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Applies To: WSUS 3, WSUS 3SP1 and WSUS SP2

Introduction

Patch management is a critical process in today’s IT infrastructure to keep up with security demands by assisting companies in mitigating potential vulnerabilities that were already resolved by vendors. Microsoft Windows Server Update Services allows you to manage and deploy updates for Microsoft products in a cohesive way. If you are new to WSUS, this topic can help you identify what you need to learn to fully understand this technology. Make sure that you first understand the prerequisite topics, because the later WSUS topics build upon these topics. Start learning about WSUS through the resources in the Level 100 (introductory), 200 (intermediate), and 300 (advanced) sections.

• Prerequisites
• Level 100
• Level 200
• Level 300

Prerequisites

This section contains links to a variety of resources that contain the background information you need to fully understand WSUS.

• Microsoft recently released the Security Update Guide, Second Edition that assist IT Professionals to better understand and maximize Microsoft security update release information, processes, communications, and tools. As part of your patch management learning plan, this paper should be your first resource to understand the overall process.
• Although the paper Understanding Patch and Update Management: Microsoft’s Software Update Strategy is from 2004, it has some core concepts that are important to understand the need to keep the system up to date. Another core document that you can read about this subject is the Ten Principles of Microsoft Patch Management.

Level 100

• Make sure to understand  the purpose of WSUS by reading the WSUS Overview article.

• Windows Server Update Services Product Overview also summarizes how WSUS works.

Level 200

• TechNet Webcast: A Crash Course in WSUS Architecture and Implementation{deadlink} is a webcast about WSUS concepts, operations guidance and some demos.
• TechNet Support WebCast: Operations guide for Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is a discussion about the day-to-day operations of Microsoft Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).
• WSUS Deployment, Operations and Step by Step Guide allow you to have the foundation knowledge about this technology.

Level 300

• At this point that you are familiar with WSUS you can start to test it and deploy the product in a lab. If you don’t have a lab you can use the TechNet Virtual Lab: Configuring a Microsoft Windows Server Update Services 3.0. In this lab you will learn to use Microsoft Windows Server Update Services 3.0 to build a software update infrastructure for your network.  You will first configure a WSUS server, then you will go through the process of reviewing and approving updates.  Next, you will configure Group Policy to ensure that client computers are configured to use your WSUS server and that updates are delivered correctly to clients.  Finally you will configure reporting and perform WSUS server maintenance.
• Another learning experience could be via the traditional Microsoft Course. The course 6419B: Configuring, Managing and Maintaining Windows Server 2008 Servers, covers WSUS in Module 9.
• A presentation delivered during TechED 2009 called Best Practices in Architecting and Implementing Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) brings a great level of details that you should consider while deploying WSUS.

This article was originally written by: 

Yuri Diogenes, Technical Writer
Windows Server iX | IT Pro Security
Microsoft Corporation
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Yuri’s Blog: http://blogs.technet.com/yuridiogenes
Team’s Blog: http://blogs.technet.com/b/securitycontent
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