SCCM Interview Questions/FAQs - Part 9 (Software Updates)

Part # 9 – Software Updates

1)  Is it true that when you add a software update to an update list, the updates are automatically approved for deployment?

Ans: No.

Explanation: An update list simply contains a set of software updates. Adding software updates to an update list does not approve them for deployment, but initiating a deployment using the update list is part of the recommended software updates workflow.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693591.aspx and http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb632667.aspx

2) One of the settings stored in a deployment template is the collection. When creating the deployment template, are you required to specify the collection setting?

Ans: No.

The collection settings in a deployment template is optional. Depending on you deployment strategy. You will likely want to leave the collection setting blank in the deployment template and specify the collection when creating the deployment. This allows you to use the deployment template for deployments that will target different collections.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb632940.aspx & http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb633176.aspx

3) Can you hide individual software update deployments from end users?

Ans: No

Explanation: The ability to hide deployments is a site-wide setting configured on the Update Installation tab in the Software Updates Client Agent properties. The hide all deployments from end users setting applies to all deployments at the site, and therefore, you cannot hide individual deployments. When the Hide all deployments setting is enabled, display notifications, notifications area icons, installation progress, and the Available Software updates dialog box will not display on Client computers.  Additionally the software updates in optional deployments are never displayed and cannot be installed when this setting is enabled.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb632393.aspx & http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693706.aspx

4) Consider a Hypothetical Scenario: A SCCM Administrator does the following:

(I) Runs the Download Updates Wizard to download Update1 and Update 2 to deployment package A.

(II) Runs the Download Updates Wizard to download Update1, Update2 and Update 3 to deployment package B.

(III) creates a deployment for Update1 and Update2 by using deployment package A. The deadline in the deployment is configured for the current date and time.

(IV) Before client computers receive the assignment policy, Package A is mistakenly deleted.

Now when the client computers receive the assignment policy, will they be able to download both Update1 and Update2 from a distribution point so that the software update installations can be initiated?

Ans: Yes.

Explanation: In SCCM 2007, there is no hard link between a deployment and deployment package. Clients install software updates in a deployment by using any distribution point that has the software updates available, regardless of the deployment package. Even if the deployment package is deleted from an active deployment, clients can still install the software updates in the deployment as long as each update has been downloaded to at least one other deployment package (Package B in our scenario) and is available on the distribution point accessible from the client.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680906.aspx and http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693754.aspx

5.  Can you create a software update deployment using the following scenario?
(I) Create an update list with a set of software updates.
(II) Drag the update list onto an existing deployment template.

Ans: Yes.

Explanation: Using an update list to create software update deployments is part of the recommended deployment process. In SCCM, you can drag an update list onto an existing deployment template to create a new deployment or drag an update list onto an existing software update deployment to add the updates to the deployment.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693779.aspx & http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693591.aspx

6) Can you create a custom update for an in-house application, publish it to WSUS, and use the software updates feature in SCCM 2007 to report on the compliance of the custom update and deploy it to client computers?

Ans: Yes.

Explanation: You can use System Center Updates Publisher to author custom updates and publish them to WSUS. The Software update point in Configuration Manager can be configured to synchronize locally published updates. After the custom update has been synchronized, client computers will scan for software updates compliance and the custom update can be deployed.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb632895.aspx and http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb632485.aspx