Customizing Bundles and Updates

You can customize software bundles and updates in the HEAT PatchLink DeskTop Catalog using Patch-Smart commands.
Prerequisites:
  • System Center Updates Publisher 2011 is:
    • Installed on your server.
    • Connected to Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager.
  • The latest HEAT PatchLink DeskTop Catalog has been imported.
  1. Open System Center Updates Publisher.
  2. From the lower-left panel, select Updates.
  3. From the Overview tree on the left, expand the tree to the folder containing the bundle (or updates) that you want to customize.
    In our example, we'll be customizing the bundle for the most recent version of Oracle Java 7. Therefore, we're selecting Oracle Corporation > Java SE Runtime Environment.

  4. In the main pane, find the bundle that you want to customize.
    We're customizing the most recent version of Oracle Java 7.

Even though we're customizing the bundle in our example, we'll start by copying the updates included in the bundle. We're doing this because bundles themselves cannot be copied.

Customizing bundles is considered best-practice, but you can also copy just updates. If you just want to customize the updates, you can skip steps 8-13 in this procedure.

  1. Find out what updates are in the bundle you want to customize.
    1. From the main panel, select the bundle you want to customize.
    2. From the lower Update Details panel, select the Bundle Updates tab.
    3. Make note of the updates included in the bundle (writing them down is helpful), as you'll need to duplicate each one.
  2. Duplicate the updates that are in the bundle you're customizing.
    1. From the main pane, scroll to the updates that you need to duplicate.
      They're usually underneath the bundle you're customizing.
    2. Select an update from the bundle and click the Duplicate button that's in the ribbon.
    3. Repeat the last two substeps for each update that's included in the bundle.
    Step Result: A copy of each update is added to the list named Copy of %UpdateName%.
  3. Edit the updates you just copied.
    1. From the main panel, scroll to the updates that you just duplicated.
      They'll be named Copy of %UpdateName%.
    2. Select one of the updates and click the Edit button that's in the ribbon.
      Step Result: The Edit Software Update Wizard opens.
    3. Select the Required Information tab.
    4. Review the Notes section within the Description.
      It contains a list of each Patch-Smart command that the update supports. Checking these notes can save you from adding commands that aren't supported.
      Important: If the Notes section listed in this step isn't included in the software update's description, Patch-Smart commands cannot be used because the software update is not a part of the HEAT PatchLink DeskTop Catalog.
    5. Give the update a new Title.
      We recommend giving the update a name that describes the Patch-Smart command you plan on adding. In our example, we would name the copy CloseIfRunning=True: JRE 7 Update 72 (7.0.720.14) (32-bit).
    6. Select the Package Information tab.
    7. In the Command line field, enter the Patch-Smart commands that customize the update's behavior for your enterprise.
      In our example, we want to create a bundle that updates the enterprise's standard version of Java to version 7.0.720.14. We're going to enter commands to close Java if it's already running and then update it to this version: CloseIfRunning=True Update

    8. Advance to the Summary tab and review the update meta data.
    9. When you're ready, advance to the Confirmation tab and click Close.
    10. Repeat these substeps for each update you duplicated.

If you only want to customize updates (and not bundles), stop here. The remaining steps are for customizing bundles.

  1. From the Home ribbon, select Create > Software Update Bundle.
  2. Enter the Required Information for the bundle.
    1. Give your bundle a new Title.
      Tip: We suggest naming your bundle the same thing as the bundle you're duplicating, but prefix it with a description of how you're customizing it. We're naming ours CloseIfRunning=True: JRE 7 Update 71.
    2. Select a Vendor (Oracle in our example) and Product (Java...).
    3. Enter a More info URL. Typically this should be the vendor's website, but you can make it anything you want. Prefix the URL with HTTP://.
  3. Advance the wizard to the Bundle Updates tab.
    You can skip all the tabs in between.
  4. From the Available software updates list, select the updates you copied earlier and click Add Update.
  5. Advance the wizard to the Summary tab and review your edits to make sure everything is correct.
  6. Advance the wizard to the end. Click Close at its end.
After Completing This Task:
Your customized bundle is saved. You can now publish it to System Center Configuration Manager manually using System Center Updates Publisher.