Software Updates Management Whitepaper Published for Transition from SMS 2003 to System Center Configuration Manager 2007

I am pleased to announce that we have just published a whitepaper that provides guidance for customers transitioning from SMS 2003 Patch Management to System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Software Updates Management.

You can download the paper from here:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/d/8/6/d861e149-76f7-4348-89aa-7f3d9777f5ae/Configuration Manager Software Updates Management Guidance - Migration from ITMU.doc

Here is a description:

While the release of System Center Configuration Manager 2007 has been accompanied by robust functional and procedural product documentation, the integration of WSUS introduced two additional challenges:

¾ Successful migration of SMS 2003 environments to Configuration Manager while maintaining the existing software update levels of service.

¾ Clarifying a dramatic shift in a fundamental process in the minds of experienced SMS 2003 administrators.

This whitepaper provides guidance on how to migrate software update management from SMS 2003 to Configuration Manager, how to operate in the transition period while maintaining ongoing software update deployments for both SMS 2003 and Configuration Manager clients, and best practices for managing software updates using Configuration Manager.

This document assumes that the reader has experience with both SMS 2003 and the Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (ITMU).  Additionally, it is beneficial for the reader to be familiar with the operational processes associated with enterprise software update management.