How to Determine Update Status for all Computers

Article
10/19/2016

Applies To: Windows Server Update Services

Use the following procedure to query the WSUS server for its connected clients and their update status. The procedure details the WSUS API calls necessary to retrieve this information. The example that follows the procedure is a complete command-line application that takes this data and outputs it to an XML file for reporting purposes.

To determine update status for all computers

Add the Microsoft.UpdateServices.Administration assembly to your project.
Insert a using statement for the Microsoft.UpdateServices.Administration namespace.
```
using Microsoft.UpdateServices.Administration;  
```
Instantiate an IUpdateServer object by using the static AdminProxy.GetUpdateServer method.
```
IUpdateServer updateServer = AdminProxy.GetUpdateServer();  
```
Instantiate a ComputerTargetScope object, and set its properties according to the computers with which you will work.

In the following code snippet, the ComputerTargetScope.IncludeDownstreamComputerTargets property is set to true. This property specifies whether or not clients of a downstream server, not clients of this server, should be included. After the ComputerTargetScope object has been initialized and its properties set, call the IUpdateServer.GetComputerTargets method that will return, in the form of a ComputerTargetCollection object, all of the computers that match the criteria specified with the ComputerTargetScope object.
```
// Get the collection of computers on this server.  
ComputerTargetScope computerTargetScope = new ComputerTargetScope();  
computerTargetScope.IncludeDownstreamComputerTargets = true;  
ComputerTargetCollection computers = updateServer.GetComputerTargets(computerTargetScope);  
```

Iterate over the computers collection, calling the IComputerTarget.GetUpdateInstallationInfoPerUpdate method for each computer. This method gets the installation information for all drivers and software updates for this computer and returns a UpdateInstallationInfoCollection object.

foreach (IComputerTarget computer in computers)  
{  
   // Get the install state of all updates approved for this computer.  
   UpdateInstallationInfoCollection installStatus = computer.GetUpdateInstallationInfoPerUpdate();  

   // Iterate over the IUpdateInstallationInfo object to access information, such as the name of the updates   
   // and their install state on the current computer.  
   foreach (IUpdateInstallationInfo updateStatus in installStatus)  
   {   
      // Perform your work here, such as generating a report  
   }  
}

Example

The following is the complete code listing for a console application that write to an XML file the current update status on all computers connected to the WSUS server. The application takes a single parameter, indicating whether or not downstream computers should be included.

/*----------------------------------------------------------------------  
This file is part of the Microsoft Windows Server Update Services  
API Code Samples.  
  
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THIS CODE AND INFORMATION ARE PROVIDED "AS-IS."    
YOU BEAR THE RISK OF USING IT.  MICROSOFT GIVES NO EXPRESS WARRANTIES,   
GUARANTEES OR CONDITIONS.  YOU MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL CONSUMER RIGHTS   
UNDER YOUR LOCAL LAWS WHICH THIS AGREEMENT CANNOT CHANGE.    
TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER YOUR LOCAL LAWS, MICROSOFT EXCLUDES   
THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR   
PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------*/  
  
namespace WsusSamples  
{  
  using System;  
  using System.Xml;  
  
  using Microsoft.UpdateServices.Administration;  
  
  class DetermineUpdateStatusForAllComputers  
  {  
    static void Main(string[] args)  
    {  
      const string usage = "\r\n" +  
                            "ComputerStatusToXml. Creates an XML file with a list computers on the Update Services server, " +  
                            "and the status of updates approved for each computer." +  
                            "\r\n\r\n" +  
                            "USAGE:" +  
                            "\r\n\r\n" +  
                            "    ComputerStatusToXml.exe [IncludeDownstreamComputers]" +  
                            "\r\n\r\n" +  
                            "        IncludeDownstreamComputers: Include computer targets rolled up from downstream servers." +  
                            "\r\n";  
  
      // evaluate args  
      bool includeDownstreamComputers = false;  
      if (args.Length >= 1)  
      {  
        if (args.Length > 1 || args[0].ToLower() != "includedownstreamcomputers")  
        {  
          Console.WriteLine(usage);  
          return;  
        }  
        if (args[0].ToLower() == "includedownstreamcomputers")  
        {  
          includeDownstreamComputers = true;  
        }  
      }  
  
      XmlTextWriter xml = null;  
  
      try  
      {  
        Console.WriteLine("Getting computer status...");  
  
        // open the XML file  
        string xmlWriterFile = string.Format("{0}{1}{2}{3}",  
                                              Environment.CurrentDirectory.ToString(),  
                                              "\\ComputerStatus ",  
                                              DateTime.Now.ToLongDateString().ToString(),  
                                              ".xml");  
        xml = new XmlTextWriter(xmlWriterFile, System.Text.Encoding.UTF8);  
        xml.Formatting = Formatting.Indented;  
        xml.Indentation = 4;  
  
        xml.WriteStartDocument(true);  
        xml.WriteStartElement("ComputerStatus");  
  
        // Connect to the local WSUS server  
        IUpdateServer updateServer = AdminProxy.GetUpdateServer();  
  
        // Get the collection of computers on this server  
        ComputerTargetScope computerTargetScope = new ComputerTargetScope();  
        computerTargetScope.IncludeDownstreamComputerTargets = includeDownstreamComputers;  
        ComputerTargetCollection computers = updateServer.GetComputerTargets(computerTargetScope);  
  
        // loop through the computer collection   
        foreach (IComputerTarget computer in computers)  
        {  
          // start the element for the computer  
          xml.WriteStartElement("Computer");  
          xml.WriteAttributeString("Name", computer.FullDomainName);  
  
          xml.WriteAttributeString("LastReportedStatus", computer.LastReportedStatusTime.ToString());  
  
          if (includeDownstreamComputers == true)  
          {  
            string parentName = "LocalHost";  
            if (computer.ParentServerId != Guid.Empty)  
            {  
              parentName = computer.GetParentServer().FullDomainName;  
            }  
            xml.WriteAttributeString("ParentServer", parentName);  
          }  
  
          // start the element for the status of updates on this computer  
          xml.WriteStartElement("UpdateStatus");  
  
          // get the install state of all updates approved for this computer  
          UpdateInstallationInfoCollection installStatus = computer.GetUpdateInstallationInfoPerUpdate();  
  
          // loop through the updates in the install info collection and output the   
          // name of the update and it's install state on this computer  
          foreach (IUpdateInstallationInfo updateStatus in installStatus)  
          {  
            xml.WriteStartElement("Update");  
            xml.WriteAttributeString("Title", updateStatus.GetUpdate().Title);  
            xml.WriteAttributeString("Status", updateStatus.UpdateInstallationState.ToString());  
  
            // close the Update element  
            xml.WriteEndElement();  
          }  
  
          // close the UpdateStatus element  
          xml.WriteEndElement();  
  
          // close the Computer element  
          xml.WriteEndElement();  
        } // foreach  
     } //try  
      catch (Exception)  
      {  
      } // catch  
      finally  
      {  
        Console.WriteLine("Done. Results are written to the ComputerStatus {0}.xml file in the current folder",  
                          DateTime.Now.ToLongDateString());  
        xml.Close();  
      } // finally  
    } // main  
  }  
}

How to Determine Update Status for all Computers

To determine update status for all computers

Example

Additional resources