Job Management Partner 1/Asset Information Manager Administrator's Guide

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2.5.3 Managing WSUS updates (WSUS Updates Management)

By using the WSUS Updates Management job menu, you can manage WSUS updates by linking to the WSUS server. You can also apply updates to devices and check the application status.

To link to the WSUS server, you must set up the WSUS server and then specify settings that enable communication between the WSUS server and Asset Information Manager. For details about setting up communication with the WSUS server, see 5.3.9(1) URL of the WSUS connector in the Planning and Setup Guide.

The information displayed in the WSUS Updates Management window references information from all WSUS servers. Thus, you cannot change the search conditions or the values specified in the search conditions from the Customize Managed Items job menus.

The flow from linking to the WSUS server to applying updates to devices is shown below. When you select a tab in the WSUS Updates Management window, a search is performed automatically with the default search conditions.

To apply updates to devices:

  1. Check the devices to which the updates are to be applied.
    Use the Applicable List or Not Applied List tab to check the devices to which the updates are to be applied. The Applicable List tab allows you to check the number of devices to which the updates must be applied, the number of devices to which the program does not need to be applied, and other details. For details about checking information in the Applicable List tab, see (3) Checking devices that require updates application (Applicable List tab). The Not Applied List tab allows you to check whether the updates have not been applied to any of the devices that require application. For details about checking information in the Not Applied List tab, see (4) Checking devices on which updates have not been applied (Not Applied List tab).
  2. Apply the updates to the devices.
    To apply the updates to devices, change the approval status to Install on each tab. Although the approval status can be changed on each tab, the selected updates are not displayed in the Applied Status List tab unless it has not been applied to at least one device. For details about changing the approval status, see (1) Changing the approval status of updates.
  3. Check the application status of the updates.
    To confirm whether the updates have been applied to all devices that require application, check whether there are unapplied devices in the Not Applied List tab. If there are unapplied devices in the Not Applied List tab and you want to check application status details, such as the number of devices for which application failed, use the Applied Status List tab. For details about using the Not Applied List tab to check the application status, see (4) Checking devices on which updates have not been applied (Not Applied List tab). For details about using the Applied Status List tab to check application status details, see (5) Checking the application status of updates (Applied Status List tab).
Organization of this subsection
(1) Changing the approval status of updates
(2) Viewing newly arrived updates (New Arrivals List tab)
(3) Checking devices that require updates application (Applicable List tab)
(4) Checking devices on which updates have not been applied (Not Applied List tab)
(5) Checking the application status of updates (Applied Status List tab)

(1) Changing the approval status of updates

To change the approval status from details for updates of the selected updates:

  1. From the search results, click the Title link of the updates for which you want to change the approval status.
    Details of the selected updates are displayed below the search results. The details of the updates are shown in the next figure.

    Figure 2-66 Details for updates

    [Figure]

  2. Select the new approval status from the details for updates drop-down list of the updates, and click the Approval button.
    The approval status of the updates is changed. However, the status cannot be changed to Remove. When you change the approval status, the new status is applied to all target devices. For example, when you change the status to Install, the updates are applied to all target devices.
    The selection standard for each approval status is described below.
    • Not approved
      Select this status if you want to hold off on the decision to apply the selected updates. When you change the approval status to Not approved, the updates are not displayed in the Applicable List, Not Applied List, and Applied Status List tabs.
    • Detect only
      Select this status if you want to check whether the selected updates must be applied. When you change the approval status to Detect only, you can check the totaled results in the Applicable List and Not Applied List tabs.
    • Install
      Select this status if you want to apply the selected updates to devices. When you change the approval status to Install, the WSUS server applies the selected updates to devices that require application. You can check the application status by viewing the Not Applied List and Applied Status List tabs.
    • Declined
      Select this status if you do not want to apply the selected updates in the future. When you change the approval status to Declined, the selected updates can no longer be applied. In addition, the updates are not displayed in the Applicable List, Not Applied List, and Applied Status List tabs.

If the updates include an End User License Agreement, you must agree to the agreement when you first change the approval status. If you agree, the approval status changes. To view the details of an End User License Agreement, click the View EULA link of EULA in the details for updates.

You can change the approval status regardless of the actual application status. For example, you can even change the approval status from Install to Declined. In this case, however, the system does not uninstall the updates that were already applied. When you change that approval status, avoid situations in which only the approval status changes and becomes inconsistent with the actual status.

(2) Viewing newly arrived updates (New Arrivals List tab)

Use the New Arrivals List tab to view new updates from the WSUS server that is linked to. This tab also allows you to check details about updates whose approval status is not Detect only. You can also check the approval status of the newly arrived updates.

If the WSUS server has new updates, you can use the Notification of WSUS updates task registered in Windows Task Scheduler to notify the administrator by email. For details about setting up email notification using a task, see 5.9 Setting the tasks that are registered in Task Scheduler in the Planning and Setup Guide.

The following figure shows the New Arrivals List tab of the WSUS Updates Management window.

Figure 2-67 WSUS Updates Management window (New Arrivals List tab)

[Figure]

The search conditions are described below.

To check the contents of newly arrived programs by using the New Arrivals List tab:

  1. If necessary, specify search conditions, and search for updates.
    When you select a tab, only the latest updates that are categorized as Security Updates or Critical Updates in Windows are searched for. Updates of all approval status values are searched for.
  2. In the search results, click the Title link of the updates for which you want to check details.
    Details of the selected updates are displayed.
  3. Change the approval status of the updates.
    For details about changing the approval status of updates, see (1) Changing the approval status of updates.

(3) Checking devices that require updates application (Applicable List tab)

Use the Applicable List tab to check the devices that require updates.

The following figure shows the Applicable List tab of the WSUS Updates Management window.

Figure 2-68 WSUS Updates Management window (Applicable List tab)

[Figure]

To perform operations using the Applicable List tab:

  1. Specify search conditions and search for updates, as necessary.
    The displayed totaled results, which indicate whether all updates specified in the search conditions must be applied to devices, are categorized into Needed, Not needed, and Unknown.
    When you select a tab, only the latest updates that are categorized as Security Updates or Critical Updates in Windows are searched for.
  2. Click the Needed, Not needed, or Unknown link of the updates for which you want to check the totaled devices.
    A device list is displayed.
    The meaning of each status is described below.
    • Needed
      These are devices that require application of the selected updates.
    • Not needed
      These are devices that do not require application of the selected updates.
    • Unknown
      These are devices for which it cannot be determined whether updates need to be applied.
    Clicking a link under Computer name in a device list displays the Device Details dialog box for the selected device. In this dialog box, you can view the device details managed in the asset management database. Device details are assigned by host name and IP address.
  3. Check the devices that require updates to be applied.
  4. In the details for updates, change the approval status to Install.
    The WSUS server applies the updates to the devices. For details about changing the approval status of updates, see (1) Changing the approval status of updates.

(4) Checking devices on which updates have not been applied (Not Applied List tab)

Use the Not Applied List tab to check whether the updates have not been applied to any devices that require updates application.

The following figure shows the Not Applied List tab of the WSUS Updates Management window.

Figure 2-69 WSUS Updates Management window (Not Applied List tab)

[Figure]

To use the Not Applied List tab to apply updates to devices on which the program has not been applied:

  1. Specify search conditions and search for updates, as necessary.
    For all updates specified in the search conditions, the totaled results of the devices on which updates have not been applied are categorized into Needed or Not applied, and displayed.
    When you select a tab, only the latest updates that are categorized as Security Updates or Critical Updates in Windows are searched for.
  2. In the search results, click the Needed or Not applied link of the updates for which you want to check devices on which they have not been applied.
    A device list is displayed.
    The meaning of each status is described below.
    • Needed
      These devices require application of the selected updates.
    • Not applied
      These are the Needed devices for which the selected updates have not been applied. Included are devices for which application of the selected updates might be in progress or has failed.
    Clicking a link under Computer name in a device list displays the Device Details dialog box for the selected device. In this dialog box, you can view the device details managed in the asset management database. The device details are assigned by host name and IP address.
  3. Check the devices to which the updates have not been applied.
  4. In the details for updates, change the approval status to Install.
    The WSUS server applies the updates to the devices. For details about changing the approval status of updates, see (1) Changing the approval status of updates.

(5) Checking the application status of updates (Applied Status List tab)

The Applied Status List tab allows you check the totaled results of the devices for which the selected updates have not been applied. This tab displays updates that have the Install approval status. The tab does not display updates that have no update target devices.

The following figure shows the Applied Status List tab of the WSUS Updates Management window.

Figure 2-70 WSUS Updates Management window (Applied Status List tab)

[Figure]

To perform operations using the Applied Status List tab:

  1. Specify search conditions and search for updates, as necessary.
    For all updates specified in the search conditions, the totaled results of the device application status are categorized into Needed, Unknown, Installed, or Failed, and displayed.
    When you select a tab, only the latest updates that are categorized as Security Updates or Critical Updates in Windows are searched for.
  2. In the search results, click the Needed, Unknown, Installed, or Failed link of the updates for which you want to check the application status.
    A device list is displayed.
    The meaning of each status is described below.
    • Needed
      These devices require application of the selected updates.
    • Unknown
      These are the Needed devices for which application of the selected updates might be in progress.
    • Installed
      These are the Needed devices for which application of the selected updates were completed. This status has a different meaning from the Install approval status.
    • Failed
      These are the Needed devices for which an error occurred during application of the selected updates.
    Clicking a link under Computer name in a device list displays the Device Details dialog box for the selected device. From this dialog box, you can view the device details managed in the asset management database. Device details are assigned by host name and IP address.
  3. Check the devices on which the updates were applied and the devices for which application failed.
  4. In the details for updates, change the approval status to Install.
    The WSUS server applies the updates to the devices for which application failed. For details about changing the approval status of updates, see (1) Changing the approval status of updates.