Making sure that your Windows 2000
Server is up-to-date with patches is a critical step to ensuring reliability
and availability. Automating and streamlining patch application not only helps
relieve administrative overhead but helps ensure that patches are applied
regularly.

Windows Server Update Services
(WSUS), the replacement deployment tool for Software Update Services, supports
deployment to Windows Server, Exchange Server, SQL Server, and Office XP. WSUS
connects to the Microsoft Update site to obtain product updates. Unlike Windows
Update, which is a client-level patch application tool, WSUS enables you to
control how and when client systems receive updates. Rather than look to
Microsoft Update for patches, client systems look to the WSUS server(s) for
updates. System administrators can determine which updates to make available to
clients, enabling you to test patches prior to wide-scale deployment.

For expanded deployment
capabilities, you can turn to Systems Management Server (SMS), which provides
extended application deployment capabilities, much more extensive reporting,
and a broad range of other features. WSUS is available by download at no cost
from Microsoft, while SMS is a licensed product.

To learn more about how WSUS and
SMS compare with one another and other update resources, check out http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/updateservices/evaluation/compare.mspx.

The main WSUS page is located at
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/updateservices/default.mspx.

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