What the...?? Why is RMS being offered by Windows Update and WSUS?

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Perhaps some of you admins have noticed the presence of the RMS SP2 Client in your WSUS installations. Perhaps some of you also noticed that it is a full blown install of the RMS client, even if you only have WSUS setup to download 'delta' installs.

So whats going on?

Well with the release of Vista, RMS actually ships right in the box, so it is now part of Windows Sustained Engineering. Looking at the detection logic for the RMS SP2 Windows Update it looks like it essentially looks for the presence of msdrm.dll, and the version, and will install based on that. So it is an optional component, that will only install automatically if you have a pre-existing version on your machine (and you have chosen automatic install). RMS is also a security application which means that the files that touch it need to be signed into it's manifest. If a file that RMS is dependent on is not signed, RMS will not work.

UPDATE: 12/11/2006 Actually in reviewing the detection logic again, we don't actually check to see if you have a previous version. You either have it or you don't. If you don't have it, we offer it. This needs to be fixed. We are looking into getting this changed, to mark the package as 'Not Needed' if it isn't currently installed. 

You can find out more information about RMS SP2 here:

https://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=917275

I'll post a file manifest with all of the different files and versions that are included with the install, as soon as I get back in the office on Monday. I know alot of people are interested in that for your custom deployment applications.

UPDATE: 12/11/2006

RMS SP2 File Manifest
Name Size Date
Eula.rtf 67K July 21,2006
msdrm.dll 317K Nov 6,2006
msdrmv1.cat 11K Nov 6,2006
RmActivate.exe 512K Nov 6,2006
RmActivate_isv.exe 520K Nov 6,2006
RmActivate_ssp.exe 350K Nov 6,2006
RmActivate_ssp_isv.exe 347K Nov 6,2006
SecProc.dll 507K Nov 6,2006
SecProc_isv.dll 508K Nov 6,2006
SecProc_ssp.dll 189K Nov 6,2006
SecProc_ssp_isv.dll 189K Nov 6,2006

UPDATE: 12/13/2006

I'm still working with the WU team, and RMS team to see what we can do in way of adjusting the detection logic for this update. More to come...

UPDATE: 12/20/2006

It has been a long week of power outages, wind storms, holidays, and sickness. Anyways, we are still in deliberation about the proper detection logic for RMS. If it is going to change, it will be the 2nd Tuesday in January that the new detection bits for it will be released.

Jason