Noob questions around deployment of apps from App Store and Updates

[dooley_do]

I'd like to push some applications from the App Store to my clients. It looks like I need to get these in .app format in order to do so. How do I get these files from a Mac client and into my admin?

Also what are the best approaches for major OS Update (e.g 10.8.x to 10.9.x) and for minor updates (e.g. 10.9.2 to 10.9.4)? I was looking at possibly deploying the SUS appliance for minor updates and then enforcing the updates, is this good practice?

Sorry for the basics but coming very much from a Windows client management background a lot of this is pretty new...

Thanks

[#2]

I'd say the best solutions will largely depend on your environment. How many laptops versus desktops do you have? Are your users given administrative rights or not, or some mix? How often are your laptop users inside your network?

I've handled major upgrades on behalf of my users, but there's no reason you couldn't use Self Service. Minor system and app updates typically happen at logout for my fleet, and I just have to occasionally remind folks to do so if it's been awhile.

I recommend the caching server over the SUS appliance, just because it works seamlessly and also handles iTMS traffic, but either will work.

[dooley_do]

Hi, got about 500 Macs in total, of which around 75% are laptop. Logout for minor updates sounds like a good plan, using the SUS server is this something that can be enforced with Casper?