the
scan for software update compliance starts on client computers.
ImportantThe actual start time on client computers is the start time plus a random amount of time up to 2 hours. This prevents client computers from initiating the scan and connecting to Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) on the active software update point server at the same time. - Weekly: Scan recurrence is configured
for every n weeks, where n specifies the number of
weeks, on a specific day of the week, and at the configured start
time. For example, the recurrence can be set for every 5 weeks on
Saturday at the configured start time.
- Monthly - Scan recurrence is
configured for every n months, where n specifies the
number of months and one of the following:
- Specific day of the month.
- The last day of the month.
- The first, second, third, fourth, or last week of the month and
a specific day of the week. For example, the recurrence can be set
for every 2 months on the second Friday of the month and at the
configured start time.
- Specific day of the month.
- Custom interval: Scan recurrence is
configured based on a specific number days. You can specify from 1
to 31 days. The Interval setting is configured much like the simple
schedule, but will always run at the specified start time.
- Start: Sets the date and time when the
scan for software update compliance starts on client computers.
- OK
- Saves the changes and exits the dialog box.
- Cancel
- Exits the dialog box without saving any changes.
- Apply
- Saves the changes and remains in the dialog box.
- Help
- Opens the help topic for this tab of the dialog box.