2.5.1 Actors
The actors that participate in the WSUS use cases are:
WSUS administrator: The WSUS administrator is the individual responsible for managing the distribution of updates that are released through Microsoft Update to computers on the administrator's network. The WSUS administrator installs agents on the computers that need to be managed. The WSUS administrator approves updates, monitors the update installations, configures server(s) for updates, and synchronizes servers.
Computer user: A computer user is a user of a computer that is managed by the update server. The computer can include laptops, desktops, and servers. The user can be required to keep his or her computer updated with the latest security patches and service packs. The update server can require the user either to install the updates right away or to schedule the updates for a more convenient time. The computer user can also be required to configure the client and start an update scan. Optionally, all of these tasks can be automated.
Server management tool: A tool that provides an administrative interface to the update server. The primary interest of the server management tool is to enable a WSUS administrator to read and update the update server configuration, display available updates, manage target groups and group membership, and approve updates. The server management tool enables the display of update installation status reports to the WSUS administrator.
Client management tool: A tool that provides a management interface to the update client. The primary interest of the client management tool is to enable a computer user to read and update the update client configuration, start a scan for updates, and control the download and installation of updates.
Configuration system: A supporting actor that is used by the WSUS administrator to assign user-specified values to distribute configuration settings that control the client's behavior. An example of such a configuration system is Group Policy, as described in [MS-GPOD].