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Best Strategies for Software Updates in SCCM and WSUS

Guide for Enhancing WSUS Compliance within SCCM: Here's a recommended routine, which I've successfully implemented for a client, to boost your WSUS compliance. Consider setting up a schedule in your environment to perform the subsequent WSUS tasks...

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Optimizing Strategies for Software Updates in SCCM and WSUS
Optimizing Strategies for Software Updates in SCCM and WSUS

Best Practices for WSUS Compliance within SCCM

Best Strategies for Software Updates in SCCM and WSUS

Managing updates effectively within a SCCM environment requires careful planning and adherence to best practices. Here's a guide to help you maintain WSUS compliance and streamline patch management:

1. Integration and Setup

  • Configure WSUS within SCCM: Integrate WSUS into your SCCM infrastructure to leverage its broader endpoint management capabilities. This includes setting up WSUS for update management alongside SCCM's more comprehensive features like software deployment and OS imaging [1][5].

2. Boundary Configuration

  • Set Up Boundaries and Boundary Groups: Properly configure boundaries based on your network infrastructure (e.g., IP subnets or AD sites) to define where clients are located. This helps in efficient content distribution and site assignment [5].

3. Client Installation and Verification

  • Install SCCM Client: Use the Client Push Installation method to install the SCCM client on devices. Ensure the client is successfully installed and functional by testing features like software updates and OS deployment [5].

4. Monitoring and Alerts

  • Configure Monitoring and Alerts: Set up monitoring and alerts within SCCM to track performance, client health, and update compliance. This helps in identifying and addressing any issues promptly [5].

5. Automation and Scheduling

  • Automate Patch Deployment: Use SCCM to automate the download, testing, and rollout of patches. Schedule updates to ensure consistent and timely application across your environment [2].

6. Third-Party Patching

  • Extend with Third-Party Tools: Consider integrating third-party patch management tools like SolarWinds Patch Manager to manage non-Microsoft software updates through SCCM [4].

7. Testing and Validation

  • Expand Testing to Include WSUS/SCCM Flows: Ensure that your testing includes representative WSUS and SCCM flows to validate patch deployment in your actual environment [3].

8. Maintenance Tasks

Weekly Tasks

  • Software Update Cleanup: Perform weekly tasks such as the Software Update Cleanup of Superseded and Expired, and Software Update Groups Cleanup. Superseded and Expired updates need to periodically be cleaned up from Software Update Groups [6].

Monthly Tasks

  • Package Management: Monthly tasks include setting MaxExecutionTime on Specific SCCM Software Updates, Cleanup Packages from DPs that are not needed, Remediation of Updates that are required but not deployed, and Notification of Network Segment Creation [8].

Quarterly Tasks

  • Verification and Optimization: Quarterly tasks include Verifying Packages and Applications are NOT Updated to DPs on a Schedule, Managing SCCM Deployment Threads, Managing SCCM Distribution Point Rate Limits, Managing SCCM Distribution Point Priority Schedules, and Enabling Binary Differential Replication on Deployment Packages [7].

9. Throttling and Distribution

  • Adjusting Distribution Point Controls: Adjust SCCM's controls for the number of packages it will attempt to distribute at one time and the number of distribution points it will attempt to distribute the packages to, in order to maximize throughput of traffic while maintaining throttling constraints [9].

10. Network Segmentation

  • Communication: Communicate the creation of new network segments within the environment to ensure efficient content distribution and site assignment [10].

11. Fallback Sources

  • Allowing Fallback Update Locations: If a distribution point is not assigned to a client, updates can fail to deploy. Allowing a fallback source to be used increases the chances your clients will receive their required updates [11].

These practices can help ensure compliance and efficient patch management using WSUS within SCCM. The System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager Toolkit, and the DP Job Manager Tool within it, can be helpful tools in managing your SCCM environment [12]. A prebuilt SCCM report can also help identify updates that are required but have not been distributed [13].

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