Managing Software Updates

Microsoft strives to make the Windows 7 operating system as secure and reliable as possible the day it is initially released. However, networked software will always require regular updates because security threats on networks change constantly. To minimize the risk of new security threats, you need to update Windows 7 regularly using updates provided by Microsoft.

This tutorial discusses Windows 7 features that relate to software updates and describes how they will improve the efficiency of delivering updates in your organization.
This tutorial also explains the three primary ways to distribute Microsoft updates: the Windows Update client, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 (Configuration Manager 2007 R2). A detailed description of Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) 3.0 and how you can manage BITS is also provided in this tutorial.

Because you can use Group Policy settings to manage the Windows Update client in Windows 7, this tutorial describes useful Group Policy settings. Organizations that use proxy servers might require an additional configuration step to allow the Windows Update client to work properly, and this tutorial describes how to perform that configuration. To verify that updates are being deployed correctly, you can use auditing tools such as Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) and Configuration Manager 2007 R2.

Occasionally, you might experience a problem with a Windows 7 client that fails to update properly. This tutorial also provides troubleshooting information to allow you to diagnose and resolve the problem. Finally, the tutorial provides a conceptual overview of the planning of the software update process and a description of the Microsoft approach to updates.