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Setup and Testing - Patch Week

• Make certain the Synch runs that evening. It's best to have it run every evening, so you'll receive any updates that are released outside of normal schedules. The schedule is set in Site Settings, Component Configuration, Software Update Point Component Properties in the Synch Schedule tab.
• Check the update Classifications and Products that are selected in Site Settings, Component Configuration, Software Update Point Component Properties to be sure all required updates will be requested.
• Make certain the full scanner runs that night. The schedule is set in the General tab of the Software Updates Client Agent. Use a custom schedule to have this run during the night, so you have current data available in the morning.
• Whoever is responsible for deciding which updates to apply should review the monthly bulletin summary and apply their normal risk analysis. This provides a list of security updates to be applied with the degree of urgency appropriate to each.
• If you test patches using VMs, make certain they are ready for use.
  

• If it doesn't already exist, create an Update Repository Search Folder that lists updates of all types released during the last month. Include all categories.
• Review the updates released during the last month, and decide if any non-security updates should be deployed with the security updates or in separate deployments. Your Change Management process may dictate separating them.
• Create an Update List and Deployment Package containing all desired updates:
  • Select them in the Search Folder
  • Right click and choose Update List
  • Create a new list using a name following your naming standards
  • Select to download the files
  • Create a new deployment package using a name following your naming standards
  • Specify the package source location to store the files. This is a server share with sub-folders as required by your site standards.
  • Select the desired distribution points. You may want to add them later, so the files replicate after normal work hours, if they would tie up too much network bandwidth during the day.
  • Select to download the files from the Internet
• Create a deployment specifying your test machines (usually VMs) and scheduled to run immediately. Use the same options you will use for the production deployment. If a template does not exist, you can create one from the selected settings.
  

• Test the update deployments and updates per your company standards.
• After testing with VMs, it is common to test on computers belonging to the deployment team. You are most likely to recognize improper results.
• If pilot testers are used, create deployments specifying the appropriate collections, options and schedule. If templates do not exist they can be created while creating the deployments.