WSUS Step by Step

For individual PC users, this paper will help you understand how to use Windows Update to keep your PC up to date, not only to help protect it from malicious software, but to keep it functioning at its best. If you’re responsible for networked computers, this paper will help you understand how Windows Update and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) can help protect groups of computers.

Review WSUS 3.0 Installation Requirements To install WSUS 3.0 on Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, you must have the following installed on your computer. If any of these updates require restarting the server when installation is completed, you should restart your server before installing WSUS 3.0. • Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0. • Update for Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) 2.0 and WinHTTP 5.1 Windows Server 2003. To download this software, go to the Download Center (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=47251). Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 Redistributable Package (x86). To download this software, go to the Download Center (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=68935). (For 64-bit platforms, also go to the Download Center [http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=70637].) • Microsoft Report Viewer Redistributable 2005. To obtain this software, go to the Download Center (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=70410). • Microsoft Management Console 3.0 for Windows Server 2003 (KB907265). To download this software, go to the Download Center (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=70412). (For 64-bit platforms, also go to the Download Center [http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=70638].)

Disk requirements and recommendations To install WSUS 3.0, the file system of the server must meet the following requirements: • Both the system partition and the partition on which you install WSUS 3.0 must be formatted with the NTFS file system. • A minimum of 1 GB of free space is recommended for the system partition. • A minimum of 20 GB of free space is recommended for the volume where WSUS stores content; 30 GB of free space is recommended. • A minimum of 2 GB of free space is recommended on the volume where WSUS Setup installs Windows® Internal Database

Console-only installation requirements WSUS 3.0 now allows you to install the WSUS Administration console on remote systems separate from the WSUS server. Console-only installations may be performed on the following operating systems: • Windows Server® 2008 • Windows Vista® • Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 • Windows XP Service Pack 2 The following are the software prerequisites for console-only installation • Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 Redistributable Package (x86), available on the Microsoft Download Center (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=68935). For 64-bit platforms, go to Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 Redistributable Package (x64) (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=70637). • Microsoft Management Console 3.0 for Windows Server 2003 (KB907265), available on the Microsoft Download Center (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=70412). For 64-bit platforms, go to Microsoft Management Console 3.0 for Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition (KB907265) (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=70638). • Microsoft Report Viewer Redistributable 2005, available on the Microsoft Download Center (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=70410).

Automatic Updates requirements Automatic Updates is the client component of WSUS 3.0. Automatic Updates has no hardware requirements other than being connected to the network. You can use Automatic Updates with WSUS 3.0 on computers running any of the following operating systems: • Windows Vista. • Windows Server® 2008. • Microsoft Windows® Server 2003, all versions and service packs. • Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 2. • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Service Pack 4, Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 4, or Windows 2000 Advanced Server Service Pack 4

Permissions 1. Either the built-in group Users or the NT Authority\Network Service account (on Windows Server 2003) should have read permission for the root folder on the drive where the WSUS content directory resides. If this permission is missing, BITS downloads will fail. 2. The NT Authority\Network Service account should have "Full Control" permission for the WSUS content directory, usually <SystemDriver>:WSUS\WsusContent. This permission is set by WSUS server setup when it creates the directory, but some security software may reset this permission. If this permission is missing, BITS downloads will fail. 3. The NT Authority\Network Service account should have “Full Control” permission for the following folders in order for the WSUS Administration snap-in to display correctly: • %windir%\Microsoft .NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Temporary ASP.NET Files • %windir%\Temp

Install WSUS 3.0 on Your Server 1. Double-click the installer file, WSUSSetup.exe. 2. On the Welcome page of the installation wizard, click Next. 3. On the Installation Mode Selection page, click Full server installation including Administration Console if you wish to install the server on this computer, or Administration Console only if you wish to install the administration console only. 4. On the License Agreement page, read the terms of the license agreement carefully, click I accept the terms of the License agreement, and then click Next. 5. On the Select Update Source page of the installation wizard, you can specify where clients get updates. If you select the Store updates locally check box, updates are stored on the WSUS 3.0 server, and you select a location in the file system to store updates. If you do not store updates locally, client computers connect to Microsoft Update to get approved updates. Keep the default options, and click Next 6. On the Database Options page, select the software used to manage the WSUS 3.0 database. By default, WSUS Setup offers to install Windows Internal Database, if the computer on which you are installing runs Windows Server 2003. 7. If you do not wish to use Windows Internal Database, you must provide a SQL Server instance for WSUS to use, by clicking Using an existing database server on this computer and typing the instance name in the box. The instance name should appear as <serverName>\<instanceName>, where serverName is the name of the server and instanceName is the name of the SQL instance. Make your selection, and then click Next. 8. On the Connecting to SQL Server Instance page, WSUS will try to connect to the specified instance of SQL Server. When it has connected successfully, click Next to continue. 9. On the Web Site Selection page, specify the Web site that WSUS 3.0 will use. If you wish to use the default IIS Web site on port 80, select the first option. If you already have a Web site on port 80, you can create an alternate site on port 8530 by selecting the second option. Keep the default option and click Next. 10. On the Ready to Install Windows Server Update Services page, review the selections, and then click Next. 11. The final page of the installation wizard will tell you whether or not the WSUS 3.0 installation was completed successfully. After you click Finish the configuration wizard will be launched.

Configure the Network Connection for WSUS 3.0 The next two procedures assume that you are using the configuration wizard. In a later section in this step, you will learn how to start the WSUS Administration snap-in and configure the server through the Options page. To specify the way this server will obtain updates 1. From the configuration wizard, after joining the Microsoft Improvement Program, click Next to choose the upstream server. 2. If you choose to synchronize from Microsoft Update, you are finished with this page. Click Next, or select Specify Proxy Server from the left pane. 3. If you choose to synchronize from another WSUS server, specify the server name and the port on which this server will communicate with the upstream server. 4. To use SSL, check the Use SSL when synchronizing update information check box. In that case the servers will use port 443 for synchronization. (You should make sure that both this server and the upstream server support SSL.) 5. If this is a replica server, check the This is a replica of the upstream server check box. 6. At this point you are finished with upstream server configuration. Click Next, or select Specify proxy server from the left panel. To configure proxy server settings 1. On the Specify Proxy Server page of the configuration wizard, select the Use a proxy server when synchronizing check box, and then type the proxy server name and port number (port 80 by default) in the corresponding boxes. 2. If you want to connect to the proxy server by using specific user credentials, select the Use user credentials to connect to the proxy server check box, and then type the user name, domain, and password of the user in the corresponding boxes. If you want to enable basic authentication for the user connecting to the proxy server, select the Allow basic authentication (password is sent in cleartext) check box. 3. At this point you are finished with proxy server configuration. Click Next to go to the next page, where you can start setting up the synchronization process. The following two procedures assume that you are using the WSUS Administration snap-in for configuration. These two procedures show you how to start the WSUS Administration snap-in and configure the server from the Options page. To start the WSUS Administration console • To start the WSUS Administration console, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Microsoft Windows Server Update Services 3.0. Note In order to use all the features of the WSUS console, you must be a member of either the WSUS Administrators or the local Administrators security groups on the server on which WSUS is installed. However, members of the WSUS Reporters security group have read-only access to the administration console. To specify an update source and proxy server 1. On the WSUS console, click Options in the left panel under the name of this server and then click Update Source and Proxy Server in the middle panel. 2. A dialog box will be displayed with Update Source and Proxy Server tabs. 3. In the Update Source tab, select the location from which this server will obtain updates. If you choose to synchronize from Microsoft Update (the default), you are finished with this wizard page. 4. If you choose to synchronize from another WSUS server, you need to specify the port on which the servers will communicate (the default is port 80). If you choose a different port, you should ensure that both servers are able to use that port. 5. You may also specify whether to use SSL when synchronizing from the upstream WSUS server. In that case, the servers will use port 443 to synchronize from the upstream server. 6. If this server is a replica of the second WSUS server, select the This is a replica of the upstream server check box. In this case all updates must be approved on the upstream WSUS server only. 7. In the Proxy server tab, select the Use a proxy server when synchronizing check box, and then type the proxy server name and port number (port 80 by default) in the corresponding boxes. 8. If you want to connect to the proxy server by using specific user credentials, select the Use user credentials to connect to the proxy server check box, and then type the user name, domain, and password of the user in the corresponding boxes. If you want to enable basic authentication for the user connecting to the proxy server, select the Allow basic authentication (password in cleartext) check box. 9. Click OK to save these settings.

Configure Updates and Set Up Synchronization The procedures in this step describe how to: • Save and download information about your upstream server and proxy server. • Choose the language of the updates you want. • Choose the products for which you want to get updates. • Choose the classifications of updates you want. • Specify the synchronization schedule for this server. The next five procedures describe how to configure your updates using the configuration wizard. Later procedures describe how to perform this configuration from the WSUS Administration console by choosing specific options. Save and download your upstream server and proxy information 1. You should have completed configuration of the upstream server and the proxy server in the configuration wizard, and you should see the Connect to Upstream Server page. 2. Click the Start Connecting button, which will save and upload your settings and get information about available updates. 3. While the connection is being made, the Stop Connecting button will be available. If there are problems with the connection, click Stop Connecting, fix the problems, and restart the connection. 4. After the download has completed successfully, click Next to go to the Choose Languages page, or select a different page from the left panel. Choose update languages 1. The Choose Languages page allows you to get updates from all languages or from a subset of languages. Selecting a subset of languages will save disk space, but it is important to choose all of the languages that will be needed by all of the clients of this WSUS server. 2. If you choose to get updates for only a few languages, select Download updates only in these languages, and select the languages for which you want updates. Click Next to go to the Choose Products page, or select a different page from the left panel. Choose update products 1. The Choose Products page allows you to specify the products for which you want updates. 2. You may check product categories, such as Windows, or specific products, such as Windows Server 2003. Selecting a product category will cause all of the products under it to be selected. Click Next to proceed to the Choose Classifications page, or select a different page from the left panel. Choose the update classifications 1. The Choose Classifications page allows you to choose the update classifications you wish to obtain. You can choose all the classifications or a subset of them. 2. Click Next to proceed to the Configure Sync Schedule page, or select a different page from the left panel. Configure the synchronization schedule 1. You will see the Set Sync Schedule page, which allows you to choose whether to perform synchronization manually or automatically. 2. If you choose to synchronize manually on this server, you will have to initiate the synchronization process from the WSUS administration console. 3. If you choose to synchronize automatically, the WSUS server will synchronize at specified intervals. Set the time of the first synchronization and specify the number of synchronizations per day you wish this server to perform. For example, if you specify that there should be four synchronizations a day, starting at 3:00 A.M., synchronizations will occur at 3:00 A.M., 9:00 A.M., 3:00 P.M., and 9:00 P.M. After you have completed all of the above configuration steps, select the Finished page in the configuration wizard. You can launch the WSUS Administration console by leaving the Launch the Windows Server Update Services Administrations snap-in check box selected, and you can start the first synchronization by leaving the Begin initial synchronization check box selected. Note You cannot save configuration changes that are made while the server is synchronizing. Wait until synchronization is finished to make your changes. The following procedures explain how to perform the above configuration steps through the Options page of the WSUS Administration console: • Choose products and classifications • Update files and languages Choose products and classifications 1. Launch the WSUS Administration console: Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Microsoft Windows Server Update Services. 2. Select Options under your WSUS server in the left pane. 3. In the middle pane, select Products and Classifications. 4. You will see a dialog box with two tabs: Products and Classifications. 5. In the Products tab, select the product category or specific product for which you want this server to get updates, or else select All Products. 6. In the Classifications tab, select the update classifications you want, or else select All Classifications. 7. Click OK to save your selections. Update files and languages 1. In the Options page, select Update Files and Languages. 2. You will see a dialog box with two tabs: Update Files and Update Languages. 3. In the Update Files tab, you can choose whether to store update files locally or to have all client computers install from Microsoft Update. If you choose to store update files on this server, you can choose whether to download only those updates that are approved or to download express installation files. 4. In the Update Languages tab, you can choose to get updates for all languages (the default) or to get updates for only the specified languages. If this WSUS server has downstream servers, they will get updates only in the languages specified by the upstream server. 5. Click OK to save these settings. After you configure the network connection, you can download updates by synchronizing the WSUS server. Synchronization involves the WSUS server contacting Microsoft Update. After making contact, WSUS determines whether any new updates have been made available since the last time you synchronized. Because this is the first time you are synchronizing the WSUS server, all of the updates are available and are ready for your approval for installation. The initial synchronization may take a fairly long time. Note This document describes synchronizing with the default settings, but WSUS includes options that enable you to minimize bandwidth use during synchronization. To synchronize your WSUS server 1. In the WSUS Administration console, select Synchronizations. 2. Right-click or go to the Actions pane on the right, and then click Synchronize now. Note If you do not see the Actions pane on the right side of the console, on the console toolbar click View, click Customize, and ensure that the Action pane check box is selected. After the synchronization finishes, click Updates in the left panel to view the list of updates.

Configure Automatic Updates In an environment with Active Directory, you can use a domain–based Group Policy object (GPO). In an environment without Active Directory, use the Local Group Policy object. Whether you use the Local Group Policy object or a domain-based GPO, you must point your client computers to the WSUS server, and then configure Automatic Updates. The following instructions assume that your network runs Active Directory. These procedures also assume that you are familiar with Group Policy and use it to manage your network. You need to create a new GPO for WSUS settings, and link the GPO to the domain. For more information about Group Policy, see the Group Policy Tech Center Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=47375). Step 5 contains the following procedures: • Add the WSUS Administrative Template. • Configure Automatic Updates. • Point your client computer to your WSUS server. • Manually initiate detection by the WSUS server. Perform the first three procedures on a domain–based Group Policy object. You will need to create a new GPO or use an existing GPO. If you are using Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) to manage your GPOs, navigate to the GPO you wish to modify, and then click Edit. In order to view policy settings to manage WSUS, you will need to ensure that the WSUS administrative template file, wuau.adm, is added to Group Policy Object Editor. Because wuau.adm is released by default in the operating system, it should already be present in Group Policy Object Editor. To add the WSUS Administrative Template 1. In Group Policy Object Editor, click either of the Administrative Templates nodes. 2. On the Action menu, click Add/Remove Templates and then click Add. 3. In the Policy Templates dialog box, click wuau.adm, and then click Open. 4. In the Add/Remove Templates dialog box, click Close. To configure Automatic Updates 1. In Group Policy Object Editor, expand Computer Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, expand Windows Components, and then click Windows Update. 2. In the details pane, double-click Configure Automatic Updates. 3. Click Enabled, and then click one of the following options: • Notify for download and notify for install: This option notifies a logged-on administrative user before the download and before the installation of the updates. • Auto download and notify for install: This option automatically begins downloading updates and then notifies a logged-on administrative user before installing the updates. • Auto download and schedule the install: If Automatic Updates is configured to perform a scheduled installation, you must also set the day and time for the recurring scheduled installation. • Allow local admin to choose setting: With this option, local administrators are allowed to use Automatic Updates in Control Panel to select a configuration option of their choice. For example, they can choose their own scheduled installation time. Local administrators are not allowed to disable Automatic Updates. 4. Click OK. Note The setting Allow local admin to choose setting appears only if Automatic Updates has updated itself to the version compatible with WSUS. To point your client computer to your WSUS server 1. In Group Policy Object Editor, expand Computer Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, expand Windows Components, and then click Windows Update. 2. In the details pane, double-click Specify intranet Microsoft update service location. 3. Click Enabled, and type the HTTP URL of the same WSUS server in the Set the intranet update service for detecting updates box and in the Set the intranet statistics server box. For example, type http://servername in both boxes, and then click OK.

Create a Computer Group for Updates One benefit of creating computer groups is that they enable you to test updates before deploying updates widely. If testing goes well, you can roll out the updates to the All Computers group. There is no limit to the number of custom groups you can create. To set up computer groups 1. Specify how you are going to assign computers to the computer groups. There are two options: server-side targeting and client-side targeting. Server-side targeting involves manually adding each computer to its group by using WSUS. Client-side targeting involves automatically adding the clients by using either Group Policy or registry keys. 2. Create the computer group on WSUS. 3. Move the computers into groups by using the method you chose in step 1. This section explains how to use server-side targeting and manually move computers to their groups by using the WSUS Administration console. If you have multiple client computers to assign to computer groups, you can use client-side targeting, which automates moving computers into computer groups. You can use Step 6 to set up a test group that contains at least one test computer. Step 6 contains the following procedures: • Create a group. • Add a computer to the group. To create a group 1. In the WSUS Administration console, expand Computers and select All Computers. 2. Right-click All Computers, or go to the Actions pane and then click Add Computer Group. 3. You will see an Add Computer Group dialog box. Specify the name of the new group. Use the next procedure to assign a client computer to the test group. A client computer appropriate for testing is any computer with software and hardware indicative of the majority of computers on your network, but not a computer assigned to a critical role. In this way, you can tell how well computers like the test computer will fare with the updates you approve. To add a computer to the group 1. In the WSUS Administration console, click Computers. 2. Click the group of the computer you want to move. 3. In the list of computers, select the computer you want to move. 4. Right-click Change Membership. 5. You will see a dialog box, Set Computer Group Membership, with a list of groups. 6. Check the group to which you want to move the computer, and then click OK.

Approve and Deploy Updates in WSUS 3.0 Step 7 contains the following procedures: • Approve and deploy an update. • Check the status of the update. To approve and deploy an update 1. On the WSUS Administration console, click Updates. Doing so will display a summary of updates in the default views (All Updates, Critical Updates, Security Updates, and WSUS Updates). Use All Updates for this procedure. 2. On the list of updates, select the updates you want to approve for installation. Information about a selected update is available in the lowermost pane of the Updates panel. To select multiple contiguous updates, press and hold down the SHIFT key while clicking updates; to select multiple noncontiguous updates, press and hold down the CTRL key while click updates. 3. Right-click the selection and click Approve. The Approve Updates dialog box appears. 4. Select one of the groups (for example, Test) and click the arrow to its left. You will see a context menu with the choices Approved for Install, Approved for Removal, Not Approved, Deadline, Same as Parent, and Apply to Children. Click Approved for Install and then click OK. 5. You will see a new window, Approval Progress, which shows progress of the different tasks affecting the approval of the updates. When approval is completed, click Close to close this window. Note Many options are associated with approving updates, such as setting deadlines and uninstalling updates. After 24 hours, you can use the WSUS reporting feature to determine whether the updates have been deployed to the computers. To check the status of an update 1. In the WSUS Administration console, click Reports in the left pane. 2. On the Reports page, you will see a number of standardized reports. Click the Update Status Summary report. You will see the Updates Report window. 3. If you want to filter the list of updates, select the criteria you want to use (for example, Include updates in these classifications), and then click Run Report on the window's toolbar. 4. You will see the Updates Report pane. You can check the status of individual updates by selecting the update in the left section of the pane. The last section of the report pane shows the status summary of the update. 5. You can save or print this report by clicking the appropriate icon on the toolbar.

Conclusion

For Forums and Support use the links below for your questions and reviews:

1.http://support.microsoft.com/search/default.aspx?catalog=LCID=1033&spid=global&query=kbpubmvp%20Update%20Services&adv=&mode=s&cat=False

2. http://www.wsuswiki.com/WSusTroubleshooting

3. http://www.wsus.info/index.php?showforum=3