Verify Deployment of Updates

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server Update Services

When client computers check in with the WSUS server, you can see whether updates have been deployed. By default, client computers check in with WSUS every 22 hours, but this is configurable. For more information about configuring the time when client computers check in with WSUS, see the "Automatic Update detection frequency" section in Configure Clients Using Group Policy later in this guide.

There are many different ways to see whether updates have been deployed. You can get a general view of the network's update status by clicking the name of the WSUS server in the left pane of the WSUS Administration console. The center pane provides a general view of the status of all the computers that report to this WSUS server, and of all the updates known to this server. You can find more information by clicking the status. Similarly, if you would like to look at the status of different updates, you can click the Updates node in the left pane; if you would like to look at the status of different computers and groups, you can click the Computers node in the left pane.

You can print reports on any of the above categories, or on individual computers or updates, by clicking the item for which you want a report and then clicking Status Report in the Actions pane. You may also set up summary reports by clicking the Reports node in the left pane and then customizing one of the summary reports listed there.