Whether you are working towards an MCSE or an MCSA, you will be expected to know the ins and outs of Microsoft’s Software Update Services (SUS). This topic normally falls under the objectives of Install and Configure software update infrastructure and Manage a software update infrastructure. The best way to learn about this component is to download it and install it. You can download the software from the Microsoft Download Center. In any case, some of the things you will need to know about SUS include:

• System requirements

• Installation process for SUS
• Configure an SUS server
• Configure client settings

So let’s take a look at what SUS is used for and how to install the software. Microsoft releases critical updates for its Windows operating systems to patch security vulnerabilities and resolve other issues. As a network administrator, you are faced with the task of deploying these updates in an efficient and secure manner. This is where Software Update Services comes into play.

There are many benefits to using SUS for deploying updates. One such benefit is that it gives administrators an opportunity to download updates to a specific server on the network and use them within a test environment before deploying them in the production environment. If you have ever installed updates, you are probably aware that installing them does not always produce positive results. So this gives you a chance to install the update before your users do.

There are two different components to a software update infrastructure that uses SUS. You have at least one server on the network running SUS and you have your automatic update clients as outlined below.