Deploy 2007 Office software updates with System Center Configuration Manager 2007
Updated: August 28, 2008
Applies To: Office Resource Kit
This Office product will reach end of support on October 10, 2017. To stay supported, you will need to upgrade. For more information, see , Resources to help you upgrade your Office 2007 servers and clients.
Topic Last Modified: 2017-01-23
In this article:
Preparing to deploy updates with Configuration Manager 2007
Configuration Manager 2007 tasks you must perform before you install Office software updates
Deploying 2007 Office software updates with System Center Configuration Manager 2007
Monitoring software updates deployment
This article provides information about how to deploy the 2007 Microsoft Office system updates by using Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007. Configuration Manager 2007 provides a comprehensive solution for change and configuration management for the Microsoft platform and enables organizations to provide software and updates to users quickly and cost-effectively.
With Configuration Manager 2007, you can perform the following tasks:
Collect hardware and software inventory.
Distribute and install software applications.
Distribute and install software updates such as security fixes.
Deploy operating systems.
Use Configuration Manager 2007 with the Network Policy Server on Windows Server 2008 to prevent computers from accessing the network if they do not meet specified requirements, for example, if they do not have certain security updates installed.
Specify configurations for one or more computers and monitor adherence to that configuration.
Meter software usage.
Remotely control computers to provide troubleshooting support.
These features require Configuration Manager 2007 client software to be installed on the Windows-based computers and devices that you want to manage. Configuration Manager 2007 client software can be installed on desktop computers, servers, portable computers, mobile devices running Windows Mobile or Windows CE, and devices running Windows XP Embedded such as automated teller machines. For information about supported configurations, see Configuration Manager Supported Configurations (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=122187).
This article provides information about how to use Configuration Manager 2007 to create and deploy packages for Office updates. It focuses only on deployment of updates for the 2007 Office system and uses the 2007 Office system Service Pack 1 (SP1) as an example. Documentation for Configuration Manager 2007 is beyond the scope of this article. For information about Configuration Manager 2007, see the product documentation on the System Center Configuration Manager TechCenter (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=119683).
Preparing to deploy updates with Configuration Manager 2007
It is assumed that the administrator has knowledge about Configuration Manager 2007 concepts, particularly about software updates deployment.
For information about how to install and configure Configuration Manager 2007 components, and distributing software updates, see the following resources:
To plan and deploy Configuration Manager 2007, see Configuration Manager Planning and Deployment Overview (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=119685).
To plan and deploy servers for Configuration Manager 2007, see the articles in the Planning and Deploying the Server Infrastructure for Configuration Manager 2007 section (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=119686).
To plan and deploy client computers for Configuration Manager 2007, see Planning and Deploying Clients for Configuration Manager 2007 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=119688).
To learn about planning, configuring, testing, and deploying software to client resources, see Software Distribution in Configuration Manager (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=119690).
To learn about detailed information for planning, configuring, testing, and deploying software updates to client computers, see Software Updates in Configuration Manager (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=119691).
To learn about requirements for Configuration Manager 2007 software updates, see Prerequisites for Software Updates (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=119692).
To assist with your planning, configuring, and testing for deploying software updates, see Administrator Checklist: Planning and Preparing Software Updates (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=120806), Administrator Checklist: Configuring Software Updates (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=120921), and Planning the Test Environment for Software Updates (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=121212).
The following sections provide information about the tasks to perform before installing software updates, and about deploying and monitoring software updates:
Configuration Manager 2007 tasks you must perform before you install Office software updates
Deploying 2007 Office software updates with System Center Configuration Manager 2007
Monitoring software updates deployment
Configuration Manager 2007 tasks you must perform before you install Office software updates
Configuration Manager 2007 has dependencies on several components that must be installed and configured before deploying updates. This article assumes that the administrator has already performed the following tasks before deploying the 2007 Office system updates.
Installed servers for Configuration Manager 2007. For detailed information, see Planning and Deploying the Server Infrastructure for Configuration Manager 2007 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=119686).
Installed client computers for Configuration Manager 2007. For detailed information, see Planning and Deploying Clients for Configuration Manager 2007 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=119688).
Installed Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 or WSUS 3.0 with SP1. WSUS server must be installed before creating the software update point site role. The software update point is a required component of software updates on primary sites and is installed as a site system role in the Configuration Manager 2007 console; it must be created on a server that has WSUS 3.0 installed. The software update point interacts with the WSUS services to perform these tasks: configure update settings, request synchronization to the upstream update source, and on the central site, to synchronize software updates from the WSUS database to the site server database. For more information about the software update point and installing WSUS, see About the Software Update Point (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=121927) and How to Install Windows Server Update Services 3.0 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=120274).
Installed WSUS 3.0 Administration Console. The WSUS 3.0 Administration Console is required on the Configuration Manager 2007 site server when the active software update point is on a remote site system server and WSUS is not already installed on the site server. An active software update point is configured on the central site server (the primary site server at the top of the Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy) and synchronizes with Microsoft Update. Primary sites with clients also require an active software update point, and secondary sites can have an active software update point to help manage wide area network (WAN) traffic locally at that remote location. For more information about installing the WSUS Administration Console, see How to Install the Windows Server Update Services 3.0 Administration Console (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=120276).
Planned and created an active software update point. Any Office software updates that are available on Microsoft Update can be synchronized in Configuration Manager 2007. When you create the active software update point, you configure the update classifications, and specify Office products and languages for which to synchronize the software update metadata. The metadata provides information about the update, including the properties of an update, the product and platform to which the update applies, and the languages you want to download. The synchronized software updates are displayed in the Configuration Manager 2007 console and can then be deployed to client computers.
Note
There are several requirements for configuring the active software update point which depend on your Configuration Manager 2007 infrastructure. For detailed information about planning, installing, and configuring a software update point, see About Software Updates Synchronization, Determine the Software Update Point Infrastructure, Planning for the Software Update Point Installation, and How to Create and Configure an Active Software Update Point (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=121930).
Installed Windows Update Agent (WUA) 3.0. The WUA 3.0 client is required on clients to connect to the WSUS 3.0 server and retrieve the list of software updates that need to be scanned for compliance. The WUA is installed as part of the Configuration Manager 2007 client installation. For information about installing WUA, see How to Install the Windows Update Agent on Client Computers (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=120278).
Created and configured a distribution point for software update deployments. For more information, see How to Configure Distribution Points (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=121542) and How to Designate a Distribution Point (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=121204).
Created a collection of target computers to which you want to deploy Office updates. Configuration Manager 2007 collections represent groups of resources and can consist of computers, users and user groups as well as other discovered resources. You use collections to distribute software packages. For information about using collections, see How to create a collection (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=120812).
Created a reporting point site system, a site system role that hosts files used by Configuration Manager 2007 to display database information in Report Viewer. The reporting point is used when generating reports in Configuration Manager 2007, for example, to see the compliance of a specific software update. For information, see How to Create a Reporting Point (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=121210).
Deploying 2007 Office software updates by using Configuration Manager 2007
This section provides information about how to deploy Office software updates. The following procedures use the 2007 Office system SP1 update as an example.
Important
Patch deployment for the 2007 Office system requires Windows Installer 3.1 for computers running Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or later and Windows Server 2003 SP1 or later. Configuration Manager 2007 includes an update to Windows Installer 3.1 as part of the client installation process.
You must evaluate and fully test software deployments and updates in a non-production test environment before you deploy updates to users and computers in your organization.
After completing the required Configuration Manager 2007 tasks highlighted in the preceding section, administrators must perform the following tasks to deploy Office software updates:
Configure properties for software updates synchronization.
Synchronize the software update point.
Select the 2007 Office system updates to deploy to the target collections you have defined.
Create an update list in Software Updates. An update list in Configuration Manager 2007 contains a set of software updates. It is recommended that you use an update list because it provides several benefits when deploying and monitoring software updates.
You create an update list by selecting one or more software updates, and then initiating the Update List action to open the Update List Wizard.
Create a deployment and deployment package for your Office updates.
Confirm that the Office updates have been distributed to a distribution point.
To illustrate the updates deployment process, we use the 2007 Office system SP1 as an example. For detailed information about SP1, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 936982, Description of the 2007 Microsoft Office suite Service Pack 1 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=120813). To download the 2007 Office system SP1 from the Microsoft Download Center, see 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 1 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=106039).
The 2007 Office system SP1 has the following minimum requirements:
Windows Server 2003 SP1, Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008
2007 Office system
Available disk space on the system partition as follows:
For Windows XP, approximately 900 MB of free disk space is required for SP1.
For Windows Vista, approximately 1.5 GB of free disk space is required for SP1.
For other 2007 Office system SP1 packages, the free disk space requirement is approximately five to six times the size of the Microsoft Self-Extractor file. Most of this disk space is returned after the installation is complete.
Note
It is assumed that you have previously installed and configured a software update point for your software update deployments. For more information, see How to Create and Configure an Active Software Update Point (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=121930).
You must synchronize the 2007 Office system software updates with Microsoft Update before the update information is available in the Configuration Manager 2007 console. The software updates metadata that is synchronized from Microsoft Update is retrieved based on the update classifications, products, and languages that are configured for the active software update point highest in the hierarchy.
The following table summarizes the permissions required to work with software deployments.
| Class | Instance | Permissions |
|---|---|---|
Deployment |
All Instances |
Read, Modify, Delete, Administer, Create, Delegate |
Deployment package |
All instances |
Read, Modify, Delete, Distribute, Create, Manage Folders |
Deployment template |
All instances |
Read, Modify, Delete, Administer, Create, Delegate |
Configuration Items |
All instances |
Read, Modify, Delete, Distribute, Administer, Create, Delegate, Manage Folders, Network Access |
Applicable Updates Summary |
All Instances |
Read, Modify, Delete, Create |
Collection |
All instances |
Read, View collected files, Read resource |
Package |
All instances |
Read, Modify, Delete, Distribute, Create, Manage Folders |
Report |
All instances |
Read |
Status Message |
All instances |
Read |
Site |
All instances |
Read |
Configure software updates synchronization properties
In the Configuration Manager 2007 console for the highest site with software updates enabled, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Site Management / <site code> - <site name> / Site Settings / Component Configuration.
Right-click Software Update Point Component, and then click Properties.
Click the Software Update Point Component Properties: Products tab to select the Office products for which to synchronize software updates. In this example, select Office 2007 from the products list.
To configure the classifications for which to synchronize additional Office software updates, click the Software Update Point Component Properties: Classifications tab. Office product updates include service packs, security updates, and general updates. Hotfixes are also made available for Office products. A hotfix is a single, cumulative package consisting of one or more files that address a problem in a product. Hotfixes address a specific customer situation and might not be distributed outside the customer organization.
To configure the languages for which to synchronize software updates, click the Software Update Point Component Properties: Languages tab. Select additional languages for which you want to provide the SP1 updates.
Click the Software Update Point Component Properties: Sync Settings tab and make sure that Synchronize from Microsoft Update is selected. Unless specifically required, leave WUA configuration set to the default value, Do not create WSUS reporting events.
Synchronize the software updates point
In the Configuration Manager 2007 console for the highest site with software updates enabled, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Software Updates / Update Repository.
Right-click Update Repository, and then click Run Synchronization. This displays the Run Update Synchronization dialogue box; click Yes to initiate synchronization. When synchronization is complete, a request is sent to child sites to initiate synchronization. Synchronization could take an hour or so depending on the number of products, classifications and languages selected, and whether this is the first synchronization.
To monitor synchronization, check the wsyncmgr.log log file on the central site server, for example, check \\Central Site Server\SMS_SiteCode\Logs\wsyncmgr.log. Look for lines similar to the following in the wsyncmgr.log file to determine the success of synchronization:
"Done synchronizing SMS with WSUS server sccmserver.contoso.com. Sync finished successfully. Sending sync notification to child site(s): PS1, PS2, PS3."
Check the wsyncmgr.log file on the child Primary sites to see the progress on individual Primary sites.
Synchronization can also be scheduled in the properties for the active software update point highest in the Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy or by manually initiating the Run Synchronization action. When you configure a schedule for synchronization, all changes to the software updates metadata since the last scheduled synchronization are inserted into the site database, including new software updates metadata or metadata that has been modified or removed. For information about scheduling software update synchronization, see How to Synchronize Software Updates (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=121933).
Configuration Manager 2007 uses packages to distribute software to clients. Packages usually contain files to be made available to client computers via programs, particularly when you are installing a software application or update. If the package requires such files, you must also specify the following information when you create the package:
The source folder containing all the files required for the package. If the package supports more than one platform, all files for all platforms should be included in the source folder.
The distribution points for the package, on which the package files, programs, and scripts required to run the package successfully will be stored.
The example uses an update list which contains the set of software updates to deploy. As mentioned previously, using an update list is a recommended step in software updates deployment because it provides several advantages when deploying and monitoring updates. Advantages include the ability to delegate administration of packages and a better reporting experience for retrieving the compliance state for software updates.
Add the 2007 Microsoft Office system SP1 to an update list
In the Configuration Manager 2007 console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Software Updates / Update Repository.
Specify the 2007 Microsoft Office SP1 software update as follows:
Right-click Search Folders and then click New Search Folder.
Check the following object properties to search:
Article ID: Specifies the article ID associated with the software update.
Title: Specifies the title for the software update.
Click the underlined property for Article ID and add 936982, and add 2007 for Title.
Click Search all folders under this feature.
Specify the name of the search folder, and then click OK.
For more information, see How to Find Software Updates in Configuration Manager.
Right-click the highlighted 2007 Office system SP1, and then click Update List to open the Update List Wizard.
Follow the steps in the wizard to add the 2007 Office system SP1 updates to a new or an existing update list.
When the Update List Wizard completes, the 2007 Office system SP1 is added to the update list display in the results pane when the update list is highlighted. You might have to refresh the node for the new update list to display.
For information about how to use the Update List Wizard, see Update List Wizard (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=120936). You can use an update list in Configuration Manager 2007 to initiate deployments for a set of updates without having to manually select the updates in the set each time a new deployment is created.
In the next procedure, you use the update list to open the Deploy Software Updates Wizard to create a software update deployment and package for the updates that are contained within the update list. The Deploy Software Updates Wizard deploys the software updates defined in the deployment to members of the target collection that you specify.
Deploy 2007 Office system updates by using an update list
In the Configuration Manager 2007 console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Software Updates / Update Lists.
To start the Deploy Software Updates Wizard with the specified Office update, right-click the update list that contains the 2007 Office system SP1, and then click Deploy Software Updates.
Follow the steps in the wizard to create the deployment and the deployment package:
Deploy Software Updates Wizard: General Page - Configure the name (for example, 2007 Office SP1) and description (2007 Microsoft Office Service Pack 1) of the software update deployment.
Deploy Software Updates Wizard: Deployment Template Page – This page provides an option of whether to use a previously created deployment template. Templates are used to ensure consistency among similar deployments and to save time. If you are not sure, select Create a deployment definition, and click Next.
Deploy Software Updates Wizard: Collection Page - Specify the target collection for the deployment. To select a collection, click Browse, select the collection from the list, and then click OK. Select Include members of subcollection if you want to send the software updates defined in the deployment to members of the subcollection of the main collection.
Tip
Select a Test Collection when you first create the deployment, and change it to Production Collection after successful testing of the deployment.
Deploy Software Updates Wizard: Display/Time Settings Page:
Allow display notifications on clients: Select this option if you want to display notifications of available software updates on clients.
Suppress display notifications on clients: Selecting this option will not display notifications on clients; however, a software update notification icon will display on clients and users can click this icon to see available updates.
Client Local Time: When selecting this option, clients use their local time to evaluate the schedules for when software updates become available on clients and when deadlines enforce software update installation, if enabled.
UTC: When selecting this option, clients use UTC to evaluate schedules for when software updates become available on clients and when deadlines enforce software update installation. By default, this setting is selected and UTC is used to evaluate deployment schedules.
Duration: This is a deadline setting in the deployment that defaults to the time that an update is available plus the configured duration setting. By default, the duration is set to two weeks.
Deploy Software Updates Wizard: Restart Settings Page - Use the Restart Settings page to configure system restart behavior when a software update installs on a client and requires a restart to complete. Select the Servers or Workstations options only if you want to suppress a system restart on servers or workstations. Select the Allow system restart outside of maintenance windows option only if you want to allow system restarts for both workstations and servers outside of the configured maintenance windows.
Deploy Software Updates Wizard: Event Generation Page – Use the Event Generation page to specify whether to disable Microsoft Operations Manager alerts during the software update installation and whether Operations Manager alerts are created when software update installations fail.
Deploy Software Updates Wizard: Download Settings Page - Use the Download Settings page to configure how clients interact with distribution points when they receive a software update deployment.
Make appropriate choices for clients that are connected within a slow or unreliable network boundary and clients that are within the boundaries for one or more protected distribution points to download and install software updates from unprotected distribution points. You can specify one of the following options: Do not install software updates or Download software updates from distribution point and install.
Deploy Software Updates Wizard: SMS 2003 Settings Page - Use the SMS 2003 Settings page to deploy software updates to SMS 2003 clients that are members of the target collection.
Deploy software updates to SMS 2003 clients: Select this option only if there are SMS 2003 clients in the target collection.
Collect hardware inventory immediately: Select this option if you want to collect hardware inventory on SMS 2003 clients immediately following the software update installation.
Make appropriate choices for clients that are connected when a distribution point is available locally and when the client is connected within a slow or unreliable network boundary to download and install software updates from unprotected distribution points. You can specify one of the following options: Do not install software updates or Download software updates from distribution point and install.
Deploy Software Updates Wizard: Create Template Page - Use the Template Name page if you want to save the deployment properties in a template for use in future software update deployments by providing a Template Name (for example, Office 2007 SP1 Template) and a Template Description.
Deploy Software Updates Wizard: Deployment Package Page - Use the Deployment Package page to select an existing deployment package or create a new one for the deployment. In this case, create a new deployment by selecting Create a new deployment package, and specify the following information:
Deployment package name: Office 2007 Service Pack 1
Deployment package description: Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 1
Deployment package source: Specify the location of the software update source files, for example, \\server\sharename\path.
Deployment package sending priority: Medium
Enable binary differential replication: Checked
Deploy Software Updates Wizard: Distribution Points Page - Use the Distribution Points page to select the distribution points that are used to host the software update files defined in the new deployment package. Click Browse to open the Add Distribution Points dialog box to select the distribution points for the software update deployment package. Add distribution points by either clicking Select All or by checking individual distribution points.
Deploy Software Updates Wizard: Download Location Page - Use the Download Location page to specify whether to download the software updates in the deployment from the Internet location specified by the vendor and stored in the update definition or whether to download the software updates from the local network.
Deploy Software Updates Wizard: Language Selection Page - Use the Language Selection page to configure the languages that are downloaded for the selected software updates. Note that the software updates are downloaded only if they are available in the selected languages. Software updates that are not language-specific are always downloaded.
Deploy Software Updates Wizard: Deployment Schedule Page - Use the Deployment Schedule page to specify when a software update deployment will become active and whether to enforce the software update installation on clients.
Select As soon as possible to make the package available soon after you create the deployment.
Also select Set deadline for software update installation (for example, 2 weeks after the present date) to specify a deadline Date/Time for initiating the update installation if software updates in the deployment are still required on the client.
Wizard - Summary Page – The Summary page displays the options and settings that you have selected for this wizard. Click Next to confirm these settings and apply them. When the wizard completes, click Close.
When the Deploy Software Updates Wizard completes, the deployment displays in the Deployment Management node. The deployment package you created will display in the Deployment Packages node. You might have to refresh each node for the objects to display.
To modify the properties for the 2007 Office system SP1 deployment, right-click the deployment in the Deployment Management console tree node, and then click Properties.
For more information about the Deploy Software Updates Wizard, see Deploy Software Updates Wizard (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=122125).
View the status of a single package
In the Configuration Manager 2007 console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Software Updates / Deployment Packages / Office 2007 SP1 / Package Status.
Expand Package Status, and then click the second Package Status.
To view the overall status of a specific package, click the 2007 Office Suites SP1 package. Status details will be displayed in the results pane.
To view the status of a specific package based on the sites associated with it, expand the package name and click the site name you want to view. Status details will be displayed in the results pane.
Monitoring software updates deployment
After you install the 2007 Office system Service Pack 1 (SP1) software updates by using the Configuration Manager Update Management feature, it is recommended that you continuously monitor events over a period of two to seven days, depending on the size of the Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy.
Critical parameters such as availability of the update package on the distribution points, hierarchy health, scanning and patching mechanism, and client health play a major role in achieving compliance related to the 2007 Office system Service Pack 1 (SP1). You must monitor the following areas after the update deployment is initiated.
Distribution Point Update: The 2007 Office system Service Pack 1 (SP1) package takes several hours to replicate to all the distribution points, depending on the bandwidth available. The Package Status summary can be seen in the Administrator console or by running the following queries on the Configuration Manager 2007 SQL Database:
select * from dbo.v_PackageStatusDetailSumm where packageid='<pkg_id>'
select * from dbo.v_PackageStatusDistPointsSumm where packageid='<pkg_id>'
Configuration Manager 2007 client functionality: After the updates are replicated to the distribution points and deployment is initiated, the Configuration Manager deployment evaluation cycle is forced on the targeted computers. The display of the Configuration Manager deployment icon and pop up balloons on the targeted computers indicates that the software patching from Configuration Manager 2007 has started.
Compliance: The out of the box report ID 406 (Compliance 1 - Overall Compliance) can be used to measure the compliance.