Windows Server Update Services Service Pack 1 (WSUS SP1)

[madmatt]

Overview
Microsoft Windows Server Update Services with Service Pack 1 (WSUS SP1) enables information technology administrators to deploy many of the latest Microsoft product updates published to the Microsoft Update site. By using WSUS SP1, you can fully manage the distribution of updates released through Microsoft Update to clients in your environments, after your testing, and on your schedule.

WSUS SP1 delivers updates for WSUS. This service pack includes support for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and the forthcoming Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, and provides additional stability and performance improvements. After you install WSUS SP1, you may be required to restart your computer. You cannot remove WSUS SP1 after you install it.

How WSUS Works
WSUS is an update component of Windows Server and offers an effective and quick way to help keep systems up to date. WSUS provides a management infrastructure consisting of the following:

• Microsoft Update. The Microsoft Web site to which WSUS components connect for updates of Microsoft products.
• Windows Server Update Services server. The server component that is installed on a computer running a Microsoft Windows 2000 Server with Service Pack 4 (SP4) or Windows Server 2003 operating system inside the corporate firewall. WSUS server provides the features that administrators need to manage and distribute updates through a Web-based tool, which can be accessed from Internet Explorer on any Windows computer in the corporate network. In addition, a WSUS server can be the update source for other WSUS servers.
• Automatic Updates. The client computer component built into Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 with SP3 operating systems. Automatic Updates enables both server and client computers to receive updates from Microsoft Update or from a server running WSUS.

What's New in WSUS SP1
WSUS SP1 is a service pack release that improves the security, reliability, scalability, compatibility, and performance of WSUS. This service pack includes the following new features and improvements:

• Windows Vista support. WSUS SP1 allows you to update computers running Windows Vista.
• Full client language support. WSUS SP1 supports all Microsoft Office and Windows Vista languages.
• New version of WMSDE. WSUS SP1 upgrades WMSDE from WMSDE SP3 to WMSDE SP4.
• Faster performance. WSUS SP1 improves performance, including accelerated user interface response times.
• All hotfixes. WSUS SP1 includes all changes and hotfixes issued since the release of WSUS.
• Support for SQL Server 2005. WSUS SP1 allows you to use SQL Server 2005.

More Information
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Source: Microsoft TechNet

 

[madmatt]

I installed WSUS SP1 for a customer and have used it. Much faster than the previous version (as stated in the change log). No other big differences (besides Vista support).

I defiantly recommend this upgrade. It took about 20 minutes for it to update WSUS. I had to reboot the server following the upgrade.

 

[Electronic Punk]

Still waiting for our 3rd party repository to start supporting this, until then we are stuck with SUS.

Really considering making a domain at home with exchange and would make wsus a part of that as well.
Prob won't be until after the Vista beta ends though.

 

[madmatt]

I'm going to throw SBS 2003 R2 on a test server with WSUS.

The new version is much faster, I can't say that enough. This was key during the approval of all the updates this week.