Microsoft® Windows Server 2003: Administrator’s Companion

Using Software Update Services

Software Update Services (SUS) is a nifty new service that lets you host your own Windows Update servers on the local network. Besides being something to boast about around the water cooler, SUS provides the following benefits:

• Control exactly what updates are available to clients.

• Maximize client update speed—clients can get updates from a local server instead of from the Internet (though you can set up SUS to direct clients to Microsoft Windows Update if you don’t want to put a local server under load).

• Minimize the usage of WAN or Internet links (updates can be downloaded by the SUS server, which then provides them to network clients).

Note

Windows XP and Windows 2000 clients running the latest AutoUpdate client ...