Updating the Windows Server Core
To understand how to do the update in Windows Server Core we need to check the article by renowned Sander Berkouwer
In Windows 6.0 Windows Update can operate in 5 modes.
Since large parts of the Graphical User Interface are missing only option 1 (disabled) and 4 (Automatically download updates and install them on the schedule specified below) are usable (and thus possible to set through SCregEdit.wsf) you cannot use option 2 (Notify before downloading any updates and notify again before installing them) which seems to represent what you want to achieve.
Microsoft doesn’t provide updates through FTP, the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) isn’t usable on Server Core installations of Windows Server 2008 (since Internet Explorer is not part of Server Core) and the Microsoft Update website doesn’t work with FireFox or Opera.
Therefore you have two options remaining:
- Download updates manually from the Microsoft Download website, transfer them to your Server Core box (you can use USB sticks, CD-Rs, DVD-Rs, FTP and network shares) and manually install them using msiexec.exe (More info) or wusa.exe. (More info)
- Deploy a Full installation of Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008 with Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and use it to deploy updates through registry settings or Group Policies.
Command to figure which updates are installed from the command prompt :-wmic qfe list
To update things on the server core we have quite a few options:-
Sconfig(microsoft Tool)
We also have the script from Microsoft
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa387102(VS.85).aspx
Another utility that is non micorosft but has a nice interface for windows update on server core: http://ctxadmtools.musumeci.com.ar/VisualCore2008/VisualCore11_Beta2_Refresh.html
references::
http://ctxadmtools.musumeci.com.ar/VisualCore2008/VisualCore11_Beta2_Refresh.html
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa387102(VS.85).aspx
Filed under: Directory Services
