Step 8: Approve and Deploy Updates

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2, Windows Server Update Services

In this step you approve an update for any test client computers in the Test group. Computers in the group will check in with the WSUS server over the next 24 hours. After this period, you can use the WSUS reporting feature to determine if those updates have been deployed to the computers. If testing goes well, you can then approve the same update for the rest of the computers in your organization.

Step 8 contains the following procedures:

  • Approve and deploy an update.

  • Check the Status of Updates report.

To approve and deploy an update

  1. On the WSUS console toolbar, click Updates. By default, the list of updates is filtered to show only Critical and Security Updates that have been approved for detection on client computers. Use the default filter for this procedure.

  2. On the list of updates, select the updates you want to approve for installation. Information about a selected update is available on the Details tab. To select multiple contiguous updates, press and hold down the SHIFT key while selecting; to select multiple non-contiguous updates, press and hold down the CTRL key while selecting.

  3. Under Update Tasks, click Change approval. The Approve Updates dialog box appears.

  4. In the Group approval settings for the selected updates list, click Install from the list in the Approval column for the Test group, and then click OK.

Note

There are many options associated with approving updates, such as setting deadlines and uninstalling updates. These are discussed in the “Microsoft Windows Server Update Services Operations Guide” white paper.

After 24 hours, you can use the WSUS reporting feature to determine if those updates have been deployed to the computers.

To check the Status of Updates report

  1. On the WSUS console toolbar, click Reports.

  2. On the Reports page, click Status of Updates.

  3. If you want to filter the list of updates, under View, select the criteria you want to use, and then click Apply.

  4. If you want to see the status of an update by computer group and then by computer, expand the view of the update as necessary.

  5. If you want to print the Status of Updates report, under Tasks, click Print report.

If the updates were successfully deployed to the Test group, you can approve the same updates for the rest of the computers in your organization.