Systems Management Server 2003 R2 support for Microsoft Update Standalone Package (MSU) Validation Program

hello,

SMS 2003 R2 was created to enable authoring and scanning for custom-defined software updates. It was originally designed to support update files in exe, msi and msp extensions. Updates for Vista are in the new msu (Microsoft Update Standalone Package) format, which is currently not recognized in Systems Management Server 2003 R2. To provide customers the capability of deploying Vista security and critical updates through use of SMS 2003 R2 custom updates publishing tool, we are developing an update to provide .msu support. This program will provide an opportunity for validation by customers interested in this capability.

 

 

We are looking for customers who:

· Are using SMS 2003 SP3 with R2 today, and also need to manage Windows Vista security and/or critical updates

· Are not planning to upgrade to Configuration Manager 2007 in this calendar year

· Have resources to devote time to validating scenarios in a test environment. The expected testing time investment is expected to be 2-3 days

· Have available lab resources to validate the update, including:

o SMS 2003 SP3 ENU site server computer with R2 installed. If you have a working lab that emulates the production environment closely, this is a bonus.

o One or more Vista client computers managed with, both i386 and x64 platforms

· Will report their results and/or bugs to Microsoft in a timely manner

 If you are interested in helping us test this functionality, please do the following:

   1. Navigate to http://connect.microsoft.com .
   2. Click on the Connection Directory link at the top of the page.
   3. Search for the System Center Configuration Manager 2007 connection.
   4. Choose the apply link for the "MSU update for SMS 2003 R2" program.
   5. Follow any additional instructions to join the program.