WSUS 3.1 SP1 not working

Hi there,
Last week we had problems with the SQL 2005 Express database on which WSUS 3
SP1 runs.
I restored it from backup and also ran wsusutil reset and in IIS I did a
recycle.
There are no error messages in the event of the WSUS server.

Now more then 300 clients have a status unknown.
Also the KB972260 updates (latest) that are autoapproved are not installing
on ANY computer.
It is showing in WSUS: Computers needing this update: 0.
In the windowsupdate.log on a workstation it is showing as 0 updates detected.

Anyone any ideas?

Thanks,

"Jeremy Pemberton" <> wrote in
message news:CBEC3D08-2056-4A4B-9FFB-...
> Hi there,
> Last week we had problems with the SQL 2005 Express database on which WSUS
> 3
> SP1 runs.

So let's start by talking about these problems, and why they necessitated a
restore from backup.


> Now more then 300 clients have a status unknown.

How old was the database that you restored?


> Also the KB972260 updates (latest) that are autoapproved are not
> installing
> on ANY computer.

Probably not approved any more -- maybe not even in the database.



--
Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCITP:EA, MCDBA
Principal/CTO, Onsite Technology Solutions, Houston, Texas
Microsoft MVP - Software Distribution (2005-2009)

MS WSUS Website: http://www.microsoft.com/wsus
My MVP Profile: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/pro...awrence.Garvin

The drive on which the SQL 2005 Express database ran went full, ironically
because of logfiles created by the backup.
The SQL database gave errors in the log.
Also the WSUS SQL database is quite large, it's 3 Gb.
The backup was from the day before and everything showed as being ok after
that for more then a week.

The new updates are shown as approved in the console, but none of the
computers need it, although each computer has IE6, 7 or 8 and KB972260 is for
each version.
I declined then and approved them again, but that didn't help.






"Lawrence Garvin [MVP]" wrote:

> "Jeremy Pemberton" <> wrote in
> message news:CBEC3D08-2056-4A4B-9FFB-...
> > Hi there,
> > Last week we had problems with the SQL 2005 Express database on which WSUS
> > 3
> > SP1 runs.
>
> So let's start by talking about these problems, and why they necessitated a
> restore from backup.
>
>
> > Now more then 300 clients have a status unknown.
>
> How old was the database that you restored?
>
>
> > Also the KB972260 updates (latest) that are autoapproved are not
> > installing
> > on ANY computer.
>
> Probably not approved any more -- maybe not even in the database.
>
>
>
> --
> Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCITP:EA, MCDBA
> Principal/CTO, Onsite Technology Solutions, Houston, Texas
> Microsoft MVP - Software Distribution (2005-2009)
>
> MS WSUS Website: http://www.microsoft.com/wsus
> My MVP Profile: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/pro...awrence.Garvin
>
>

"Jeremy Pemberton" <> wrote in
message news:63257F8B-747A-41C9-BCC5-...
> The drive on which the SQL 2005 Express database ran went full, ironically
> because of logfiles created by the backup.

Running out of drive space on a drive containing database is usually a fatal
error for the entire database installation -- particularly if the Master
database is also on that drive.

> Also the WSUS SQL database is quite large, it's 3 Gb.

Not unusual for an environment with several hundred clients -- depending on
whether you've been regularly using the Server Cleanup Wizard or not.

> The backup was from the day before and everything showed as being ok after
> that for more then a week.

Okay, that's good information.

> The new updates are shown as approved in the console, but none of the
> computers need it, although each computer has IE6, 7 or 8 and KB972260 is
> for
> each version.

Okay... let's not try to tie this issue into the database restore until we
get evidence that may be a cause.

As I understand things, we have three points to consider -- not necessarily
related:

1. You have no indications of errors on the WSUS server.

2. Several hundred clients have a "status unknown".

3. KB972620 appears to be "not installing".


So first, let's translate your described symptoms to reality...

As for the "status unknown" -- Computers do not report a "status unknown",
but the WSUS server does report a "status unknown" for a specific UPDATEs.
So, which update(s) are these computers reporting an Unknown Status for?

Btw.. "unknown status" simply means that the update has been synchronized to
the WSUS server, but the computer(s) have not yet executed a detection since
the synchronization, therefore the WSUS SERVER has no information on what
the status of that update is at the moment.

Truly, it's not unusual at all for updates to routinely show with a status
of "unknown", and with some information on the actual number of clients in
the environment, the detection interval, and the number of server
synchronizations a day, I can show you mathematically what the typical
number of computers with a "status unknown" for one or more updates will be.


As for KB972620... "not installing" covers a lot of ground without
diagnostics to determine which of the half dozen steps along the way are
succeeding or failing. It's possible that the computers are not connecting
to the WSUS server at all (which would cause the "status unknown" scenario
you've observed), as well as failing to detect a newly approved update
(which would result in the update not being downloaded/installed ,etc.) --
this, of course, assumes that the update is showing as NEEDED.

An update that shows as Not Applicable is an entirely different issue.

So, let's do this:

1. Pick a computer that you think is having issues. Run the Client
Diagnostic Tool and post the results.

2. Pick a computer that should be installing KB972620 and is showing the
update as NEEDED. Perform these steps:
a. Record the system time.
b. Restart the Automatic Updates service (net stop/start wuauserv).
c. Run the command 'wuauclt /resetauthorization /detectnow'.
d. Wait 30 minutes.
e. Post the entries from the WindowsUpdate.log starting at the time recorded
in Step #1.

3. Pick a computer that should be installing KB972620 and is showing the
update as NOT APPLICABLE.
a. Record the system time.
b. Restart the Automatic Updates service (net stop/start wuauserv).
c. Run the command 'wuauclt /resetauthorization /detectnow'.
d. Wait 30 minutes.
e. Post the entries from the WindowsUpdate.log starting at the time recorded
in Step #1.

And we'll see what the state of your environment is, and go from there.

--
Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCITP:EA, MCDBA
Principal/CTO, Onsite Technology Solutions, Houston, Texas
Microsoft MVP - Software Distribution (2005-2009)

MS WSUS Website: http://www.microsoft.com/wsus
My MVP Profile: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/pro...awrence.Garvin

Hi Lawrence,
That's for your help!

Clientdiag didn't report any errors on two computers I tried.
I was already in the process of installing a new WSUS server last week,
because the WSUS is getting old.
This new server is a Windows 2008 server with SQL 2008 Standard.
It's replicating from the old WSUS server.
All the updates and approvals are already on the new server.
But the clients are not migrated yet to the new server.

So I migrated my own computer manually to the new server and within 30
minutes I got an message that updates were available, which I then manually
installed.
This lets me think that the SQL database is somehow not ok anymore.
I will use wsusmigrate to migrate the computers to the new server and point
our Windows update DNS record to the new server.





"Lawrence Garvin [MVP]" wrote:

> "Jeremy Pemberton" <> wrote in
> message news:63257F8B-747A-41C9-BCC5-...
> > The drive on which the SQL 2005 Express database ran went full, ironically
> > because of logfiles created by the backup.
>
> Running out of drive space on a drive containing database is usually a fatal
> error for the entire database installation -- particularly if the Master
> database is also on that drive.
>
> > Also the WSUS SQL database is quite large, it's 3 Gb.
>
> Not unusual for an environment with several hundred clients -- depending on
> whether you've been regularly using the Server Cleanup Wizard or not.
>
> > The backup was from the day before and everything showed as being ok after
> > that for more then a week.
>
> Okay, that's good information.
>
> > The new updates are shown as approved in the console, but none of the
> > computers need it, although each computer has IE6, 7 or 8 and KB972260 is
> > for
> > each version.
>
> Okay... let's not try to tie this issue into the database restore until we
> get evidence that may be a cause.
>
> As I understand things, we have three points to consider -- not necessarily
> related:
>
> 1. You have no indications of errors on the WSUS server.
>
> 2. Several hundred clients have a "status unknown".
>
> 3. KB972620 appears to be "not installing".
>
>
> So first, let's translate your described symptoms to reality...
>
> As for the "status unknown" -- Computers do not report a "status unknown",
> but the WSUS server does report a "status unknown" for a specific UPDATEs.
> So, which update(s) are these computers reporting an Unknown Status for?
>
> Btw.. "unknown status" simply means that the update has been synchronized to
> the WSUS server, but the computer(s) have not yet executed a detection since
> the synchronization, therefore the WSUS SERVER has no information on what
> the status of that update is at the moment.
>
> Truly, it's not unusual at all for updates to routinely show with a status
> of "unknown", and with some information on the actual number of clients in
> the environment, the detection interval, and the number of server
> synchronizations a day, I can show you mathematically what the typical
> number of computers with a "status unknown" for one or more updates will be.
>
>
> As for KB972620... "not installing" covers a lot of ground without
> diagnostics to determine which of the half dozen steps along the way are
> succeeding or failing. It's possible that the computers are not connecting
> to the WSUS server at all (which would cause the "status unknown" scenario
> you've observed), as well as failing to detect a newly approved update
> (which would result in the update not being downloaded/installed ,etc.) --
> this, of course, assumes that the update is showing as NEEDED.
>
> An update that shows as Not Applicable is an entirely different issue.
>
> So, let's do this:
>
> 1. Pick a computer that you think is having issues. Run the Client
> Diagnostic Tool and post the results.
>
> 2. Pick a computer that should be installing KB972620 and is showing the
> update as NEEDED. Perform these steps:
> a. Record the system time.
> b. Restart the Automatic Updates service (net stop/start wuauserv).
> c. Run the command 'wuauclt /resetauthorization /detectnow'.
> d. Wait 30 minutes.
> e. Post the entries from the WindowsUpdate.log starting at the time recorded
> in Step #1.
>
> 3. Pick a computer that should be installing KB972620 and is showing the
> update as NOT APPLICABLE.
> a. Record the system time.
> b. Restart the Automatic Updates service (net stop/start wuauserv).
> c. Run the command 'wuauclt /resetauthorization /detectnow'.
> d. Wait 30 minutes.
> e. Post the entries from the WindowsUpdate.log starting at the time recorded
> in Step #1.
>
> And we'll see what the state of your environment is, and go from there.
>
> --
> Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCITP:EA, MCDBA
> Principal/CTO, Onsite Technology Solutions, Houston, Texas
> Microsoft MVP - Software Distribution (2005-2009)
>
> MS WSUS Website: http://www.microsoft.com/wsus
> My MVP Profile: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/pro...awrence.Garvin
>
>

"Jeremy Pemberton" <> wrote in
message news:F987626C-7451-4F39-B3C1-...
> Hi Lawrence,
> That's for your help!
>
> Clientdiag didn't report any errors on two computers I tried.

If you've seen some of my other threads in this newsgroup you'll understand
why I need more than this...

Please post the complete output from the CDT and allow me to confirm for
myself that *all* is correct.

> This new server is a Windows 2008 server with SQL 2008 Standard.

Please understand that Win2008 has special installation requirements; be
sure to refer to the Deployment Guide for the exact requirements. Also
SQL2008 is not a formally supported database engine for WSUS v3 -- the
supported/tested environment is SQL2005SP2 for Win2008 systems. (SP3 can be
applied *after* installation of WSUS).

> This lets me think that the SQL database is somehow not ok anymore.

Did you migrate it from a WID/SQL2005 installation?

> I will use wsusmigrate to migrate the computers to the new server

I wouldn't expend the effort to migrate computers.. they'll automatically
check in and repopulate all needed information within 24 hours. It's the
*approvals* you might want to consider migrating -- but that tool has been
problematic for many. I'd suggest rebuilding the approvals from scratch if
it comes to that.



--
Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCITP:EA, MCDBA
Principal/CTO, Onsite Technology Solutions, Houston, Texas
Microsoft MVP - Software Distribution (2005-2009)

MS WSUS Website: http://www.microsoft.com/wsus
My MVP Profile: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/pro...awrence.Garvin

Lawrence Garvin [MVP] wrote:

>> I will use wsusmigrate to migrate the computers to the new server
>
> I wouldn't expend the effort to migrate computers.. they'll
> automatically check in and repopulate all needed information within 24
> hours. It's the *approvals* you might want to consider migrating -- but
> that tool has been problematic for many. I'd suggest rebuilding the
> approvals from scratch if it comes to that.

As Lawrence says, it probably isn't a good idea to use wsusmigrate, particularly
in this situation - if your source database is corrupt, migrating data from it
presents a risk of corrupting the target database. (Not the database per se,
but the consistency of the data it contains.)

Harry.

"Harry Johnston [MVP]" <> wrote in message
news:%23$...

> it probably isn't a good idea to use wsusmigrate, particularly in this
> situation - if your source database is corrupt, migrating data from it
> presents a risk of corrupting the target database. (Not the database per
> se, but the consistency of the data it contains.)

An excellent point, Harry, and a detail I actually overlooked (the suspected
database corruption). Thank you.


--
Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCITP:EA, MCDBA
Principal/CTO, Onsite Technology Solutions, Houston, Texas
Microsoft MVP - Software Distribution (2005-2009)

MS WSUS Website: http://www.microsoft.com/wsus
My MVP Profile: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/pro...awrence.Garvin