VMware vCenter™ Protect Update Catalog

VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog is a data catalog for deploying 3rd party, non-Microsoft updates with Microsoft's System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). Our data catalog extends SCCM to cover updates for these applications, which are not covered natively in SCCM. Updates for the most attacked applications such as Adobe Reader and Acrobat are made available in these files. The files also include detection and deployment data for additional Microsoft legacy applications.

Microsoft provides an additional tool for SCCM called System Center Updates Publisher (SCUP) so that SCCM can deliver updates for non-Microsoft applications. Our data catalog uses SCUP to help you keep your systems up-to-date for non-Microsoft applications, plugging directly into your regular SCCM patch process. Although SCUP allows anyone to create the patch metadata files to deliver these updates, it requires significant time and research to produce these files. Delivered by our dedicated patch experts, VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog provides these metadata files so you don't have to research, track, and create patch data. The patch data is delivered regularly via downloadable files with ongoing updates to address newly released patches and updated products. Using SCUP, the data files are loaded into SCCM and then you use your familiar SCCM patch deployment and reporting process for updates to also cover non-Microsoft applications.

The VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog files are announced regularly as new updates come out for the applications they cover. Some of the most attacked non-Microsoft applications such as Adobe Reader and Acrobat are made available in these files. Import the data catalog into System Center Updates Publisher (SCUP). Pick those updates you wish to publish. The published updates will sync with System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) and the workflow will remain the same as for the other Microsoft patches you manage with SCCM. Use SCCM to select the products to detect and patch and then SCCM does the rest based on your established policies.

The VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog contains the detection and deployment logic for non-Microsoft applications that VMware uses in its VMware vCenter Protect Essentials product. SCCM natively does not patch these products. With the VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog, you can use SCCM to patch the most attacked products including Adobe Flash, Mozilla Firefox, Apple QuickTime, Adobe Reader, and Sun JRE. Our patch data experts do the work of finding, researching and testing the patches for you. You use your regular SCCM workflow to patch more with SCCM.

You will extend your investment in SCCM to patch some of the most attacked applications that SCCM does not natively patch. Use VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog to update products such as Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash, Apple QuickTime, and Mozilla Firefox. Our data engineers are the industry experts and they do the work for you to get these non-Microsoft applications patched, saving you time you can use to manage your systems for business instead of creating patch data for SCCM.

Using the SCUP application that is available for SCCM, Microsoft provides a tool to create, import, and publish data to enable patching of applications or other products not supported natively by SCCM. The VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog is a catalog of data that imports into SCUP to provide the detection and deployment logic to patch other applications. The VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog catalog of data is imported into SCUP, published, and then synched with SCCM to provide patch detection and deployment to the products like Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash, Apple QuickTime, and Mozilla Firefox.

By taking on the work of researching, testing, and creating patch detection and deployment data, we have made patching non-Microsoft and legacy Microsoft products much easier for you. Simply download the VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog from our website, import into SCUP, select the updates to publish and sync with a configured updates server. Then, using the same patch workflow you are familiar with in SCCM, select products you want to detect and patch. SCCM does the rest based on your established policies. There are no new applications or agents to deploy.

Microsoft provides an additional tool for SCCM called System Center Updates Publisher (SCUP) so that SCCM can deliver updates for non-Microsoft applications. Although SCUP allows anyone to create the patch metadata files to deliver these updates, it requires significant time and research to produce these metadata files. Using our dedicated patch experts, VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog provides these metadata files to import and publish to SCCM so you don't have to research, track and create patch data.

A certificate is needed to use SCUP with SCCM. SCUP provides a wizard to create a self-signed certificate that is used for security in the third party patching process with WSUS and SCCM. The certificate must be installed onto each target system, usually through GPO.

It is possible to create your own third party patches with SCUP, and on occasion you may find this useful. However, as an example, it took our data experts over 3 days to get the detection logic for iTunes to work properly to eliminate false positives. If your job is to administer systems in your network, then spending this amount of time is not going to help you do what your business needs to run. We take on that work from you and give you back your time so you can focus on administering your systems, not researching and testing patch detection and deployment logic.

Our data experts are constantly checking for new updates to third party products that are supported by SCCM and our VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog. When new updates are found, they are researched and then thoroughly tested prior to release in the VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog. A notification is sent each time a new release of the catalog occurs. In addition, an RSS feed listing updates to the data is also available for greater details.

Two criteria about patches must be met to be included in the VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog data files. First, the products must provide a silent switch for the install of the application update, and second, the detection and deployment logic required to install the patch must be supported by the mechanisms used by the Windows Update processes. Two other criteria, customer demand and also current critical security issues also may define what is included in the data catalogs. If you have a specific need for a third party update, please make a request on our feature request system.

VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog is quite simply a data source or catalog for deploying 3rd party, non-Microsoft patches. Other similar applications require installation of additional software, reporting, and management software and may require an additional agent. The use of VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog, in comparison, provides data to address updates to third party and legacy Microsoft applications through the same SCCM workflow as used for your Microsoft updates and patching. Native reporting is already available within SCCM that shows the patches for the additional products and vendors that the VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog addresses. No additional software or agents are required, just a data catalog delivered by our patch experts.

System components and requirements for VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog include:

• Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 SP2 or later
• System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2012
  Note: SCCM 2012 requires a Windows Server x64 platform (Server 2008 SP2, or Server 2008 R2)

• System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 SP2 or later (in Native or Mixed mode)
  Note: SCCM requires a Windows Server platform (2003 Family SP2 or later, or 2008 Family)
• System Center Updates Publisher (SCUP) 2011 or System Center Updates Publisher (SCUP) 4.50.1103.000 or later
  Note: SCUP 2011 requires one of the following platforms: Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows Server 2008 SP2, Windows 7 SP1, or Windows Vista SP2

VMware offers Basic (12x5) support for VMware vCenter Protect Update Catalog. Along with access to the world’s largest virtualization support organization, with the most experience supporting critical applications in a virtual infrastructure, this support offering also include access to updates and patches to our products during the life of your support contract. This program is offered on an annual or multi-year basis.

You can submit a support request by calling one of our toll free phone numbers.

VMware provides a number of self-help and community supported resources including:

• Documentation — product documentation and manuals
• Knowledge Base— troubleshooting information
• Community Forum— users can share their information and experiences with others (registration required)
• User Groups (VMUGs) — live, local gatherings of VMware users

Please reference our end of support policy for detailed information.

Yes. VMware offers consulting services and training/education services for VMware SMB Management products. For more information about VMware's consulting or training services, please visit VMware Education, email VMware Consulting or email VMware Education, or call 1-877-4VMWARE (1-877-486-9273) in the U.S. and Canada, +1-650-427-5000 elsewhere.