Question
 

How do we automatically update all of our Microsoft* Windows* XP x86 machines to Service Pack 3?

Answer
 

A Managed Software Delivery policy can be created to automatically determine whether a machine needs to be upgraded to Service Pack 3.  These steps describe how to create a Managed Software Delivery policy for the English version of Windows XP.

Part 1 Configure a Service Pack Deliverable Software package

Open your Symantec Management web console

Open the menu Manage > Software

Expand the tree to Software > Software Catalog > Deliverable Software

Click the Add button and select Service Pack from the drop down menu

Properties tab

• Provide a Package Name.  For example: Windows XP Service Pack 3.
• Define the Version
• Define the Company as Microsoft
• Define the Software Product as Windows XP

Package tab

On the Package tab there are two components that need to be configured.  The Package definition and the command line to execute.

To configure the Package Definition:

• Click the Add package button
• Define a Name for the package.  For example Windows XP Service Pack 3 ENU
• Select the Package Source.  In this example we are using the Software Library
• Click the Add button to add packages to the file.
• Browse to the File location, select the Installation File and click Open.  IMPORTANT:  If you select a folder and click the Open button the entire contents of the folder will be added.  To add a single file please ensure that the explicit filename is defined.
• Select the source file is not displayed in bold font and click the Set Installation File button
• Click the OK button.

To configure the command line:

• Click the Add command button.
• Define the command line Name.  For example: Install - no reboot
• Check the box Command line requires a package
•  Select the Package (as defined above)
• From the Installation file type drop down menu select EXE Software Installation File
• From the Command type drop down menu select Install
• Check the box Set as the default for this command type
• Define the Command line as required.  A sample valid command line is "WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe /quiet /norestart"
• Define Success codes as 0, 3010, 3011

Rules tab

On the rules tab select the appropriate Detection and Applicability rules*

• Click the Detection rule Browse button and search for Windows XP Service Pack 3 - English Click the Applicability rule Browse button and search for Windows XP Professional - English
•  

Associations tab

Configure the following associations on the associations tab.

• Pull down the Association Type drop down menu and select Updates

  

  • Click the Add button to browse the list of rules
  • Use the search dialogue box to find Windows XP Professional - English Click the > button to add the rule to the Selected Items list.
  •  
  • Click OK

  

  Pull down the Association Type drop down menu and select Supersedes

  • Click the Add button to browse the list of rules
  • Use the search dialogue box to find Windows XP SP2 - English
  • Click the > button to add the rule to the Selected Items list.
  • Click OK

  

  Part 2 Create a Managed Software Delivery Task

   

  Click on the Manage > Policies menu

  Expand the tree to Policies > Software > All Managed Software Delivery

  Under the Software tab click the Add > Software Resource option

  

  Policy Rules/Actions section:

  Within this section we need to add the Software Package and specify how the package will be displayed and executed.

  Use the Deliverable Software option from the Group drop down menu and the Search dialogue to the list Service Pack package created in Part 1.

  Select the "Windows XP Service Pack 3" and click the OK button.

  

  Ensure that the Compliance Settings > Perform software compliance check using: is enabled.

  The rule will be automatically selected based upon the Software Package dependency rules.

  The Automatically upgrade software that has been superseded by this software can be selected if required.

  

  Click the Advance options button.

  Select the Run tab.  Configure the execution environment to ensure that the program can execute successfully.

  Setting the Run As option is set to use the Altiris Agent credential will function within most environments.

  Configure the Prompt user before running option if required.

  

  Select the Results-based actions tab.

  Configure the correct action to take after a successful installation.  Because this is installing a service pack it is recommended to select Upon Success: Restart Computer

   

   

   

  Applied to section:

   

  Configure a target filter set consisting of:

   

  All computer Resources;

   

  Excluding all computers not in filter "All Windows XP Computers"

   

  Excluding all computers in filter "Windows x64"

   

  Schedule section:

   

  Configure a schedule that runs against the Agent time.  This would usually be similar to your Maintenance Windows.

   

  Set "During window, check every:" = 4 hours**

   

  Set Remediation as per your requirement.  This will be either Immediately OR At next maintenance window.

   

  NOTES: 

  * The detection and applicability rules referenced within this article are only available within your browser after running a Patch Management Import.

  ** The repeat interval should NOT be less than the minimum amount of time it takes to install the service pack on the slowest machine in the environment.