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Synchronizing from Microsoft Update or an Upstream Server

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Applies To: Windows Server Update Services

An organization can have one or more WSUS servers. Using multiple WSUS servers allows you to scale WSUS in a large organization. If the organization uses multiple WSUS servers, one of the servers will act as the upstream WSUS server (the remaining servers are downstream servers). You use the upstream server to specify the updates that you want to synchronize with Microsoft Update. The upstream WSUS server should have the IUpdateServerConfiguration.SyncFromMicrosoftUpdate configuration setting set to true.

Downstream servers synchronize updates from the upstream WSUS server. There are two forms of downstream servers: autonomous and replica. An autonomous server synchronizes the same updates as the upstream server; however, it can create its own target groups and manage its own approvals.

To specify that an autonomous downstream server synchronize with the upstream WSUS server, set IUpdateServerConfiguration.SyncFromMicrosoftUpdate to false and call:

  •              IUpdateServerConfiguration.UpstreamWsusServerName to specify the name of the upstream server from which you want to synchronize

  •              IUpdateServerConfiguration.UpstreamWsusServerPortNumber to specify the port number to use to communicate with the upstream server

  •              IUpdateServerConfiguration.UpstreamWsusServerUseSsl to specify that you want to use a secured connection to communicate with the upstream server

A replica downstream server replicates the upstream server. The replica server synchronizes the same updates as the upstream server, and has the same target groups, approvals, accepted license agreements (EULAs), and declined status as the upstream server. The only difference between an upstream server and the replica server is the clients that are assigned to the target groups.

You specify if the server is a replica downstream server when you install WSUS; you cannot modify this setting. (See IUpdateServerConfiguration.IsReplicaServer.)

Downstream WSUS servers receive synchronization settings from the upstream WSUS server. The only settings you can change on the downstream server is the synchronization schedule. You can also start and stop the synchronization process on the downstream server.