25 May 2007

WSUS 3

WSUS (Windows Server Update Services) is a Microsoft tool that allows you to provide Microsoft updates to your computers from a single interface. The new WSUS3 that was recently released provides the administrator with an MMC Console to manage all the updates for your computers. A WSUS Server downloads updates from Microsoft Update or from another WSUS server and then the client machines are forced to download the updates from the server via a Group Policy.

The Benefits of WSUS
  • Save bandwidth, because only one machine downloads your updates and distributes them instead of each computer downloading updates individually.
  • Save Time, because you manage all of your computers from one place instead of going from computer to computer.
  • Better Security, with WSUS your control over the updates will be vastly improved and therefore your network will be more secure.
Improvements from WSUS2 to WSUS3
  • MMC console instead of Web interface
  • Better reporting tools
  • More options and settings
Drawbacks of WSUS3
  • You can't sync a WSUS3 Server with a WSUS2 server
  • The MMC console is terribly slow over a WAN connection.
  • There is no web interface, so you have to install the MMC snap-in and the Microsoft Reporting tool in order to manage your server from another computer.

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