WSUS v3 SP2 - Force detect/report/update immediately

[Cic!cone]

For testing it's a real pain to wait for 'random' timeouts, so is there a confirmed way to force things.
Note that I'm watching TCP activity to prove connections using TCPView.

I'm interested in:

1. Force console to detect client:
Works fine if the client's Hardware credentials are reset:
reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate /v AccountDomainSid /f reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate /v PingID /f
reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate /v SusClientId /f

@echo Triggering detection after resetting WSUS client identity
net stop wuauserv
net start wuauserv
wuauclt /resetauthorization /detectnow

2. Force Client to report
This can be triggered by wuauclt /detectnow but it's linked to a timer (probable reg key) and once run will not for another predetermined time (don't know what this is). How can one reset this timeout such to force connection and report immediately.

3. Force client to download.
Once WSUS authorises a patch, how to force the client to connect and detect this immediately?
Any thoughts more than welcome as usual ;-)

[gfighter]

I'm using a free third app to check for updates and force installs. WUInstall. Now to script the thing for regular reporting to WSUS, as I've disabled AU in GPO....

[Hockson]

I believe wuauclt /detectnow always causes a report to be sent from the client. However, the server does not process reports immediately, so you won't see any changes at the console for an indeterminate period of time. To the best of my knowledge, there is no way to short-circuit this process.

If you want to download and install available updates immediately, you can use a script to do this. For a simple example, you can look at my version:

<http://www.scms.waikato.ac.nz/~harry/wsusupdate.vbs>

http://www.scms.waikato.ac.nz/~harry/wsusupdate.vbs

There are several other such scripts available on the web.

[troy]

1. Force console to detect client:

The CONSOLE does not detect anything. The CLIENT initiates all communications and it is the CLIENT which registers with the WSUS server.

reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate /v > AccountDomainSid /f > reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate /v > PingID /f

These values were deprecated with the introduction of WSUS v3 and the WUAgent v7.0. (i.e. they only exist in WSUS v2 environment with legacy v5.8 WUAgents installed)

@echo Triggering detection after resetting WSUS client identity
net stop wuauserv
net start wuauserv
wuauclt /resetauthorization /detectnow

Restarting the service is unnecessary when deleting the SusClientID.

The correct procedures for this scenario are documented in KB903262.

2. Force Client to report
This can be triggered by wuauclt /detectnow but it's linked to a timer (probable reg key) and once run will not for another predetermined time (don't know what this is).

The WUAgent always executes a call to the ReportingEventWebService, approx 10-20 minutes after the completion of a detection, download, or installation event.

How can one reset this timeout such to force connection and report immediately.

A client with a pending call to the ReportingEventWebService can be forced to flush that reporting buffer by executing: wuauclt /reportnow.

3. Force client to download.
Once WSUS authorises a patch, how to force the client to connect and detect this immediately?

This is also done with wuauclt /detectnow. If the WUAgent detects content available for download it will immediately queue a request with BITS to download that information.

Any thoughts more than welcome as usual

Lea... it's really not necessary to "test" these scenarios to find out what is happening. The behavior of the environment has not functionally changed in the five years since WSUS v2 was originally released, and the behaviors are well known, some of them documented by Microsoft, many of them discussed and "documented" in this newsgroup, the WSUS forum on Technet, TechEd, and several webcasts produced by many sources.

[Cic!cone]

1. Force console to detect client:[/color]
The CONSOLE does not detect anything. The CLIENT initiates all communications and it is the CLIENT which registers with the WSUS server.

Completely agree, my poor wording I'm afraid, thanks for clarifying. I should of said; force client to register with console…

reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate /v AccountDomainSid /f reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate /v PingID /f
These values were deprecated with the introduction of WSUS v3 and the WUAgent v7.0. (i.e. they only exist in WSUS v2 environment with legacy v5.8 WUAgents installed)

Thanks, I wondered why they were never there to delete, but left it for completeness

@echo Triggering detection after resetting WSUS client identity
net stop wuauserv
net start wuauserv
wuauclt /resetauthorization /detectnow

Restarting the service is unnecessary when deleting the SusClientID. The correct procedures for this scenario are documented in KB903262.Which mentions to stop/start the service? And also the keys above.

2. Force Client to report
This can be triggered by wuauclt /detectnow but it's linked to a timer (probable reg key) and once run will not for another predetermined time (don't know what this is).

The WUAgent always executes a call to the ReportingEventWebService, approx 10-20 minutes after the completion of a detection, download, or installation event.

How can one reset this timeout such to force connection and report immediately. A client with a pending call to the ReportingEventWebService can be forced to flush that reporting buffer by executing: wuauclt /reportnow.

Is this represented by a reg key?
So:
wuauclt /detectnow
wuauclt /reportnow

And I should see an almost immediate TCP connection to the SUS server... Or are there still delays? I'll test ;-)

3. Force client to download.
Once WSUS authorises a patch, how to force the client to connect and detect this immediately?

This is also done with wuauclt /detectnow. If the WUAgent detects content available for download it will immediately queue a request with BITS to download that information.

Queue a request? But for how long? I've read this can take upto an hour however I'm hoping to speed this up to almost immediately.

Any thoughts more than welcome as usual ;-)

It's really not necessary to "test" these scenarios to find out what is happening. The behavior of the environment has not functionally changed in the five years since WSUS v2 was originally released, and the behaviors are well known, some of them documented by Microsoft, many of them discussed and "documented" in this newsgroup, the WSUS forum on Technet, TechEd, and several webcasts produced by many sources.

Hi Troy,

Again, maybe my poor explanation. I'm not wishing to prove WSUS itself, but that our corporate process is well understood and documented and proved to operate as expected.

I need to test the complete detection/reporting/deployment and install scenario on a multitude of target machine images and all within the next few days, hence waiting for deployment scheduled installs and random WSUS timings is slowing this down to a crawl.

Thanks for all your assistance, it's much appreciated.

[Andrus K]

patience grasshopper.

Old WSUS proverb:
WSUS events are measured in days and weeks not hours and minutes. Enjoy the time well spent on other endeavors.

[Cic!cone]

Unfortunately this grasshopper has real deadlines and a Director 'keen' for implementation and full documented testing...

Thankfully there are very wise ones here and for those I am extremely grateful.