Running Reports
Applies To: Windows Server Update Services
Reports enable you to monitor the components of your Windows Server Update Services implementation.
Using the Reports Page
You can generate three main reports from the Reports page, as described in the following table, and in the sections that follow.
Reports Available on Reports Page
| Report Name | Function |
|---|---|
Status of Updates |
View the status of all approved updates by computer group and computer. |
Status of Computers |
View the status of client computers and the status of updates on those computers (for example, a summary of updates that have been installed or are needed for a particular computer). |
Synchronization Results |
View a list of new updates, update revisions, and errors that occurred during synchronization. |
Settings Summary |
View or print a summary of the settings configured through the Options page. |
Status of Updates Report
The Status of Updates report enables you to view the status for all of your approved updates. You can view the report in three ways: you can view the status of an update at a high level, by computer group, and by computer.
The report displays information resulting from the most recent contact between client computers and the WSUS server. The frequency with which client computers contact the WSUS server is configured through Group Policy. By default, this is every 22 hours. Unless you want to change the contact frequency for your client computers, generate this report the day after you approve updates, so that it reflects your latest approvals. For more information about configuring Group Policy, see Deploying Microsoft Windows Server Updates Services.
Note
You can use a command-line tool on client computers that are running the WSUS client software (Automatic Updates) in order to initiate contact between the client computer and WSUS server. This can be useful if you want to get immediate update status for a particular computer—you can run this tool to force connection and then generate a Status of Updates report.
To initiate immediate contact between a client computer and WSUS server
- On the client computer, at the command prompt, type wuauclt.exe /detectnow, and then press ENTER.
To run a Status of Updates report
On the WSUS console toolbar, click Reports.
On the Reports page, click Status of Updates.
Update summary view
The update summary view is the default view that appears when you run a Status of Updates report. By default, the report displays an alphabetical list of approved updates.
You can filter the display by both approval action and computer group by making appropriate selections under View and then clicking Apply. Your filter is reset to the default list of all updates when you close the Status of Updates report.
The columns displayed in the update summary view are described in the following table.
Description of Columns Displayed in Update Summary View
| Column Name | Description |
|---|---|
Title |
The name of the update. To view the properties for an update, click an update in this column. The update properties box provides the following information: The Details tab contains general information about the update. The Status tab contains status information for the update by computer group. This is also what you see in computer group view. You can also expand this view into computer view by expanding a computer group. The Revisions tab displays information about changes to the update. |
Installed |
The number of computers on which the update has been installed. |
Needed |
The number of computers for which the update is applicable but not installed. For these computers, a detect-only action has been performed for the update. If an update requires a restart, then a computer that has installed the update will continue to appear in the Needed column until it is restarted. |
Failed |
The number of computers that last reported a failed download, installation, or removal (uninstallation). |
Last Updated |
The date that the latest action for this update occurred. |
Computer group view
The computer group view displays the status of an update by computer group. To use this view, expand any update that is listed in update summary view.
The columns displayed in the computer group view are described in the following table.
Description of Columns Displayed in Computer Group View
| Column Name | Description |
|---|---|
Computer Group |
The name of the computer group to which the update has been targeted. |
Approval |
The action that this update has been approved for, specific to the group. |
Deadline |
The deadline for the action, if you have set a deadline. |
Installed |
The number of computers on which the update has been installed. |
Needed |
The number of computers for which the update is applicable but not installed. For these computers, a detect-only action has been performed for the update. If an update requires a restart, then a computer that has installed the update will continue to appear in the Needed column until it is restarted. |
Failed |
The number of computers that last reported a failed download, installation, or removal (uninstallation). |
Computer view
The computer view displays the status of each computer in a computer group. To use the computer view, expand a computer group.
The columns displayed in this view are described in the following table.
Description of Columns Displayed in Computer View
| Column Name | Description |
|---|---|
Computer Name |
Name of the computer To see the properties for the computer, click the computer name. The computer properties dialog box that appears displays details and status for the computer. The Status tab displays the result of the last communication between the WSUS server and the computer, and the status of updates for which an action has been approved on the computer. |
Status |
The status will be one of the following:
To see details for an event, click the result in the Status column. |
Printing the report
You can print the report in update summary, computer group, or computer view, depending on how you have expanded the Status of Updates report.
To print the Status of Updates report
Expand your report into update summary, computer group, or computer view, depending on the information you want to print.
Under Tasks, click Print report.
Note
You cannot use the Print report task to print a dialog box, and the Print report task is not enabled if a dialog box is open.
Status of Computers Report
The Status of Computers report provides both a cumulative and individual update status summary for computers in the computer group and for the update status results you specify. The following table provides more information about the status provided for each update.
Description of Status Displayed in Status of Computers Report
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
Installed |
The update was installed on the computer. |
Needed |
A detection was performed on the computer for the update, which determined that the update should be installed on the computer. |
Not needed |
Either the update is already installed on the computer, or the update does not belong to a product or classification you specified when configuring synchronization options. |
Unknown |
Typically, this means that since the time that the update was synchronized to the WSUS server, the computer has not yet contacted the WSUS server. |
Failed |
An error occurred when either a detection or an installation was attempted on the computer for the update. |
Last contacted |
This is the date on which the computer last contacted the WSUS server. |
You can also print the report, including the list of individual updates with status for individual computers, if you have expanded the computers (clicked the + symbol). However, you cannot print the dialog box that appears when you click individual updates in the list or when you click the status for an individual update.
To run a status report for computers
On the WSUS console toolbar, click Reports, and then click Status of Computers.
Under View, select the criteria you want to use to filter the report, and then click Apply. The report displays a cumulative update status summary for all of the computers in the computer group and for the status you specified.
If you want more information about a specific computer, you can do the following:
To view the status of individual updates for the computer, expand the computer (click the + sign next to the computer). In addition, you can see the properties of an individual update by clicking the title of the update.
To view more information about the specific status result of an update (or, the event details), click the status for the update.
To print the report, under Tasks, click Print report.
Synchronization Results Report
The Synchronization Results report enables you to see synchronization information for your server for a given time period, including errors that occurred during synchronization and a list of new updates. In addition, you can get general, status, and revision information for each new update.
To run a Synchronization Results report
On the WSUS console toolbar, click Reports.
On the Reports page, click Synchronization Results. By default, the report displays synchronization results for the last 30 days.
To change the synchronization period for the report, under View, select another synchronization period in the list, and then click Apply.
To print the report, under Tasks, click Print report.
Note
The Print report task is not enabled if you have a dialog box open. You cannot use the Print report task to print a dialog box.
The report has four components, which are described in the following table.
Components of Synchronization Results Report
| Component Name | Purpose |
|---|---|
Last Synchronization |
Displays information about the last time the WSUS server synchronized with Microsoft Update or another WSUS server, and if it was a successful synchronization. |
Synchronization Summary |
Displays summary information about new updates and errors that occurred during synchronization. |
Errors |
For each error, displays the date of the error, a description of the error, and the update ID associated with the error. |
New Updates |
Displays the updates that have been synchronized to the WSUS server for the given time period. You can view the properties for each new update by clicking the update in the New Updates list. The update properties dialog box that appears contains details, status, and revision for the update. It is identical to the update properties box that appears in the Status of Updates report when you click an update in the list. It is also identical to the properties tabs associated with each update on the Updates page. |
Settings Summary Report
The Settings Summary report enables you to view and print a summary of all of the settings that can be specified on the Options page.
To run a Settings Summary report
On the WSUS console toolbar, click Reports.
On the Reports page, click Settings Summary.
The following table describes the components of the Settings Summary report.
Components of Settings Summary Report
| Component Name | Purpose |
|---|---|
Synchronization Schedule |
The time that your WSUS server automatically synchronizes to the update source. |
Products and Classifications |
The update products and classifications that you want to synchronize with your server. |
Update source |
The location from which the server synchronizes. |
Proxy server |
The proxy server used during synchronization. |
Update Files |
The location where update files are stored (on the WSUS server or on Microsoft Update). Also, the download options you have selected. |
Languages |
The languages for the updates that synchronize to the server. Only updates available in the languages specified are synchronized with the WSUS server. |
Automatic Approval |
The automatic approval settings for specific update classifications, targeted by computer group. |
Revisions to Updates |
The approval action that your WSUS server will perform when revisions to existing updates are available; whether update revisions are automatically approved by your server, or whether they must be manually approved. |
Downstream servers |
The servers which receive updates from the WSUS server. |
Client computer Options |
The method you have selected for assigning computers to groups. |
Database |
The name of the database used by the WSUS server. |
To print a Settings Summary report
- Under Tasks, click Print report.
Running Compliance Status Reports
You can view or print two types of compliance status reports, one for individual computers and one for individual updates:
The computer compliance status report summarizes information for a specific computer, including basic software and hardware information, the success status of the computer's last contact with the WSUS server, and cumulative and individual update status for the computer. In addition, you can get more information about a specific update by clicking the update title.
The update compliance status report summarizes information for a specific update, including the update properties, and status for each computer group. You can run this report from the Updates page as described in the following procedure; however, this report is also available on every update property dialog box.
To run a computer compliance status report
On the WSUS console toolbar, click Computers, and then click the computer for which you want to produce the compliance status report.
Click Print status report.
If you want more information about a specific update under Update Status, you can do the following:
To view the properties of an individual update, click the title of the update.
To view more information about the specific status result of an update (or the event details), click the status for the update.
To print the report, click the File menu, and then click Print.
To run an update compliance status report
On the WSUS console toolbar, click Updates, and then click the update for which you want to produce the compliance report.
Click Print status report.
To print the report, click the File menu, and then click Print.