1. Microsoft Installer Technologies and patch management approaches

2. Internal Competition Breeds Variety MSI (Microsoft Installer Service) Microsoft Update Office Update SUS (Software Update Service) SMS (System Management Server) Others (MS SQL group, MS Exchange Group,…)

3. Stated Goals: end of 2004? One method for updating applications (MSI version 3.0) One method for updating operating systems (update.exe)

4. Current Problems Inconsistent UI Inconsistent features Inconsistent reporting results All leading to unpatched machines

5. MSI Capabilities Compatible installers can be deployed via Group Policies Compatible installers can be created by 3 rd parties Transforms can be used to add customizations without requiring installer source code access Applications can be made “self-healing”

6. MSI Capabilities continued Users do not need to be local administrator Introduces UI consistency into application installers Handles removal as well as installation

7. MSI problems New versions of MSI can’t be deployed using MSI Not all MSI installers can be used with Group Policies Microsoft HotFixes and QFEs can’t be installed with MSI MSI can’t update core OS components

8. Microsoft Update Features Web interface Can install core operating system components

9. MS Update disadvantages Mostly a pull technology Users must be member of local administrator group Specific to Microsoft issued code No “role based” deployment Subject to denial of service attacks No “self-healing” Can be confused about what has been installed

10. Office Update Nearly the same as Microsoft Update Simply another web site with a different group maintaining a different set of configuration files (and ActiveX controls?)

11. SUS Locally maintained version of Microsoft Update SUS only supports OS updates at this time (no MS SQL Server or Office Updates) Can only distribute Microsoft signed binaries, no 3 rd party support SUS administrators get to decide which updates from Microsoft to deploy locally

12. SUS and machine roles Like Microsoft update, SUS does not have the concept of roles Sites desiring “role” based machine deployment need multiple SUS servers

13. SMS Microsoft’s heavy weight solution Used by Microsoft’s internal ITG for deployment and patch management Can be used to deploy OS components, MS applications, 3 rd party applications Role based or global Can support downlevel products Central deployment of hotfixes

14. (over stated ) Conclusion Microsoft will continue to NOT meet our needs over the next two years Lack of support for 3 rd party applications via update.exe Lack of self-healing via update.exe Lack of OS patching via MSI A continuing revenue stream from SMS