Microsoft Update Server Questions

[johnrr6]

Anybody know anything about Microsoft Update Server??

The reason I am asking is that I am in a bit of a pis3#$%^ contest with our school IT folks over a need to temporarily shut that puppy down.....

At least for a month during Virginia's high stakes Standards Of Learning testing.

We are basically graded on our schools test performance and I want NOTHING to interfere with the testing.

We use approx 160 laptops pulled out of carts and logged in under a special "testing" login that restricts access to only the School test site.

The problem is PATCHES and UPDATES. They caused absolute havoc earlier in the year when we took some practice tests and Microsoft had released a huge number of patches during a "Patch Tuesday"

Given our wireless bandwidth----and that the patches required a seemingly endless time to load----and also required a reboot----and then sat there "updating"

Well----needless to say we had a tremendous amount of frustration. I saw a drop in practice scores and both kids and teacher's complained. Not to mention it took FOREVER to administer the test that day.

I DO NOT want that situation again----especially when it is "game time" for all the marbles.....

Yet our IT Department absolutely refuses to do anything about this---they want that server to run normally citing "security interests"....

I say just shut the thing off for a month and we can catch up on patches AFTER high stakes testing.....

Or.....

They can just shut off patching to computers logged in under the special test login.....

I fail to see the big problem here and it is as if the IT guys couldn't care less whether a child does well on this test or not....

Not THEIR problem.....but it IS the school and the school district's problem. Woe be it if the school system or the school's scores drop.....the politicians have a field day.

Plus----does the tiny security risk involved not having this or that patch outweigh the biggest event a school can do in it's schoolyear??

I just don't think so....I think they are being bull headed and stupid on this----and even smirk----as the test scores will not effect them directly like they will us teachers.....

Advice welcome....

At the very least----just shut off the capability to the testing login....

am I wrong??

[radeonized2]

They do not have any concept of how MS updates? It has been very rare that they relaese any patches before the 2nd Tuesday of the month. I have mine (automatic update)disabled. At 1:00PM/ET on the second Tuesday I manually go to MS update site and get the patches. No problem.

[johnrr6]

They are typical "NO" IT folks.......

Ask and the answer will be NO!

They could do this easily.....the same "Group Policy" that they have set up in Active Directory for the Testing Only login----with all the lockdowns included in that specific policy----would simply shut off MS Updates....

I just don't get it....

They are supposed to SUPPORT us....not hinder and make our lives difficult----and worse----cause our students to not perform as well as they could.

ESPECIALLY when it comes to these darn high stakes, state-wide tests.

[radeonized2]

I have run into this before. Because I only have a high school diploma and they have a BS or whatever they have, maybe a masters or even a doctorate that makes it (automatic) that they know more than me. Abraham Lincoln did not go to college. No I am not comparing myself with Lincoln. This may sound like I'm tooting my own horn, but I did score in the mid 150's on an I.Q. test.

[johnrr6]

In my case----they think I'm just a dumb old ex soldier....

and they'd be partially right.

The only thing I would add is that I am a dumb old LIVING ex-soldier

so I musta done SOMETHING right...LOL

Their lack of understanding what goes on daily in an actual school astounds me.....and when a questioning voice is raised---they can get close to hostile.....

Don't care----am running an official letter up the chain next week. if the School Superintendent can live with possible lower test scores because of this---then I'm fine with it.

Problem is----I am almost positive the superintendent has not made this decision (In fact----I will bet he doesn't even know of the problem) and a Tech person----with no stake in the test results has made it....

[Leroy7908]

The problem is PATCHES and UPDATES. They caused absolute havoc earlier in the year when we took some practice tests and Microsoft had released a huge number of patches during a "Patch Tuesday

[XJ.]

Originally Posted by johnrr6

Anybody know anything about Microsoft Update Server??

Yes. You'll be trading one hairball for another - at least initially. It would be better if you could pilot WSUS over the summer. Since you are running AD, just push a new GP out that is applicable to all accounts. If a really critical patch comes out you may be able to push it out with your AV software (some commercial AV servers have this functionality. There are some other ways if this won't work for you.

[zapionics<alt>]

Originally Posted by radeonized2

...Abraham Lincoln did not go to college...

This could be a whole topic all by itself. Plenty of examples of "self made" men and women.
Fundamentals is so important but without the experience of practice it's all so much theory and knowledge acquired by rote rather than the enlightenment of discovery. But obviously education smooths the road to authentic knowledge acquired by discovery.

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by johnrr6

...They could do this easily.....the same "Group Policy" that they have set up in Active Directory for the Testing Only login----with all the lockdowns included in that specific policy----would simply shut off MS Updates...

This sounds like a viable alternative.
I'm curious to hear how your letter is received.