KACE Product Support

Based on dchristian and cserrins' suggestions, got this working. Here's my notes in case they help anyone else.

John
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1) Create wsusoffline folder under \\ikbox\petemp

2) Create client-targeted folders under \\ikbox\petemp\wsusoffline
* i.e. xpsp3-o2k3sp3-ie8-wmp11
* note - optional step, can keep all updates in one folder if desired and just reference wsusoffline folder for rest of steps
* note - however, doing it this way keeps the amount of files copied to clients minimized
* note - doing this would require multiple runs of WSUS Offline, each time targeting different OS, etc and different target folder

3) Download wsusoffline program to client PC

4) Run UpdateGenerator.exe and select desired Windows & Office updates and options
* ex: Windows XP, Office 2003

5) At the bottom under USB medium check "Copy updates for selected products into directory" and specify target
* ex: \\ikbox\petemp\wsusoffline\xpsp3-o2k3sp3-ie8-wmp11

6) Click Start button to initiate downloads
* when completed, should see folder structure under \\ikbox\petemp\wsusoffline with UpdateInstaller.exe

7) Run UpdateInstaller.exe on target PC and review selections, make note of desired changes, then close
* ex: Install Office File Converters, Install Office File Validation, Automatic reboot and recall

8) Edit UpdateInstaller.ini to includue/exclude changes (per previous step)
* ex: instofc=Enabled, instofv=Enabled, autoreboot=Enabled

9) K2000 - During scripted install, copy the client-targeted folder to client.

Create a new Postinstallation Task - BAT Script - K2000 Boot Environment (Windows)

Name: WSUS - Copy Files (XPSP3-O2K3SP3-IE8-WMP11)
BAT Script:

@echo off
echo WSUS Offline Updates to Local Machine
Xcopy T:\wsusoffline\xpsp3-o2k3sp3-ie8-wmp11 c:\kace /e /y /k
echo Copy is complete....

10) K2000 - During scripted install, run Update.cmd file.

Name: WSUS - Install Updates
BAT Script:

@echo off
echo Installing WSUS Offline Updates on Local Machine
start /wait c:\kace\Update.cmd
echo Installation is complete....
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2011-12-27 - jv

You might want to take a look at wsusoffline.

Another option would be to create a really aggressive patch schedule in your k1.

Have it search for machines just added to the box.

wsusoffline or AutoPatcher are both good choices. You could use something like Nlite or RyanVM to integrate the patches, but those would not be supported.

I just looked for what updates is missing in an installation, dropped them in a folder and created a script that installs all patches in the folder so I can simply add them to the folder and it will work =)

It would be nice if it was possible to slipstream directly into the ISO tho, so you wouldn't have to create new ISO, upload the new ISO file, create new scripted installations, replicate it out to all the remote sites etc etc

Both Nlite and RyanVM help you to do just that, slipstream patches into an .iso. Sometimes there are problems when these OSs are deployed though, which is why they are not supported.

Corey

thanks for the responses.

I have not had much success with the nlite method and it doesn't seem stable enough to put into production.

Are any of you actually using wsusoffline. if so are you doing this during a post install? with a run once? I know have all the updates but don't quite know how to cross the bridge to get them all installed. I have looked through the documentation but it seems to be based more around packing into an iso.

Patrick

I have found that i can create a network share and then run the update.cmd from the wsusoffline folder. I have moved all the wsusoffline files to a server and so far so good. That will dramatically cut down on time used for updating with scripted installs.

Highs and lows of trying to get windows to automatically update with wsusoffline after a kace post install and reboot.

So after setting up the windows update files on the server and setting up two post install tasks that would:

post install task1 - copy two files from the server to the local workstation.

md c:\install
net use o: \\server\install\kace_drivers\file_copy /user:domain\user userpassword
echo Copying test.bat to Local Machine
start /wait Xcopy.exe "o:\test.bat" "c:\install" /e /y /k >> c:\copy.txt
start /wait Xcopy.exe "o:\update.vbs" "c:\install" /e /y /k >> c:\copy2.txt
net use 0: /delete /y

post install task2 - executes one of the files that have been copied - the .vbs executes a script that creates a runonce command that starts the updates after a reboot.

Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

strRunOnce = "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce\updates"
objShell.RegWrite strRunOnce, "cmd.exe /c c:\install\test.bat", "REG_SZ"

Copy two files from the server to the local workstation:

- test.bat

net use z: \\server\install\kace_drivers\wsusupdates /user:user userpassword
z:\update.cmd

-update.vbs (as above)

the process works fine if I manually run all the scripts. I can reboot and the updates will start.

When I run the first post install using kace no errors appear but nothing happens - it will not copy the files over. The logs just say zero files copied.

I have tried...

-a different server
-a different user
-the kace drivers folder as a test
-xopy without the start /wait
-using the path c:\windows\system32\xcopy.exe
-finally based on an old article from kace using the start /wait command.

I know that a long winded post but I wanted to give as much info as possible.

If anybody can shed light on why the files are not copying that would be great.

Thank you

What i do is keep the wsusoffline folder on the k2's petemp directory.

This way i can copy it from T: while still in the boot environment.

I like this cause you know for sure you'll have connectivity.

Thanks David,

I will try that. I presume then that the T: drive is mapped at some point in the kace process? so if I wanted to copy files I could just do a:

start /wait xcopy t:\etc....

It looks like there are multiple ways to skin a cat here - somebody else suggested autopatcher which I have used in the past but upon first look - wsusoffline looks much more complete and with a healthy community behind it. I can stick with the scripted installs as long as I have an efficient way to patch workstations at the same time.