220-1102 Question 814
Single answerDesktop management softwareA technician manages 60 Windows 11 laptops for a small business. The company wants to reduce user disruption and ensure systems remain secure. Several employees have complained that feature updates are installing during the workday and forcing long reboots. The technician needs a desktop management solution that can centrally approve updates, schedule installation windows outside business hours, and provide reporting on which PCs are missing patches. Which tool should the technician implement?
- A
Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)
- B
Task Scheduler
- C
Device Manager
- D
Microsoft Management Console (MMC)
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The best answer is Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) because the scenario specifically requires centralized patch approval, controlled deployment timing, and reporting for multiple Windows systems. Those are core WSUS functions and align with common desktop management best practices in managed Windows environments. Microsoft documents WSUS as a role that enables administrators to manage the distribution of updates released through Microsoft Update to computers in a network. In an A+ Core 2 context, desktop management software includes tools used to maintain endpoints efficiently, and WSUS is a standard example for update management. The other options are legitimate Windows administrative tools, but they do not meet the scenario's need for centralized update governance and patch status reporting.
- A. Correct.
Correct. WSUS is designed for centralized management of Microsoft updates in business environments. It allows administrators to approve or decline updates, organize computers into groups, schedule deployment timing, and review compliance reports showing which systems are missing patches. This directly addresses the need to control update installation windows and reduce disruption.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Task Scheduler can automate tasks on individual systems, but it is not a centralized desktop management platform for approving, deploying, and reporting on Windows updates across many endpoints. Someone might choose this because it can run maintenance tasks at specific times, but it does not provide enterprise update approval workflows or patch compliance reporting.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Device Manager is used to view and manage hardware devices and drivers on a local computer. It does not centrally manage operating system updates for multiple endpoints. This distractor is plausible because driver updates are related to system maintenance, but Device Manager does not provide desktop-wide patch management.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Microsoft Management Console is a framework that hosts administrative snap-ins such as Event Viewer or Group Policy tools. By itself, MMC is not a patch management solution. A candidate might select it because many Windows administrative tools open in MMC, but it does not perform centralized update approval, scheduling, and compliance reporting on its own.