Deploy SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (ITMU) and WSUS

danielvs — Wed, 10 Aug 2005 15:09:00 GMT

Everyone who uses SMS 2003 SP1 should deploy the SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates!

Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 SP1 uses the Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (ITMU) to determine the update compliance of managed systems. This tool provides integration with updates offered by Windows Update and Microsoft Update. The tool shares the same security update, update rollup, and service pack data as offered by Microsoft Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).

SMS 2003 SP1 is updated to incorporate WSUS technology for scanning and deployment with support for the following products:

Microsoft Windows XP Embedded
Microsoft Windows 64-bit edition (based on Windows Server 2003 SP1 code)
Microsoft Office XP and Office 2003
Microsoft Exchange 2000 and Exchange 2003
Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 and later
All Windows components (such as MSXML, MDAC, and Microsoft Virtual Machine)
Microsoft SQL Server 2000 SP4 and SQL Server 2005
Additional products as published to the Windows Updates catalog

ITMU includes the following components:

Scan tool for Microsoft updates. Enables you to scan your Windows desktops and servers for installed and missing Microsoft updates similarly to how Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) determines compliance for Microsoft security updates.
Synchronization of the Windows Updates Catalog. Downloads the WSUS scan catalog on a recurring schedule.
The latest Windows Update Agent. The Windows Update Agent version 5.8.0.2469 is installed on the Windows operating system to support Windows Update detection and deployment.
New SMS Advanced Client release and updated Distribute Software Update Wizard.

Important note: This inventory tool can be used only within an SMS 2003 SP1 site hierarchy with certain hotfixes applied! Check here for Obtaining Required Components for SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates with links to the needed components. The following list identifies the required Microsoft components:

Knowledge Base Article 901034.
Knowledge Base Article 900401.
Knowledge Base Article 900257.
Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1.
Windows Update Agent 5.8.0.2469.

See the SMS ITMU preinstallation guide for detailed instructions on how to deploy these requirements to your SMS environment.

Fortunately the Ohio SMS Users Group has already done some great work figuring out the bits and bytes, check out these great posts:

ITMU Pre-Installation Process Flow Chart. They created a flow chart of the pre-installation process of installing the ITMU, based on the ITMU Pre-Installation Guide. This flow chart will help you "visualize" the process of preparing your SMS environment for the ITMU.
Preparing for the Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (ITMU) – Updating Windows Installer. This post describes how to query for systems that need Windows Installer 3.1.
ITMU and the Windows Update Agent. This post describes which issues you can encounter when updating the Windows Update Agent to version 5.8.0.2469 and how to solve them.
Update 11-08: Products currently supported (and not supported) with the ITMU . This post describes the differences between the different patch tools SMS can use and which ones are still needed to patch certain products like Bizztalk server, Exchange 5.0 & 5.5, SQl 7.0 & 2000, etc.
Update 11-08: SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (ITMU). This post contains links to help you get the ITMU installed properly. Here they link all new information.

Check it out, Suberb stuff!

Well, with all this information I hold my comment: Everyone who uses SMS 2003 SP1 should deploy the SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates!
SMS = Secure My System, Daniel.

The SMS 2003 SP2 (Beta) Program Is Open For Enrollment

danielvs — Tue, 09 Aug 2005 11:33:00 GMT

Evaluate Systems Management Server 2003 SP 2 (Beta). Nominate yourself and get started now!

SMS 2003 SP2 (Beta) includes:
• A combination of hotfixes to increase system security, reliability, and performance.
• More complete integration with Microsoft Update, simplifying the deployment of software update bundles.
• Additional integration with Active Directory, providing discovery of security groups.
• Fully qualified domain name support.
• Improvements that reduce the need for site resets when applying hotfixes.

The SMS 2003 SP2 (Beta) program is currently open for enrollment. Please note that:
• Enrollment for the SMS 2003 SP2 (Beta) is open for a limited time.
• Enroll your organization for evaluation of SMS 2003 SP2 (Beta) if you are willing to provide feedback to Microsoft. We consider customer feedback from Beta programs critical to our ability to successfully deliver a product that meets customer needs. If your interest is just in learning more about this solution, please keep checking the Web site over the coming months for new product information.

Maybe you don't want to participate in this beta program and wait for the RTM? Maybe you don't want to upgrade at all? In my opinion everyone who is using SMS 2003 with patch management functionality should consider to upgrade to SMS 2003 SP2 RTM when it arrives.

Greetings, Daniel.

danielvs : SMS

Deploy SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (ITMU) and WSUS

The SMS 2003 SP2 (Beta) Program Is Open For Enrollment