Step 1: Determine Which Software Updates Are Needed

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Applies To: Windows HPC Server 2008

The first step in updating the compute nodes in the cluster is determining which updates are needed. To determine which updates are needed, run one of the following diagnostic tests on the compute nodes in your cluster:

  • Pending Software Updates   This diagnostic provides an overall list of updates that are available for the nodes, as well as a list of updates for each individual node. This test reports on the updates that are identified as critical by Microsoft Update or Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).

  • Software Updates Required   Run this diagnostic only if you have an Apply Updates task in the node template for the compute nodes. This diagnostic compares the updates that are installed on the compute node against the updates specified in the node template. The report indicates if any compute nodes do not meet the required update level that is specified in the template.

Note

If you checked the Include a step in the template to download and install updates option during the node template creation step (in the To-do List), you already have an Apply Updates task in the node template. If you do not have an Apply Updates task in the node template, you will add it in Step 2: Add Software Updates to the Node Template.

Note

If you manually uninstall a previously installed update on a node, you may not get consistent diagnostic results about whether that update is needed on the node. However, the previously installed update will be reinstalled on the compute node the next time the node is updated.

To use the Pending Software Updates diagnostic to determine if the compute nodes in the cluster require updates

  1. If HPC Cluster Manager is not already open on the head node, open it. Click Start, point to All Programs, click Microsoft HPC Pack, and then click HPC Cluster Manager.

  2. In Diagnostics, in the Navigation Pane, click Tests.

  3. In the views pane, right-click Pending Software Updates, and then click Run.

  4. In the Run Diagnostics dialog box, specify the nodes on which to run the diagnostic, and then click Run.

    Warning

    This diagnostic can take a long time to run in a large cluster.

  5. After the diagnostic finishes, in the Navigation Pane, click Test Results to check the result of the Pending Software Updates diagnostic. The Pending Software Updates diagnostic result displays Warning if there are software updates pending for the compute nodes.

  6. In the views pane, right-click Pending Software Updates, and then click Export Results. Save the exported test result as an .html file.

  7. Open the Pending Software Updates diagnostic result .html file that you saved.

  8. Expand the summary for the test result. The list includes all of the pending software updates for the cluster.

Note

The Pending Software Updates diagnostic can fail if the winhttp proxy is not set on each compute node. Run the netsh winhttp show proxy command to see if the compute nodes have a proxy server set.

To check if the node template has the Apply Updates task

  1. In Configuration, in the Navigation Pane, click Node Templates.

  2. In the views pane, double-click the node template that is assigned to the nodes you want to update. The Node Template Editor dialog box appears.

  3. Under Node template tasks, scroll to Maintenance, and then look for the Apply Updates task.

To use the Software Updates Required diagnostic to determine if the compute nodes in the cluster require updates

  1. In Diagnostics, in the Navigation Pane, click Tests.

  2. In the views pane, right-click Software Updates Required, and then click Run.

  3. In the Run Diagnostics dialog box, specify the nodes on which to run the diagnostic, and then click Run.

  4. In the Navigation Pane, click Test Results to check the result of the Software Updates Required diagnostic.

  5. In the views pane, click Software Updates Required, and then browse the test results in the Detail Pane.

  6. If the compute nodes on the cluster do not have the updates that are required in the node template, right-click Software Updates Required, click Pivot To, and then click Failed Nodes of the Test. The Node Management pane appears. All compute nodes that failed the Software Updates Required test are selected.

  7. Continue with Step 2: Add Software Updates to the Node Template.