Microsoft has released the Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool 2.1, a very useful maintenance tool for IT Pro’s which gives them the possibility to update offline Virtual Machines. This tool is suppose to help organizations maintain virtual machines that are stored offline in a Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager library. While stored, virtual machines do not receive operating system updates which expose them to great risk. Important updates provide significant benefits, such as improved security and reliability and for that, The Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool 2.1 provides a way to keep offline Virtual Machines up to date so that bringing them online does not introduce vulnerabilities into the organization’s IT infrastructure.


The update process is pretty much simple, the IT’s don’t need to do anything because Windows Workflow programming model together with the Windows PowerShell™ interface will do all. Together they bring groups of virtual machines online just long enough for them to receive updates from either System Center Configuration Manager 2007 or Windows Server Update Services aka WSUS. Once the virtual machines are updated, the tool returns them to the offline state in the Virtual Machine Manager library.


For the official overview, system requirements, installation instructions and ofcourse get it, check the Download Center.