Download Microsoft Windows Server Update Services 3.0

Microsoft released version 3.0 yesterday put online of Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). The new version can be downloaded for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Vista (79.4MB), as well as the x64 versions (81.8MB) from Windows. Using Windows Server Update Services, system and network administrators can easily download and distribute updates from the Download Center and install them on the Windows computers on the network. However, WSUS requires a number of other programs to do this, including IIS 6.0 or later, .NET FrameWork 2.0, Management Console 3.0, and Report Viewer. More information about the supplies can be found in this document† Below are the release notes for Windows Server Update Services 3.0:

The server component that is installed on a computer running a Windows Server 2003 operating system inside the corporate firewall. The WSUS server provides the features that administrators need to manage and distribute updates through the WSUS 3.0 Administration Console, which can be installed and accessed on any Windows computer in the corporate network. In addition, a WSUS server can be the update source for other WSUS servers within the organization. The WSUS server that acts as an update source is called an “upstream server.” In a WSUS implementation, at least one WSUS server in the network must connect to Microsoft Update to get available update information. The administrator can determine, based on network security and configuration, how many other servers connect directly to Microsoft Update.

WSUS 3.0 delivers new features that enable administrators to more easily manage and deploy updates across the organization. This package installs both the WSUS 3.0 Server and WSUS 3.0 Administration Console components. You must install the server components on a computer running Windows Server 2003 SP1 and later. You may install the Administration Console on a remote computer running Windows XP SP2, Windows Server 2003 SP1, or Windows Vista.

Microsoft Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 delivers new features including an MMC-based user interface with advanced filtering and reporting, improved performance and operational reliability, flexible deployment options to improve branch office support, and more content access through the Microsoft Update Catalog site .[break]

Windows Server Update Services does its job | click on the picture for a larger view