New install of WSUS - should I approve ALL old updates?
I just installed WSUS 3.0 SP1 and have it up and running. I have a few test computers connected to it and we'll see how it goes over the next week or so.
My question though is whether I should approve all of the 3,000 or so updates that are waiting for approval? I have so far only approved a couple hundred based on the PCs that I have joined to the server. I looked at their needed list and approved those for each computer.
But WSUS is going to nag me about updates I haven't dealt with yet so I wonder if I should approve all of the past ones to catch that up?
When I roll this out company wide, I plan on making sure each computer is updated fully from MS directly before adding them to WSUS so I can manage some backlog that way. So once they join WSUS there won't be but maybe a couple updates that need to be done that are all just a week or two old.
Thanks in advance!
My question though is whether I should approve all of the 3,000 or so updates that are waiting for approval? I have so far only approved a couple hundred based on the PCs that I have joined to the server. I looked at their needed list and approved those for each computer.
But WSUS is going to nag me about updates I haven't dealt with yet so I wonder if I should approve all of the past ones to catch that up?
When I roll this out company wide, I plan on making sure each computer is updated fully from MS directly before adding them to WSUS so I can manage some backlog that way. So once they join WSUS there won't be but maybe a couple updates that need to be done that are all just a week or two old.
Thanks in advance!
If the updates are indeed already installed then you don't need them. Just chose option for ignore update.
ASKER
I don't see an ignore option specifically, but I can decline them. Is that what you mean?
I could decline all updates from today or further in the past. Leaving with with a starting point of today. Then as long as I fully update each machine before I add it into WSUS I can deal with the future updates as they come out.
Is that how people run these WSUS machines?
I could decline all updates from today or further in the past. Leaving with with a starting point of today. Then as long as I fully update each machine before I add it into WSUS I can deal with the future updates as they come out.
Is that how people run these WSUS machines?
3000 updates is alot, how many machines? be sure you only approve the updates that match the OS of the machines you are updating. also, do not approve all 3k of them, that will bog eat up the bandwidth on your network and slow everything down, not even over night. i suggest you look closely at the list and approve only the ones that match the OS on your machines and deploy every two days in batches of 20 or less to allow delivery and install on the updates, this may have to prompt your users for multiple reboots every other day or so if the updates installed requires it but it's better than worrying about bandwidth issue durring the day.
that would be the recommended way to go. decline the past ones and start with a fresh start of today. maybe even running a new synch job to get a fresh list of updates. you also want to go into your settings and select the updates wish to download only, usually those that match the OS you are updating. do not have every single update selection selected, you'll end up downloading updates you don't need.
ASKER
There are multiple OS's on the network, surely you're not saying that if I approve a Win2k3 update that my XP machines will see it or be confused in any way?
WSUS is just the new repository instead of Microsoft directly. The machines still use their logic to ask for which updates they need, they just use MY list instead of MS's list now, right?
I think the pre-update is the way to go though. Decline everything today so I'm starting fresh with only new updates. And make sure to update each machine fully before it gets added to WSUS.
WSUS is just the new repository instead of Microsoft directly. The machines still use their logic to ask for which updates they need, they just use MY list instead of MS's list now, right?
I think the pre-update is the way to go though. Decline everything today so I'm starting fresh with only new updates. And make sure to update each machine fully before it gets added to WSUS.
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ASKER
No worries, not trying to be the word police, just didn't know if I was missing an option somewhere.
Thanks for the input.
Thanks for the input.
Hey man, it is ALWAYS better to be safe than sorry!
Always happy to help!
Always happy to help!
If you decline all updates from today back you will run the risk of updates not being installed. You really need to approve all updates that have been published since the release of the last service pack you have installed for each of your operating systems.
For instance:
If you install windows vista SP1 on a machine but have declined SP2 in WSUS your machines will not get this service pack. UNLESS you manually update every computer you put out into your environment before connecting to the domain and talking to WSUS which is a PITA and why you configured WSUS anyways.
My two cents is to take a careful look at the OSs you have in your environment and ensure all patches from the oldest SP your running are approved in WSUS.
For instance:
If you install windows vista SP1 on a machine but have declined SP2 in WSUS your machines will not get this service pack. UNLESS you manually update every computer you put out into your environment before connecting to the domain and talking to WSUS which is a PITA and why you configured WSUS anyways.
My two cents is to take a careful look at the OSs you have in your environment and ensure all patches from the oldest SP your running are approved in WSUS.