Also on tap is first beta of new comprehensive patch download site.
Microsoft Tuesday took two steps towards completing the foundation for its future patch management tools, which will range from free software to full-blown licensed management platforms.
The first step was issuing a “release candidate” for its Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), a new name for what was previously called Windows Update Services (WUS).
A release candidate is the final step in the beta process before shipment of the software. WSUS, which Microsoft is calling Update Services for short, is a free server that corporations deploy internally to download patches from Microsoft and push them out to desktops and servers running the WUS client.
The second step Tuesday was the launch of the beta program for Microsoft Update, a public Web-based patch download site and the replacement for the current Windows Update. Microsoft Update will provide patches for a wide range of Microsoft software not just Windows, and will work in conjunction with both WSUS and Automatic Updates, the update feature in Windows XP.
Both these WSUS, which runs only on Windows 2000 and 2003 server and XP clients, and MU were supposed to ship last May, but have been repeatedly delayed.
The first WSUS beta, released in November, featured a reporting engine, restart controls and bandwidth throttling that was missing in the software’s predecessor, System Update Services. Initially, WSUS supports patches for Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, Office XP, Office 2003, SQL Server 2000, MSDE 2000, and Exchange 2003.
But WSUS’s features that are key to Microsoft’s overall strategy are a client-side scanning engine that details what patches are installed and catalog technology that lists available patches and updates.
“The significant things we have focused on is can we reduce the downtime and the costs associated with getting patches out to systems and getting them updated,” says Felicity McGourty, director of product marketing in the Windows and enterprise management group at Microsoft . “The second thing we are focused on is can we reduce the costs as far as the labor. The cost associated with deploying patches to update your environment. The third aspect that we covered is to reduce data loss. That is really focused on destructive viruses and security breeches.”
Microsoft’s ultimate goal is to have both WSUS and MU form the foundation of a single patch and system assessment infrastructure that includes free tools for smaller companies and fee-based software, Systems Management Server (SMS) and Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) and the forthcoming System Center, for larger enterprises.
Both WSUS and MU are slated to ship before July 1.
Thirty days after their release, Microsoft will release the 2.0 version of Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA), a free vulnerability assessment tool. MBSA 2.0 also will incorporate WUS scanning technology in favor of its current HFNetChk scanning engine. Also, SMS users will be provided with software to add MBSA, the scanning engine and the catalog technology. In addition, SMS will collect vulnerability and configuration data using output from MBSA. Today, SMS only consumes MBSA’s patch data.
Microsoft’s efforts to overall its patch management tools have come in small steps since it first announced in October 2003 its intention to improve those tools.
In November 2003, Microsoft introduced a monthly release cycle, issuing patches on the second Tuesday of each month. The move allowed users to schedule their patch efforts. In December 2004, Microsoft added advance notice on how many and how critical the Tuesday patches would be. Microsoft also reduced reboots for patch installation by 10% and reduced patch sizes by up to 75%, offered Webcasts guidance whitepapers on patching.
Microsoft said MU’s first round of beta testing would be restricted to select volunteers, Microsoft MVPs, customers and partners.
The WSUS release candidate, however, is a free public download.
