Getting Started with Device Update Service

Follow these steps to get started with using Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Device Update Service to manage device updates:

Step 1: Download software updates from Microsoft

Software updates for Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 Phone Edition and Microsoft RoundTable are available as cabinet (.cab) files from Microsoft Help and Support. Go to http://support.microsoft.com, and search on either "Office Communicator 2007 Phone Edition" or "RoundTable update," according to the type of device for which you want to find updates. Check this site often (typically every three months) for updates that apply to your organization's devices, and download the appropriate .cab files to your system.

Step 2: Upload software update files to Device Update Service

On the Device Update Service Management Console Tools menu, use the Upload .cab File command to locate the .cab files on your system and upload them to Device Update Service. During the upload process, the updates contained in these files are copied to the DeviceUpdates folder. When the upload is complete, the updates display on the Pending Updates tab of the management console.

Step 3: Test the efficacy of the new updates

Before deploying a new update to the devices in your organization, we recommended that you first test the update on a small set of test devices. You can use the Test Devices tab to add test devices by specifying their MAC address or serial numbers. Although all devices regularly check Device Update Service for new updates (such as when the device is turned on), only test devices receive pending updates. All other devices will receive only those updates that have been approved for deployment. When a test device receives a pending update, you can check to see that the device is still functioning properly and also view audit logs to verify the success of the update. As a best practice, you should test all updates in this manner before you approve them for deployment to the devices in your organization.

Step 4: Approve or reject updates

Use the Pending Updates tab to approve or reject pending updates for deployment to the devices in your organization. When you approve an update, it is moved to the Deployed Updates tab and is automatically deployed to the appropriate devices when they check Device Update Service for new updates. When you reject an update, it is removed from the Device Update Service Management Console and is no longer available for deployment. As a best practice, you should test each update on a test device before you approve it.

Step 5: View and manage deployed updates

Use the Deployed Updates tab to see a list of updates that have been deployed to your organization and to roll back updates, if necessary. When you roll back an update, devices that had received that update will revert to the last previous update, or to the factory version if the device has never been updated.

Step 6: Customize log settings

On the Device Update Service Management Console Tools menu, use the Log Settings command to specify how long to keep log files on your system before purging them. You can also use the Purge command to manually purge log files and rejected update files.

Learn More Online

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For details about managing updates, see the Operations section of the Office Communications Server Technical Library.