Download System Imaging and Software Update Administration

Staying Up To Date with the Apple Server
In order to keep your service synchronized with the most current information, your
Software Update Server must always remain in contact with the Apple server. The
Software Update service regularly checks-in with Apple’s Software Update servers to
update usage information and send lists of newly available software to your updates
catalog on your server as they become available. Apple’s Software Update server uses a
synchronization daemon, swupd_syncd that determines the time period between
updates to your server to ensure the latest update packages are available to you.
Limiting User Bandwidth
The Software Update service in Mac OS X Server lets you limit the bandwidth that
client computers may use when downloading software updates from your Software
Update server. Setting a limit on the bandwidth allows you to control traffic on your
network and prevents Software Update clients from slowing down the network.
For example, if you limit the bandwidth to 56 Kbps, each software update client will
download updates at 56 Kbps. If five clients connect simultaneously to the server, the
total bandwidth used by the clients will be 280 Kbps (56 Kbps x 5).
Revoked Files
On a rare occasion that Apple provides a software update and should want to remove
the package from circulation, Apple can revoke the update package and remove it
from your stored packages. When building the list of files available to users, any
revoked packages are not listed.
Software Update Package Format
You can’t make your own Software Update packages. For security considerations and to
protect attackers from faking packages, the Software Update package installer won’t
install a package unless its signed by Apple. In addition, Software Update service will
work only with the new package format supported in Mac OS X Server v10.4 or later.
Log Files
The log file for the Software Update Server is located at:
/Library/Logs/SoftwareUpdateServer.log
What Information Gets Collected
Apple’s Software Update server collects the following information from client Software
Update servers:
 Language
 Type
 Browser
Chapter 7 About Software Update Administration
69