Student Computing

CSCE - Patches

The Windows 2000 i386 folders used for the installation of CSCE 5.3r1 have appropriate security patches integrated into them up to and including those patches in the Microsoft Security Bulletin for June 2005. The standard i386 folders will continue to be updated to include the latest security patches so that clean installations of CSCE 5.3r1 should be securely patched. However, it is necessary to keep existing installations of CSCE 5.3r1 up to date with the latest security patches and two mechanisms are provided for this purpose.

Apply 53 Security Patches

The NAL object, Apply 53 Security Patches, downloads and installs patches from %LOCALROOT%\Patches as a student logs in. It does so in a manner, which the student cannot interfere with and will prompt when a reboot is required. The reboot prompt remains the topmost dialog and cannot be cancelled. To use this approach to patch management, add the following line at the end of the WSPROFILE script.

@NALWIN32.EXE : /A=".Apply 53 Security Patches.zenapps.CSCE.Gla" /U

Software Update Services (SUS)

CSCE 5.3r1 contains support for Software Update Services (SUS) rather than the newer Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). This facility is offered to allow those who have already set up a local SUS server to make use of it from the outset.

The FINALISE.CMD script checks for a WUAU.REG file in either the CUSTOM folder or IMAGECFG folder. This file should contain the registry settings necessary to configure SUS. An example version of this file is included in %LOCALROOT%\Custom. The example file points to a SUS server for use in the Library and should be modified to point to the local SUS server.

Windows Server Update Sevices (WSUS)

It is proposed that the newer Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) will be used in preference to the above two mechanisms once it is available as a campus-wide service. There is an official Microsoft-supported upgrade route from SUS to WSUS, which will update the local Windows Update Client in situ on the workstation when the SUS server is upgraded. The Apply 53 Security Patches object will be updated to deliver and configure the same.