Developed by VTmig, VT WSUS (Windows Software Update Service) serves faculty and staff Windows systems and core Microsoft applications. VT WSUS reduces the number of vulnerable and exploited systems by automatically performing the testing, deployment, and installation of necessary updates.

If you are running your own WSUS system and would like to utilize the benefits of VT WSUS, see Downstream and Sidestream WSUS Servers.

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VT WSUS Client

Installation and Uninstallation

The VT WSUS client runs on Windows 2000 Professional (Service Pack 3 or later), Windows XP Professional, and Windows Vista. Installing or uninstalling the client requires a valid internet connection and computer administrator privileges. If a previous version of VT WSUS is installed, it must be uninstalled before installing the new version of the client.

A valid Virginia Tech Faculty/Staff PID and password is required for installation. The VT WSUS client is registered to that PID, and will remain active until the client expiration date. To view the update status or generate reports about the computer, that PID holder must log in to the VT WSUS Web Reporting Web site with their Hokies ID and password.

For information on configuring your firewall during installation and uninstallation, see APPENDIX.

For information on using VT WSUS with Ghost and other drive imaging software, see VT WSUS Client "Caveats".

Upgrades

VT WSUS runs quietly in the background once it is installed. When a valid internet connection is available, it will occasionally check to see if a new version is available and alert the current user.

Expiration

Each version of the VT WSUS client has a specific expiration date. In order to avoid any interruption of the service, new versions are released prior to the current expiration date. Once the client expires, it reverts the computer back to its previous Automatic Update settings.

Product Updates

VT WSUS provides and installs Windows Defender Definition updates as soon as they are available from Microsoft. Other supported product updates will take place at 9:00 a.m., two days after they are released by Microsoft.

VT WSUS will provide updates to the following products:

• Office 2002/XP
• Office 2003
• Office 2007
• Windows 2000 Professional
• Windows Defender
• Windows XP Professional
• Windows Vista

For these products, the following types of updates are provided:

• Critical Updates - Widely-released fixes for specific problems addressing critical, non-security related bugs
• Definition Updates - Widely-released updates for security and scanning software, such as Windows Defender
• Security Updates - Widely-released fixes for specific products, addressing security issues
• Service Packs - Cumulative sets of all hotfixes, security updates, critical updates, and updates created since the release of the product; may also include a limited number of customer-requested design changes or features
• Update Rollups - Cumulative set of hotfixes, security updates, critical updates, and updates packaged together for easy deployment. A rollup generally targets a specific area, such as security, or a specific component, such as Internet Information Services (IIS).

Note: Occasionally, there may be variations on the types of updates provided. Information regarding these changes will be posted on this page and announced on the TECHSUPPORT list.

Update Schedule

Your computer will check a local VT WSUS server for updates every four hours. Only updates that have been approved by VT WSUS administrators will be installed. Once updates are detected, they are automatically downloaded and scheduled to be installed at 4:00 a.m. At 4:00 a.m., the updates will be installed and your computer will be automatically rebooted.

If your computer is not running at 4 a.m., new updates will be installed 10 minutes after starting it up. After the updates finish installing, you will be prompted to restart your computer.

Note: After updates are downloaded and scheduled to install, a yellow icon will appear in the system tray. You can click this icon to allow immediate installation of the updates.

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VT WSUS Web Reporting

The VT WSUS Web Reporting Web site is a companion to the VT WSUS client. Subscribed clients report their status information to the VT WSUS system. This information is available to you, your OU admin (if any), your DIT admin (if any), and 4Help. This information helps you keep your system patched, healthy, and more secure. Once you have installed the VT WSUS client on at least one computer, you may use your Hokies ID and password to log on to the VT WSUS Web Reporting Web site.

Note: Your Hokies account is not the same as your VT PID and password. For more information, see the Hokies ID page.

With VT WSUS Web Reporting, you can:

• see a complete list of all updates and patches, as well as their status, for all of your computers registered with VT WSUS.
• view details for a specific update, including installation history and links to more detailed information available on the Microsoft Web site.
• see advanced system information including make, model, and BIOS information for all of your computers registered with VT WSUS.
• generate on-screen reports and export them into Microsoft Excel or PDF format.