Idan's Blog: Install SCCM 2012 R2 Cumulative Update 3

SCCM Cumulative Update (CU) consider to be a non major update to the system. due to that fact, updating the primary site server will not automatically updates the clients.
In addition, there are post tasks to complete.
In this post i will cover how to update SCCM server and clients with CU and other post installations.

While writing this post, the latest CU for SCCM 2012 R2 is 3 so i will focus on that version, but the process is similar for any earlier CU's.

Basically cumulative update replace earlier CU's and includes all fixes available, so CU3 can be installed directly skipping CU1 and CU2.

It is best practice to do the following prior installing this update (or any other update):

Check the health of your server.
Backup the server.
Backup SCCM SQL Database.
Restart the SCCM server.
Close the Configuration Manager Administrator Console before you install this update.

Installation Process

Review Cumulative Update 3 Description and download it from here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2994331

Extract the file and run it:

Accept the license terms:

Complete the prerequisites checks:

Check the box for updating Configuration Manager console:

Update the site database:

Select for creating the following packages:

Specify the package name, program and source for each package that install update for (servers, console and clients):

Review the setup summary and start the installation:

Complete the installation:

Restart the server if necessary:

Deploy Update

As i mentioned before, this update isn't consider to be a major update (like service pack for example) and cannot be deployed using Automatic Client Upgrade.
The following three groups in Configuration Manager can be updated:

Server update: Any System Center 2012 Configuration Manager site server and computers running SMS provider:

Central administration site
Primary site
Secondary site
Remote SMS Provider

Updates for site system roles, including updates for the site database, are installed as part of the update for site servers.

Console Update: System Center 2012 Configuration Manager console.

Client Update: Any computer (server or workstation) running System Center 2012 Configuration Manager client.

Install update to Configuration Manager consoles

Distribute console update package that was automatically created by the installer to the relevant distribution points.
Create collection for all computers running Configuration Manager console.
I'm using a query similar to that:

select SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceID,SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceType,SMS_R_SYSTEM.Name,SMS_R_SYSTEM.SMSUniqueIdentifier,SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceDomainORWorkgroup,SMS_R_SYSTEM.Client from SMS_R_System inner join SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS on SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS.ResourceId = SMS_R_System.ResourceId where SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS.DisplayName = "System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager Console"

Deploy the package to that collection.

Install update to clients

You can deploy client update by using a supported deployment method, such as a software deployment package or Microsoft System Center Updates Publisher 2011.

In this post i'm using software deployment package:

Distribute both client update packages (x86 and x64) that was automatically created by the installer to the relevant distribution points.
Create collections for x86 and x64 clients with the following query:

x86 computers:

Select * from SMS_R_System inner join SMS_G_System_SYSTEM on SMS_G_System_SYSTEM.ResourceID = SMS_R_System.ResourceId where SMS_G_System_SYSTEM.SystemType = "X86-based PC"

x64 computers:

Select * from SMS_R_System inner join SMS_G_System_SYSTEM on SMS_G_System_SYSTEM.ResourceID = SMS_R_System.ResourceId where SMS_G_System_SYSTEM.SystemType = "X64-based PC"

Deploy the each package to the relevant collection.

Determine the installation status of Cumulative Update

Cumulative update changes the following Configuration Manager version numbers and installation properties.

Site systems:

The CULevel value is located under the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS\Setup

Note The CULevel value is set to 3 for Cumulative Update 3.

Administrator Console:

The version that is displayed in the About System Center Configuration Manager dialog box is 5.0.7958.1401:

Client:

The version that is displayed on the General tab of the Configuration Manager Control Panel item or the Client Version field of device properties in the Administrator Console should be 5.00.7958.1401.

Note that not all components are getting upgrade: