In larger environments, Automatic Update client settings are typically configured via Group Policy. We’ll get to configuring update setting via Group Policy later in this series. For now, we’ll explore the various configuration options available via the System applet in Control Panel.
One of the most commonly asked questions is about how updates get from the SUS system to network clients. To understand this you have to have a better understanding of the Automatic Update settings on client systems. AU options mean the available options to configure the AU client. These settings let you specify if automatic updates are enabled on a given computer. If the service is enabled, you must select one of the three available options:
AU OPTION 1 = Notify before downloading any updates and notify again before installing them.
When the Automatic Update client finds updates, it notifies the user to download the patches. Once the patches are downloaded, it notifies the user to user to install those updates. The Notification Balloon pops up in the Taskbar.
AU OPTION 2 = (Default setting) Download the updates automatically and notify when they are ready to be installed
When the Automatic Update client finds updates, it downloads these patches automatically. Once the patches are downloaded, it notifies the user to user to install those updates. The Notification Balloon again pops up in the Taskbar.
AU OPTION 3 = Automatically download updates and install them on the schedule specified below.
When Automatic Update Client finds updates, it downloads the patches automatically. Once the patches are downloaded, they are also installed automatically.
If the status is set to Enabled, AU client recognizes when this computer is online and checks in with the Local SUS Server for all the updates to be applied to that computer.