Synchronization

Synchronization is the process of retrieving the metadata for software updates that meet the configured criteria; it can be retrieved from either the upstream Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 SP2 server or Microsoft Update. The WSUS Synchronization Manager component on the software update point works with WSUS to complete the synchronization process.

The highest site (Central Administration Site) in the Configuration Manager hierarchy that has a software update point synchronizes with, for instance, Microsoft Update; this is done either on a schedule you set up or manually by using the Synchronize Software Updates action on the All Software Updates node in the Configuration Manager console. (We go into more detail on how to do that later in the chapter.) When a sync cycle is started at the CAS, the WSUS Synchronization Manager makes a request to the WSUS service to start a sync cycle. The software update’s metadata is then synchronized from Microsoft Update, and any changes are inserted into the WSUS database.

When WSUS finishes its sync cycle, WSUS Synchronization Manager starts syncing with the WSUS database and inserts any changes into the site server database. When that process is finished, the WSUS Synchronization Manager component (SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER) creates a status message with an ID of 6702.

When a software update sync finishes at the CAS, a sync request is sent out to all of its child sites. When a child site gets that request, it will first sync itself from its parent site and then send out a request to any child sites that are configured as software update points. This continues on down the hierarchy until all child sites have been synchronized. With an Internet-based software update point (which is also used in Network Access Protection scenarios), a sync request is sent to it right after the software update point that synchronizes with the synchronization source is finished with its syncing request. 

The process for both is the same except that the upstream server of the Internet-based software update point is automatically configured to be the first software update point for the site, and the site server database is not updated when the Internet-based software update point finishes its sync cycle. If the synchronization fails, there is a retry interval of 60 minutes. The WSUS Synchronization Manager component will schedule the sync to run again 60 minutes after the process fails and start over. WSUS Synchronization Manager will create a status message with an ID of 6703 in the case of a sync failure.