Before deploying software updates in Configuration Manager 2007, there are several components that must be installed and configured depending on the environment. The following table provides a list of these components, and then each is described in more detail in the following sections.

Dependencies External to Configuration Manager 2007

Dependency                         More Information                                                   

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0

Software updates requires WSUS 3.0 for software updates synchronization and for the software update compliance assessment scan on clients. The WSUS server must be installed before creating the software update point site role, which uses the WSUS server as a prerequisite component. The software update point component handles synchronization requests to WSUS, inserting synchronized software updates metadata into the site server database and sending state messages to indicate the current status. Clients connect to the WSUS server when performing compliance assessment scans for software updates. The Windows Update Agent (WUA) on the client computer connects to the WSUS server to retrieve the relevant software updates metadata to perform the scan. WSUS 3.0 is available for download on the Microsoft Download Center Web site.

Note
Software updates in Configuration Manager 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1) requires WSUS 3.0 SP1 or WSUS 3.0 Service Pack 2 (SP2). WSUS 3.0 SP2 is required to support Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 software update management for the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems.

For more information, see How to Install Windows Server Update Services 3.0

WSUS 3.0 Administration Console

The WSUS 3.0 Administration Console is required on the Configuration Manager 2007 site server when the active software update point is on a remote site system server and WSUS is not already installed on the site server. This component is required on the site server before it can communicate with the WSUS server on the remote active software update point, allowing the site server to configure the WSUS components and synchronize software updates.

Note
Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 site servers require the WSUS 3.0 SP1 or WSUS 3.0 SP2 Administration Console.

For more information, see How to Install the Windows Server Update Services 3.0 Administration Console

Windows Update Agent (WUA) 3.0

The WUA 3.0 client is required on clients to connect to the WSUS 3.0 server and retrieve the list of software updates that need to be scanned for compliance. When running the Configuration Manager installation, the latest version of the Windows Update Agent is downloaded, and then when the Configuration Manager client is installed the Windows Update Agent is upgraded if necessary. When the installation fails, the Windows Update Agent will need to be upgraded using another method. For more information about how to verify the Windows Update Agent on clients, see How to Check the Windows Update Agent Version on Clients.

Note
Client computers connected to a Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 site require the version of the WUA client associated with the installed version of WSUS 3.0.

For more information about how to install the Windows Update Agent, see How to Install the Windows Update Agent on Client Computers.

Site server communication to the active software update point

There could be configuration settings that must be addressed depending on the software update point infrastructure and Configuration Manager 2007 site settings. For more information, see Planning for the Software Update Point Installation.

Network Load Balancing (NLB)

Each software update point can support up to 25,000 client computers when it is installed on a remote site system server and less when it is co-located with the site server. When you expect that more client computers will connect to the active software update point, WSUS and the active software update point must be configured for Network Load Balancing (NLB). For more information, see How to Configure the Active Software Update Point Component to Use an NLB Cluster.

Background Intelligent Transfer Server (BITS) 2.5

It is highly recommended that BITS 2.5 is enabled and configured for the site and also that distribution points are BITS enabled. When software updates install on client computers, the source files are first downloaded to the local cache and then installed. If BITS is enabled on the distribution point, disconnection from the network while software updates are downloading does not cause the deployment to fail because BITS resumes the download, starting where it was interrupted, the next time the client has network access. If BITS is not enabled on the distribution point and a network problem occurs while downloading software update files, the software update installation fails.

For more information about configuring a distribution point to allow client computers to transfer content using BITS, see How to Configure a Distribution Point to Transfer Content Using BITS, HTTP, and HTTPS.

Windows Installer 3.1

Client computers must have Windows Installer 3.1 installed or certain software updates, such as Microsoft Office updates, will not be detected during a scan for software update compliance.

Most client computers should already have Windows Installer 3.1 installed, but if needed, it is available to download from the Microsoft Download Center Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=21788)

Dependencies Internal to Configuration Manager 2007

Dependency                         More Information                                                   

Reporting Point Site System

The reporting point site system role must be installed before software updates Web reports can be displayed. For more information about creating a reporting point, see How to Create a Reporting Point.

See Also