Apple services keep apps fresh
Software Update Server, client-side update tools form core of patching model
By Andrew Garcia with Mac OS X Server 10. 5) took it a been installed automatically with
Apple is slowly introducing step further, offering updates for Apple’s i Tunes for the last several months.
client and server software ele- Windows applications—such as i Tunes Users became all too aware of this
ments that wrangle together or QuickTime—but only for Windows update applet recently, when Apple
all the disparate Apple hardware and XP or Windows Vista installed on Apple started offering the Safari 3.1 browser
software installed across the network hardware via Boot Camp. (see review, Page 39) as an opt-out
by giving administrators con- “upgrade”—even if the browser was
trol over what applications and not yet installed on the PC.
patches are presented to users for But this version of the client
installation. update software does not appear to
Mac OS X Server already be configurable to point to a local
provides administrators central- repository. I’ve combed through the
ized control over what software Windows registry and file system,
updates are presented to Mac and I have not been able to locate
clients, and it seems a sure bet where the address for the update
that the same software platform server is defined—suggesting Apple
will logically extend to the Apple has hard-coded it into the applica-
iPhone. Add some support for tion somewhere. Whether this will
Apple applications on Microsoft be remedied in future revisions is
Windows PCs, and it would not simply speculation at this point.
be beyond the realm of possibil- Also in the realm of speculation
ity to find companies of all sizes is the role an SUS could play in the
suddenly adding a few Apple corporate use of the iPhone. The
servers to their data centers. next major revision to the iPhone
Back in 2005, Apple added the software will introduce a number of
SUS (Software Update Server) Many Windows PCs already have Apple client enterprise-friendly features to the
to Mac OS X Server 10. 4, which update software installed, as the application mobile platform—including Micro-
allowed companies to host a local has been installed automatically with i Tunes soft Exchange ActiveSync, Cisco
for the last several months.
patch and application repository VPN, remote wipe, digital certificate
(similar to Windows Server Update Assuming the Windows via Boot support, application installation and
Services). Mac clients could then be Camp updates work as advertised policy-based configuration.
configured to check with the local (which seems to be a big “if,” as I Apple has even started a $299
repository for available installation could find no documentation for Enterprise iPhone Developer Pro-packages. This allowed the com- how to reconfigure the Boot Camp gram—enabling developers to create
pany to use less bandwidth (since clients to check with a local SUS and what the company calls “proprietary,
the files needed to be downloaded very little discussion of the feature in-house applications for iPhone
from the Internet only once) and online), there seems little reason and iPod Touch.” But little has been
enabled administrators to centrally why Apple could not extend that said to this point about how the con-control when updates would happen support to Windows installations on figuration policies and these home-while enforcing a level of software non-Apple hardware, save for Apple grown applications will be deployed
standardization across their client obstinacy. to iPhones in an enterprise setting.
computer base—as long as those Many Windows PCs already SUS would be a logical platform for
clients were Macs. have Apple client update software that kind of deployment.
The next version of SUS (that came installed, since the application has However, SUS [CONTINUED ON PAGE 38]
