Software updates can be added to a deployment package from the Download Updates Wizard and Update List Wizard, which allows administrators to provision distribution points with software update source files prior to deploying them, or from the Deploy Software Updates Wizard, which creates the deployment package as part of the deployment.

Note
If the software updates have been previously downloaded to a deployment package, the Deploy Software Updates Wizard uses the existing package and skips all package related pages.

Software updates can be added to new or existing deployment packages, and the updates can be downloaded from the Internet or from a shared folder on the network that is accessible to the computer running the Configuration Manager console. The following procedure provides the steps necessary to add software updates to a deployment package.

Note
To modify the properties for a deployment package, right-click the package in the Deployment Packages node, and then click Properties.

To add software updates to a deployment package

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Software Updates.

  2. Specify the software updates to be added to the deployment package. For more information, see How to Find Software Updates in Configuration Manager.

    Note
    To select multiple software updates, press and hold CTRL and click each update.

  3. Right-click the highlighted software updates, or the update list, and then click Deploy Software Updates to open the Deploy Software Updates Wizard, Download Software Updates to open the Download Updates Wizard, or Add to Update List to open the Update List Wizard.

    Note
    To download software updates to a package in the Update List Wizard, the Download the files associated with the selected software updates setting must be selected.

  4. Follow the wizard to the Deployment Package page, choose Select a deployment package or Create a new deployment package, and then configure the following properties:

    1. Name: Specifies a name for the package.

    2. Description: Specifies a description for the package.

    3. Deployment package source: Specifies the location where the downloaded software update source files are stored. When the deployment is generated, the source files are compressed and copied to the distribution points that are associated with the deployment package. The source location must be entered as a network path (for example, \\server\sharename\path), or the Browse button can be used to find the network location.

      Important
      The shared folder for the deployment package source files must be manually created before proceeding to the next page.
      Important
      The SMS Provider computer account and the user who will actually download the software updates to the download location both require write access to the download location. Restrict access to the download location to reduce the risk of attackers tampering with the software updates source files in the download location.
    4. Enable binary differential replication: Specifies whether clients that use BITS will continue downloading the files at the bit within the file or the file itself if they are disconnected during file transfer. By default, this setting is disabled and client computers that use BITS will continue downloading the files at the file level.

      Note
      Client computers are also optimized to download only the required files from a package shared folder on the distribution point and not all of the files within the package shared folder when the client computer installs software updates.

    Click Next.

  5. Click Browse to open the Add Distribution Points dialog box, and select the distribution points for the deployment package. Click Next.

  6. Click Next to use the default data access settings.

  7. Click Next to use the default distribution settings.

  8. Select Download software updates from the Internet to download the software updates from the Internet location specified in the properties for each update or Download software updates from the local network to retrieve the software updates from a local directory or shared folder. Click Next.

  9. Follow the wizard through the remaining pages, and then click Close to exit the wizard.

  10. When the wizard completes, the software updates display in Deployment Packages \ <deployment package name> \ Software Updates. The Refresh action might be needed for the package and software updates to display.

See Also