You really need to understand this: A Update Rollup should NEVER, EVER be deploying using WSUS!!! (or any other automated way, unless you know exactly what needs to be done before and after to make it work)

Why?

Microsoft provides all the Update Rollups trough Windows Update, so far so good, that makes it easy to deploy, so what is the big “nono” here? Well, the short story is that it does not work they way most people assumes. Deploying the Update Rollup could also require you to perform actions like this:

• Update the SQL database using script
• Add or modify Registry Keys
• Manually update Agents
• Troubleshoot issues

So, based on the history, please, just don’t do this, it does not work. You need to deploying a Update Rollup pretty much like a Service Pack, since that is what it really is. It does contain both bug fixes as well as new features and some of the features will change behavior, some of the new features needs to be enabled.

Ok, so how?

You need to follow the blogs from each product team so you know when they are released and then you need to follow the step-by-step instructions from the team. If you do have a test system (you can use a hydration kit to build one fast and use for testing, check http://www.deploymentbunny.com or http://deploymentresearch.com for more information

Ok, so When?

You have two options here, you either know someone that has tested and verified it or you wait 30 days and “listen” on the Internet, if you see 1.000.000 hits in a search engine, maybe you should wait to everyone else has fixed it.

Plan it a head

Ok, so this is what I tell all the customers I work with. Since Microsoft is releasing Update Rollups 4 times per year, create a schedule and set a side a couple of days (or more) every year to do this. It does not need to match the dates Microsoft will release it, just have a Maintenance Window 4 times every year to update/maintain your System Center platform.

Deploying Update Rollup 8 for System Center 2012 R2 – All Systems

– https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3096378

Deploying Update Rollup 8 for System Center 2012 R2 – App Controller (No updates)

The last update for App Controller was System Center 2012 SP1 – http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2879276

Deploying Update Rollup 8 for System Center 2012 R2 – Data Protection Manager

Note: Could require a restart of all protected servers after deploying agent.

– 3086084 Update Rollup 8 for System Center 2012 R2 Data Protection Manager

– Download the Data Protection Manager update package now

Deploying Update Rollup 8 for System Center 2012 R2 – Operations Manager

Note: Do not install this update rollup package immediately after you install the System Center 2012 R2 server. Otherwise, the Health Service state may not be initialized.

Note: Could require manually editing webpages

Note: Could require you to manually adding Registry Keys and Values

Note: Could require you to manually run SQL scripts to update the database

– 3096382 Update Rollup 8 for System Center 2012 R2 Operations Manager

– Download the Operations Manager update package now

Deploying Update Rollup 8 for System Center 2012 R2 –  Orchestrator

– 3096381 Update Rollup 8 for System Center 2012 R2 Orchestrator

– Download the Orchestrator update package now

Deploying Update Rollup 8 for System Center 2012 R2 – Service Provider Foundation

– 3096384 Update Rollup 8 for System Center 2012 R2 Service Provider Foundation

– Download the Service Provider Foundation update package now

Deploying Update Rollup 8 for System Center 2012 R2 – Virtual Machine Manager

Note: Bare metal provisioning has changed

Note: Could require you to manually run SQL scripts

Note: Many new features, read and understand (and test them)

– 3096389 Update Rollup 8 for System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager

– Download the Server update package now

– Download the Administrator Console update package now

– Download the Guest Agent update package now

Deploying Update Rollup 8 for System Center 2012 R2 – Windows Azure Pack

– 3096392 Update Rollup 8 for System Center 2012 R2 Windows Azure Pack

– Download the Windows Azure Pack update package now