Web Cache - Windows updates

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RileyB

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#176976 17-Jul-2015 17:58

Hi guys, I remember reading a couple years ago about a way to install software on a computer (linux based?) that allowed it to sit between your network and the internet to allow it to cache items that are accessed a lot.

Has anyone had any experience with this and know if will work with Windows Updates? Basically I set up a lot of new computers for people, including doing all the initial 100-150 windows updates that need downloaded/installed out of box, probably 2-3 times a day. Downloading the updates is easily the longest bit of this process.

networkn

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#1346439 17-Jul-2015 18:15

use WSUS

raytaylor

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#1346464 17-Jul-2015 18:55

There are commercial WAN optimisation products such as caches.
The downside to WSUS requires each computer to be part of the domain or linked up to it.
Though in a business environment the cost is minimal since you already have the windows server and hardware to run it.

The alternative is a web caching system.
We used to use an Appliansys Cachebox system on our network. Though it used to cache youtube, windows updates and apple updates/itunes content.
I can remember when the windows 8.1 was released it served up about 400gb over a weekend.

Ray Taylor

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RileyB

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#1346472 17-Jul-2015 19:16

Thanks both of you for the reply, unfortunately I don't think WSUS will work for us as these computers are being setup for customers to take home and are not using a domain system. I'll take a look at the Appliansys Cachebox and see if it is something that will work for us

raytaylor

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#1346475 17-Jul-2015 19:21

The basic cachebox 050 was about $2k when we were first quoted.

Is this for a computer repair shop? How many computers a day would you be processing?

There is a point where unless its doing 100 computers a week, its not worth looking into anything other than direct downloads if WSUS wont work for you as the bandwidth costs will be cheaper than the hardware and licensing of the caching system.

Ray Taylor

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Shoes2468

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#1346493 17-Jul-2015 19:26

A Linux squid proxy? I think you can set a registry entry to look at a Asus then you could set it back when done.

RileyB

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#1346494 17-Jul-2015 19:29

For a Mass Market Retailer/Repair shop, generally about 2-3 new computers a day. Bandwidth cost isn't so much an issue as much as our internet is painfully slow, and even though there are much faster options available for the same price, due to head office bureaucracy, we're stuck with ADSL feeding a couple hundred devices.

I can't imagine 2k would be something I could convince my boss to pay for, but I'm fairly certain there a Linux tools available to do this on basically any hardware that has two Ethernet interfaces, just need to do a bit of googling I think.

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Shoes2468

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#1346505 17-Jul-2015 20:01

RileyB: For a Mass Market Retailer/Repair shop, generally about 2-3 new computers a day. Bandwidth cost isn't so much an issue as much as our internet is painfully slow, and even though there are much faster options available for the same price, due to head office bureaucracy, we're stuck with ADSL feeding a couple hundred devices.

I can't imagine 2k would be something I could convince my boss to pay for, but I'm fairly certain there a Linux tools available to do this on basically any hardware that has two Ethernet interfaces, just need to do a bit of googling I think.

yes a squid proxy

gzt

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#1346522 17-Jul-2015 20:43

Btw For Windows 10 only that problem is mostly solved with new p2p updating options. I believe it will also cache the upgrade.

bagheera

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#1346541 17-Jul-2015 22:19

personal i would slipstream your install usb stick with the last patches - do this once and the rest of your installs are patched

https://4sysops.com/archives/use-the-dism-powershell-cmdlets-or-sccm-to-slipstream-updates/

edit: if you using dvd - i would get a good size usb boot stick follow some thing like this to get all version on it

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/windows-and-office/how-to-create-an-all-in-one-windows-7-install-disk/

and update each install.wim for each version with the latest patch

rhy7s

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#1346549 17-Jul-2015 22:46

Check out the WSUS Offline Update utility. If you're doing a lot of new installs though, it will be faster to slipstream updates, there are a few methods available, have a look over at RyanVM's forum for some of them.

RileyB

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#1346555 17-Jul-2015 23:06

Shoes2468: yes a squid proxy

I'll take a look, this sounds like what I was originally looking for.

gzt: Btw For Windows 10 only that problem is mostly solved with new p2p updating options. I believe it will also cache the upgrade.

Sounds like by time I get this sorted, the issue won't exsist. I believe we are receiving windows 10 upgrade disks, so downloading the windows 7/8 upgrade to 10 shouldn't be an issue.

bagheera: personal i would slipstream your install usb stick with the last patches - do this once and the rest of your installs are patched

https://4sysops.com/archives/use-the-dism-powershell-cmdlets-or-sccm-to-slipstream-updates/

edit: if you using dvd - i would get a good size usb boot stick follow some thing like this to get all version on it

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/windows-and-office/how-to-create-an-all-in-one-windows-7-install-disk/

and update each install.wim for each version with the latest patch

The computers already have OEM installations of Windows on them, so not installing them from scratch. Thanks for the suggestion though.

rhy7s: Check out the WSUS Offline Update utility. If you're doing a lot of new installs though, it will be faster to slipstream updates, there are a few methods available, have a look over at RyanVM's forum for some of them.

This looks pretty promising, will take a look at this as-well.

Thanks for everyone's help/input.

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OmniouS

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#1346579 18-Jul-2015 01:29

Install and configure WSUS on a virtual machine. Your customer's machines do not need to be part of a domain to make use of it. All you need to do is configure a couple of registry keys before and after you wish to run the updates.