WSUS

[leco]

I gather that there can only be one Windows Update Server on a network. If this is correct then how would I move/transition/migrate the current one onto a new server? Do I have to stop the current one whilst installing a new one?

[FN-GM]

Its just easier to setup a new WSUS server then setup your settings in WSUS and point your clients in group policy.

 

another way: How to move WSUS 3.0 to a new server | Exchange Server Pro

 

There is no reason why you can't have more than one WSUS server

[leco]

Looked at that article but the wizard boxes are not the same as the ones I'm getting. I'm installing onto a W2K R2 server from Server Manager, so perhaps that's why.

[FN-GM]

Might be, i thought they would have been the same.

 

Really im thinking installing from a fresh, doing the config then pointing clients to the new server will be just as quick and easier. It doesn't take long at all to setup.

[joe90bass]

Its just easier to setup a new WSUS server then setup your settings in WSUS and point your clients in group policy.

 

 

That's what I've done in the past, I've never tried migrating.

[FN-GM]

We did as well, in all honesty i couldn't be bothered messing around.

[leco]

OK thanks will have a go at just installing onto the new server and see where that gets me.

[3s-gtech]

Easiest way is to set the new server as a secondary WSUS server, pulling its updates from the first. You can then import the settings from the first, and when they're finished synchronising (the second will download all updates from the first), set the new one to update from Microsoft. Saves having to re-download tens of GB of updates. You then just point the clients to the new one with GP. Did this a few weeks back, worked like a charm.

[leco]

Thanks 3s-gtech wish I'd read that earlier. Still I've now got all the updates on the new machine now (downloaded overnight from MS), have set GP to point at it. Left it now gathering all the network computers so hopefully tomorrow it should be almost fully populated. Stray teacher laptops may be an issue for a while I'm guessing.

[pete]

If you CNAME oldwsusserver to newwsusserver the laptop issue will be reduced.

 

(Assumes old server is being decommissioned / renamed).

[powdarrmonkey]

I gather that there can only be one Windows Update Server on a network.

 

This is incorrect (which you've probably gathered, but for the sake of casual surfers).

[leco]

This is incorrect (which you've probably gathered, but for the sake of casual surfers).

Yeah found that out now - but since I was following the instructions to the letter thought I'd better check first. Maybe the wording in the instructions could have been better, a tad ambiguous.

If you CNAME oldwsusserver to newwsusserver the laptop issue will be reduced. (Assumes old server is being decommissioned / renamed).

Would you expand on this suggestion please, I'm not quite sure what you mean. But yes the old server is to be decommissioned. Thanks.

[pete]

CNAME = Canonical Name. On your dns server add a CNAME of oldserver pointing to newserver. It's handy if you want to abstract a service (mail. web, apps) from hardware and makes changeovers easier for end-users.

 

CNAME is one of the options if you manually add a dns entry in the management console.

 

So if an end user/computer requests oldserver, the dns server will redirect them to newserver.

[leco]

Ooh thanks that looks really useful. (I think I did say I was learning - fast.) I've put in PTR and A records before but not CNAME. However, I can't actually put that one in yet as the old server is still DHCP and other stuff. That is unless specific services can be specified in the new DNS record? (can you tell I'm not sure what I'm talking about here?)

[pete]

If the old server's still doing stuff that the new server isn't doing, then no - you can't add the CNAME yet.

 

Unless it's only doing dhcp because the client machines will sleep with anyone giving them an ip, they don't care about their name.

[leco]

Well new server should read new servers - several VM's doing a variety of tasks. The old server also has the FSMO role which isn't moving just yet either. Small steps testing each as I go. Thanks.