I'm puzzled as to the way DUAgent scripts are created and
deployed and how this fits with a system recovery disk.
In short I have a system which is shipped with a recovery
disk, this disk is now 12months old. The recovery disk
isn't used to updgrade our systems in any way, only to
restore them to factory conditions (you know what these
users are like when they stat messing with the systems.!)

From what I can gather the DUAgent looks for a local .dup
file, defined in the registry (can't use HTTP in my
application), then runs the script within at a period
again defined in the registry.

Does it only run this one script ? or any .dup file it
finds ?

If a system is restored using the restore disk, then all
the updates need to be reapplied. Does this imply that the
update.dup script file needs to grow each time an update
is added, and if this is the case wont this have an
adverse effect on the speed at which the update is
applied, if it has to trawl through 15+ updates before it
gets to the one it really needs. I guess under this
condition it would just apply the old patches again.?

I was kinda hoping that I could create a single .dup file
for each MS patch, then just deliver a bunch of .dup
files. Is this not the case.?

Darren,

Sounds like you have both updates and recovery solutions that you need to
solve. From what I have seen, DUA only updates from one DUP file. Each time
you provide a DUP file it must be the same name each time unless you changed
the registry entry for the DUP name. You could have a DUA script install and
run a Windows script file that has more features like conditional branching.

Restoring the machine is a different matter. Basically it sounds like you
want the whole OS image re-installed. Is it possible for your customers to
download a whole new image to install? If they can, than just provide a new
image with all of the patches.


Regards,

Sean Liming
www.a7eng.com
Author: Windows NT Embedded Step-By-Step and XP Embedded Advanced.




"Darren Haigh" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:09a101c38116$cf23cf40$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm puzzled as to the way DUAgent scripts are created and
> deployed and how this fits with a system recovery disk.
> In short I have a system which is shipped with a recovery
> disk, this disk is now 12months old. The recovery disk
> isn't used to updgrade our systems in any way, only to
> restore them to factory conditions (you know what these
> users are like when they stat messing with the systems.!)
>
> From what I can gather the DUAgent looks for a local .dup
> file, defined in the registry (can't use HTTP in my
> application), then runs the script within at a period
> again defined in the registry.
>
> Does it only run this one script ? or any .dup file it
> finds ?
>
> If a system is restored using the restore disk, then all
> the updates need to be reapplied. Does this imply that the
> update.dup script file needs to grow each time an update
> is added, and if this is the case wont this have an
> adverse effect on the speed at which the update is
> applied, if it has to trawl through 15+ updates before it
> gets to the one it really needs. I guess under this
> condition it would just apply the old patches again.?
>
> I was kinda hoping that I could create a single .dup file
> for each MS patch, then just deliver a bunch of .dup
> files. Is this not the case.?

Our image is shipped on DVD with the system, these things
get shipped world wide. To update the image would mean
creating another master DVD, testing it, replicating 1000s
of them, packaging them, shipping them... not a cost
effective option. Then we'd have the problem of customers
having 2 DVDs with differing OS versions, not a scenario I
want to contemplate managing.

Looks like I'll have to stick with the long winded option
of creating and managing a QFE update script. :-(

Wouldn't a Microsoft managed update site be a good idea ;-)
(Tricky but not impossible with different builds of OS)

Cheers.




>-----Original Message-----
>Darren,
>
>Sounds like you have both updates and recovery solutions
that you need to
>solve. From what I have seen, DUA only updates from one
DUP file. Each time
>you provide a DUP file it must be the same name each time
unless you changed
>the registry entry for the DUP name. You could have a DUA
script install and
>run a Windows script file that has more features like
conditional branching.
>
>Restoring the machine is a different matter. Basically it
sounds like you
>want the whole OS image re-installed. Is it possible for
your customers to
>download a whole new image to install? If they can, than
just provide a new
>image with all of the patches.
>
>
>Regards,
>
>Sean Liming
>www.a7eng.com
>Author: Windows NT Embedded Step-By-Step and XP Embedded
Advanced.
>
>
>
>
>"Darren Haigh" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message
>news:09a101c38116$cf23cf40$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I'm puzzled as to the way DUAgent scripts are created
and
>> deployed and how this fits with a system recovery disk.
>> In short I have a system which is shipped with a
recovery
>> disk, this disk is now 12months old. The recovery disk
>> isn't used to updgrade our systems in any way, only to
>> restore them to factory conditions (you know what these
>> users are like when they stat messing with the
systems.!)
>>
>> From what I can gather the DUAgent looks for a
local .dup
>> file, defined in the registry (can't use HTTP in my
>> application), then runs the script within at a period
>> again defined in the registry.
>>
>> Does it only run this one script ? or any .dup file it
>> finds ?
>>
>> If a system is restored using the restore disk, then all
>> the updates need to be reapplied. Does this imply that
the
>> update.dup script file needs to grow each time an update
>> is added, and if this is the case wont this have an
>> adverse effect on the speed at which the update is
>> applied, if it has to trawl through 15+ updates before
it
>> gets to the one it really needs. I guess under this
>> condition it would just apply the old patches again.?
>>
>> I was kinda hoping that I could create a single .dup
file
>> for each MS patch, then just deliver a bunch of .dup
>> files. Is this not the case.?
>
>
>.
>

Darren,

Yup, updates are something that has to be planned with product development.
I understand your problem. I cannot speak for MS, but there are too many
different embedded systems out there for one company to address. MS is
starting to provide generic DUA scripts to at least get help with part of
the update solution.

Regards,

Sean Liming
www.a7eng.com
Author: Windows NT Embedded Step-By-Step and XP Embedded Advanced.



"Darren Haigh" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ad4a01c38123$78c4fcc0$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Our image is shipped on DVD with the system, these things
> get shipped world wide. To update the image would mean
> creating another master DVD, testing it, replicating 1000s
> of them, packaging them, shipping them... not a cost
> effective option. Then we'd have the problem of customers
> having 2 DVDs with differing OS versions, not a scenario I
> want to contemplate managing.
>
> Looks like I'll have to stick with the long winded option
> of creating and managing a QFE update script. :-(
>
> Wouldn't a Microsoft managed update site be a good idea ;-)
> (Tricky but not impossible with different builds of OS)
>
> Cheers.
>
>
>
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >Darren,
> >
> >Sounds like you have both updates and recovery solutions
> that you need to
> >solve. From what I have seen, DUA only updates from one
> DUP file. Each time
> >you provide a DUP file it must be the same name each time
> unless you changed
> >the registry entry for the DUP name. You could have a DUA
> script install and
> >run a Windows script file that has more features like
> conditional branching.
> >
> >Restoring the machine is a different matter. Basically it
> sounds like you
> >want the whole OS image re-installed. Is it possible for
> your customers to
> >download a whole new image to install? If they can, than
> just provide a new
> >image with all of the patches.
> >
> >
> >Regards,
> >
> >Sean Liming
> >www.a7eng.com
> >Author: Windows NT Embedded Step-By-Step and XP Embedded
> Advanced.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >"Darren Haigh" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> message
> >news:09a101c38116$cf23cf40$(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> I'm puzzled as to the way DUAgent scripts are created
> and
> >> deployed and how this fits with a system recovery disk.
> >> In short I have a system which is shipped with a
> recovery
> >> disk, this disk is now 12months old. The recovery disk
> >> isn't used to updgrade our systems in any way, only to
> >> restore them to factory conditions (you know what these
> >> users are like when they stat messing with the
> systems.!)
> >>
> >> From what I can gather the DUAgent looks for a
> local .dup
> >> file, defined in the registry (can't use HTTP in my
> >> application), then runs the script within at a period
> >> again defined in the registry.
> >>
> >> Does it only run this one script ? or any .dup file it
> >> finds ?
> >>
> >> If a system is restored using the restore disk, then all
> >> the updates need to be reapplied. Does this imply that
> the
> >> update.dup script file needs to grow each time an update
> >> is added, and if this is the case wont this have an
> >> adverse effect on the speed at which the update is
> >> applied, if it has to trawl through 15+ updates before
> it
> >> gets to the one it really needs. I guess under this
> >> condition it would just apply the old patches again.?
> >>
> >> I was kinda hoping that I could create a single .dup
> file
> >> for each MS patch, then just deliver a bunch of .dup
> >> files. Is this not the case.?
> >
> >
> >.
> >

Sean,
Do you know if updates can be applied with out the DUA. Basically does the
DUA do something special or can I just execute the QFE directly on the
machine?

Thanks,

Sean Gahan


"Sean Liming (eMVP)" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:eYWI%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Darren,
>
> Yup, updates are something that has to be planned with product
development.
> I understand your problem. I cannot speak for MS, but there are too many
> different embedded systems out there for one company to address. MS is
> starting to provide generic DUA scripts to at least get help with part of
> the update solution.
>
> Regards,
>
> Sean Liming
> www.a7eng.com
> Author: Windows NT Embedded Step-By-Step and XP Embedded Advanced.
>
>
>
> "Darren Haigh" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:ad4a01c38123$78c4fcc0$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Our image is shipped on DVD with the system, these things
> > get shipped world wide. To update the image would mean
> > creating another master DVD, testing it, replicating 1000s
> > of them, packaging them, shipping them... not a cost
> > effective option. Then we'd have the problem of customers
> > having 2 DVDs with differing OS versions, not a scenario I
> > want to contemplate managing.
> >
> > Looks like I'll have to stick with the long winded option
> > of creating and managing a QFE update script. :-(
> >
> > Wouldn't a Microsoft managed update site be a good idea ;-)
> > (Tricky but not impossible with different builds of OS)
> >
> > Cheers.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >Darren,
> > >
> > >Sounds like you have both updates and recovery solutions
> > that you need to
> > >solve. From what I have seen, DUA only updates from one
> > DUP file. Each time
> > >you provide a DUP file it must be the same name each time
> > unless you changed
> > >the registry entry for the DUP name. You could have a DUA
> > script install and
> > >run a Windows script file that has more features like
> > conditional branching.
> > >
> > >Restoring the machine is a different matter. Basically it
> > sounds like you
> > >want the whole OS image re-installed. Is it possible for
> > your customers to
> > >download a whole new image to install? If they can, than
> > just provide a new
> > >image with all of the patches.
> > >
> > >
> > >Regards,
> > >
> > >Sean Liming
> > >www.a7eng.com
> > >Author: Windows NT Embedded Step-By-Step and XP Embedded
> > Advanced.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >"Darren Haigh" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> > message
> > >news:09a101c38116$cf23cf40$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > >> I'm puzzled as to the way DUAgent scripts are created
> > and
> > >> deployed and how this fits with a system recovery disk.
> > >> In short I have a system which is shipped with a
> > recovery
> > >> disk, this disk is now 12months old. The recovery disk
> > >> isn't used to updgrade our systems in any way, only to
> > >> restore them to factory conditions (you know what these
> > >> users are like when they stat messing with the
> > systems.!)
> > >>
> > >> From what I can gather the DUAgent looks for a
> > local .dup
> > >> file, defined in the registry (can't use HTTP in my
> > >> application), then runs the script within at a period
> > >> again defined in the registry.
> > >>
> > >> Does it only run this one script ? or any .dup file it
> > >> finds ?
> > >>
> > >> If a system is restored using the restore disk, then all
> > >> the updates need to be reapplied. Does this imply that
> > the
> > >> update.dup script file needs to grow each time an update
> > >> is added, and if this is the case wont this have an
> > >> adverse effect on the speed at which the update is
> > >> applied, if it has to trawl through 15+ updates before
> > it
> > >> gets to the one it really needs. I guess under this
> > >> condition it would just apply the old patches again.?
> > >>
> > >> I was kinda hoping that I could create a single .dup
> > file
> > >> for each MS patch, then just deliver a bunch of .dup
> > >> files. Is this not the case.?
> > >
> > >
> > >.
> > >
>
>

Sean,

The QFE updates (Most of them, not all) update the XPe database. The QFEs
are not intended to be updated directly to a released machine, but I think
MS is working on changing this so a sample DUA that one would modify would
go out with each QFE.

I believe Jon Fincher (MS) knows more about this.


Regards,

Sean Liming
www.a7eng.com
Author: Windows NT Embedded Step-By-Step and XP Embedded Advanced.



"sean" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Sean,
> Do you know if updates can be applied with out the DUA. Basically does
the
> DUA do something special or can I just execute the QFE directly on the
> machine?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Sean Gahan
>
>
> "Sean Liming (eMVP)" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:eYWI%(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Darren,
> >
> > Yup, updates are something that has to be planned with product
> development.
> > I understand your problem. I cannot speak for MS, but there are too many
> > different embedded systems out there for one company to address. MS is
> > starting to provide generic DUA scripts to at least get help with part
of
> > the update solution.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Sean Liming
> > www.a7eng.com
> > Author: Windows NT Embedded Step-By-Step and XP Embedded Advanced.
> >
> >
> >
> > "Darren Haigh" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:ad4a01c38123$78c4fcc0$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > > Our image is shipped on DVD with the system, these things
> > > get shipped world wide. To update the image would mean
> > > creating another master DVD, testing it, replicating 1000s
> > > of them, packaging them, shipping them... not a cost
> > > effective option. Then we'd have the problem of customers
> > > having 2 DVDs with differing OS versions, not a scenario I
> > > want to contemplate managing.
> > >
> > > Looks like I'll have to stick with the long winded option
> > > of creating and managing a QFE update script. :-(
> > >
> > > Wouldn't a Microsoft managed update site be a good idea ;-)
> > > (Tricky but not impossible with different builds of OS)
> > >
> > > Cheers.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > >-----Original Message-----
> > > >Darren,
> > > >
> > > >Sounds like you have both updates and recovery solutions
> > > that you need to
> > > >solve. From what I have seen, DUA only updates from one
> > > DUP file. Each time
> > > >you provide a DUP file it must be the same name each time
> > > unless you changed
> > > >the registry entry for the DUP name. You could have a DUA
> > > script install and
> > > >run a Windows script file that has more features like
> > > conditional branching.
> > > >
> > > >Restoring the machine is a different matter. Basically it
> > > sounds like you
> > > >want the whole OS image re-installed. Is it possible for
> > > your customers to
> > > >download a whole new image to install? If they can, than
> > > just provide a new
> > > >image with all of the patches.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >Regards,
> > > >
> > > >Sean Liming
> > > >www.a7eng.com
> > > >Author: Windows NT Embedded Step-By-Step and XP Embedded
> > > Advanced.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >"Darren Haigh" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> > > message
> > > >news:09a101c38116$cf23cf40$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > > >> I'm puzzled as to the way DUAgent scripts are created
> > > and
> > > >> deployed and how this fits with a system recovery disk.
> > > >> In short I have a system which is shipped with a
> > > recovery
> > > >> disk, this disk is now 12months old. The recovery disk
> > > >> isn't used to updgrade our systems in any way, only to
> > > >> restore them to factory conditions (you know what these
> > > >> users are like when they stat messing with the
> > > systems.!)
> > > >>
> > > >> From what I can gather the DUAgent looks for a
> > > local .dup
> > > >> file, defined in the registry (can't use HTTP in my
> > > >> application), then runs the script within at a period
> > > >> again defined in the registry.
> > > >>
> > > >> Does it only run this one script ? or any .dup file it
> > > >> finds ?
> > > >>
> > > >> If a system is restored using the restore disk, then all
> > > >> the updates need to be reapplied. Does this imply that
> > > the
> > > >> update.dup script file needs to grow each time an update
> > > >> is added, and if this is the case wont this have an
> > > >> adverse effect on the speed at which the update is
> > > >> applied, if it has to trawl through 15+ updates before
> > > it
> > > >> gets to the one it really needs. I guess under this
> > > >> condition it would just apply the old patches again.?
> > > >>
> > > >> I was kinda hoping that I could create a single .dup
> > > file
> > > >> for each MS patch, then just deliver a bunch of .dup
> > > >> files. Is this not the case.?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >.
> > > >
> >
> >
>
>