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Step 4: Configure updates and synchronization

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Applies To: Windows Server Update Services, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP2, Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1

This section describes how to configure a set of updates that you want to download by using WSUS 3.0 SP2.

Step 4 Procedures

You can do these procedures by using either the WSUS Configuration Wizard or the WSUS Administration Console.

  1. Save and download information about your upstream server and proxy server.

  2. Choose the language of the updates.

  3. Select the products for which you want to receive updates.

  4. Choose the classifications of updates.

  5. Specify the synchronization schedule for this server.

After you configure the network connection, you can download updates by synchronizing the WSUS server. Synchronization begins when the WSUS server contacts Microsoft Update. After the WSUS makes contact, WSUS determines whether any new updates have been made available since the last time you synchronized. When you synchronize the WSUS server for the first time, all the updates are available and are ready for your approval for installation. The initial synchronization may take a long time.

The procedures in this section describe synchronizing with the default settings. WSUS 3.0 SP2 also includes options that enable you to minimize bandwidth use during synchronization.

If you are using the WSUS Configuration Wizard

In Step 3: Configure the network connections, you completed configuration of the upstream server and the proxy server. This next set of procedures starts on the Connect to Upstream Server page of that configuration wizard.

To save and download your upstream server and proxy information

  1. On the Connect to Upstream Server page of the configuration wizard, click the Start Connecting button. This both saves and uploads your settings and collects information about available updates.

  2. 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.

  3. After the download has completed successfully, click Next.

To choose update languages

  1. The Choose Languages page lets you receive 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 the clients of this WSUS server.

    If you choose to get updates only for specific languages, select Download updates only in these languages, and select the languages for which you want updates.

  2. Click Next.

To choose update products

  1. The Choose Products page lets you specify the products for which you want updates. Select product categories, such as Windows, or specific products, such as Windows Server 2008. Selecting a product category will cause all the products in that category to be selected.

  2. Click Next.

To choose update classifications

  1. The Choose Classifications page allows you to specify the update classifications you want to obtain. Choose all the classifications or a subset of them.

  2. Click Next

To configure the synchronization schedule

  1. On the Set Sync Schedule page, you choose whether to perform synchronization manually or automatically.

    If you choose Synchronize manually, you must start the synchronization process from the WSUS Administration Console.

    If you choose Synchronize automatically, the WSUS server will synchronize at set intervals. Set the time of the First synchronization and specify the number of Synchronizations per day that you want this server to perform. For example, if you specify that there should be four synchronizations per 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.

  2. Click Next.

  3. On the Finished page, you can start 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.

  4. Click Finish.

    Important

    You cannot save configuration changes that are made while the server is synchronizing. Wait until synchronization is finished and then make your changes.

If You Are Using the WSUS Administration Console

The following procedures explain how to perform the configuration steps by using the WSUS Administration Console.

To choose products and update classifications

  1. In the Options panel, click Products and Classifications. A dialog box appears with Products and Classifications tabs.

  2. In the Products tab, select the product category or specific products for which you want this server to receive updates, or else select All Products.

  3. In the Classifications tab, select the update classifications you want, or else select All Classifications.

  4. Click OK to save your selections.

To choose update files and languages

  1. In the Options panel, click Update Files and Languages. A dialog box appears with Update Files and Update Languages tabs.

  2. In the Update Files tab, choose whether to Store update files locally on this server or to have all client computers install from Microsoft Update. If you decide to store update files on this server, you also decide whether to download only those updates that are approved or to download express installation files.

  3. In the Update Languages tab, if you are storing update files locally, you choose to Download updates for all languages (the default), or to Download updates only in the specified languages. If this WSUS server has downstream servers, they will receive updates only in the languages specified by the upstream server.

  4. Click OK to save these settings.

To synchronize the WSUS server

  1. In the Options panel, click Synchronization Schedule.

  2. In the Synchronization Schedule tab, you choose whether to perform synchronization manually or automatically.

    If you choose Synchronize manually, you will have to start the synchronization process from the WSUS Administration Console.

    If you choose Synchronize automatically, the WSUS server will synchronize at set intervals. Set the time of the First synchronization and specify the number of Synchronizations per day that you want this server to perform. For example, if you specify that there should be four synchronizations per 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.

  3. Click OK to save your selections.

  4. In the navigation pane of the WSUS Administration Console, select Synchronizations.

  5. Right-click or move to the Actions pane on the right side, and then click Synchronize Now.

    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.

  6. After the synchronization is complete, in the left panel, click Updates to view the list of updates.

Next tep

Step 5: Configure client updates