I have successfully set up a Software Update Point and I am hoping to use this to deploy the client to our workstations but I have run into a snag. I have tested this deployment method out on a few systems and after the client is deployed via the Windows Update agent on the workstation the machine is rebooted immediately. The reason for this appears to be that when the SCCM client is published to the WSUS server it is published with a deadline (see WCM.log below). This is very bad for us and I would assume others because we now cannot control the update sequence of the client workstations...we are at the mercy of the random time Group Policy is updated to point to the SCCM controlled WSUS server and thenthe random time WUA decides to check for updates. This gives us no control over when a client workstation will begin the installation process and eventuallybe rebooted.Is there any way to have SCCM register the client install package onthe WSUS serverwithout a deadline? I realize that the install of BITS 2.5 is probably the only reason a reboot is needed and all of the solutions for reboot I have seen so far have been to install BITS 2.5 separately...butBITS needing a rebootwould not be an issue if the SCCM client was published without the deadline. The reboot would take place like any other update from WSUS...when the GPO says it can. WCM.log Successful published and approved package 428df9ad-10a9-4b6e-8fd1-6fba23b41e22 - 0 for Install to a0a08746-4dbe-4a37-9adf-9e7652c0b421, Deadline UTC time= 1/11/2008 2:58:53 PM Windows Update.log 2008-02-2511:28:30:489 848 b4AU # Initiating deadline install 2008-02-2511:30:57:429 848 b4AUForced install timer expired for deadline install 2008-02-2511:30:57:429 848 b4AUUpdateDownloadProperties: 0 download(s) are still in progress. 2008-02-2511:30:57:429 848 b4AUEnforcing reboot for already installed deadline expired update 2008-02-2511:30:57:429 848 b4AUFound a pending reboot, launching reboot UI

You are correct - it is required, and it is Windows Update Agent that is requiring the reboot, not Configuration Manager. WUA is flagging the reboot because you installed BITS 2.5, which technically does need a reboot. If you install the client through any other method, we don't force the reboot (we can suppress it), but the client deployment reports will state a reboot is required. In this method WUA sees BITS 2.5, and flags the reboot. I would assume that if you were to pre-deploy BITS 2.5, and then do a client install through SUP, that the reboot would not happen. I've not tried that to see if it no longer requires a reboot. However, from my understanding, that should do it.

Thanks for the reply. I understand that BITS requires an update and that it is the Windows Update Agent that is requirng the reboot but because SCCM is publishing the client with a deadline the reboots are occuring immediatley. If the client was not published with a deadline the WUA would start the install, the install would fire off the BITS install which would return it needs a reboot but the WUA would respect the GPO settings that say do not reboot until the scheduled update time. I take it that there is not a way to have the SCCM client published without a deadline? I would consider the way it is published with the deadline as a design flaw or atleast an option to choose if it should be published with a deadline is needed.

No, you can't change what we publish. The workaround would be to pre-install BITS.

Its a pretty annoying issue I have to say. I am trying to deploy the client using WSUS to a large number of windows servers for a customer. The servers are patched using WSUS and we are in the process of switching to SCCM once the client is installed. As the SCCM client gets published with a deadline in the past, any servers that have pending reboots from the last patching cycle will force reboot as soon as the SCCM client is installed. It would have been so much better if it had not been published with a deadline. This article explains it well. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc708585(v=ws.10).aspx Unfortunately Logon script install wont work for installation as its a server environment. Client Push wont work as they have firewalls in place and client push requires dynamic ports and they are not ok with opening up all ports on all servers to the SCCM server. So I am left with Windows Updates installation or trying to hack something together with PSEXEC. Thanks George