SERVER NETWORKING 2
Server Networking
Windows Corporation developed Windows Software Update Services (WSUS)
program to help administrators distribute any released hotfixes or updates used by products
from Microsoft to their clients. For the case of this organization, I would set up the WSUS
server hierarchies. In this infrastructure, only one server accesses the Microsoft Update. The
server then synchronizes with other WSUS servers. Once they are connected, the main server,
which has access to Microsoft Software, becomes the upstream WSUS server while the other
servers become the WSUS downstream servers. The clients can then obtain the updates from
their respective locations.
Several benefits accompany this kind of infrastructure. Updates are downloaded only
once from the main WSUS server, which then distributes the updated software to various
downstream WSUS servers in various areas where members of the organization access them.
This saves an organization the bandwidth it uses in connecting to the Internet. Besides,
organization’s clients get to download this software from a server that is within their location.
This method is also favourable in case the clients are using Microsoft computers with
different programming languages. This is because an organization’s branch can have separate
WSUS servers based on the types of languages the computers in that branch are using ("Plan
Your WSUS Deployment", 2018). Nonetheless, this type of infrastructure has a limitation. If
the upstream WSUS server fails, the whole organization is affected. This is because it is the
only server with access to Internet connection. Therefore, not all the other WSUS servers in
the lower levels of the hierarchy will receive any software updates and so will the clients in
the various locations. The benefits, however, outweigh the limitation. Therefore, the WSUS
hierarchical server system would be the best for this organization.
