Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP2 Support

 

Migrate to WSUS 4.0 by 2020

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is a key component for most organizations, allowing IT administrators to manage the distribution of updates to computers. While WSUS 4.0 is integrated into Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2, WSUS 3.0 SP2 is a separate product that could be installed on Windows Server 2008 R2 and earlier Windows Server releases.

Originally, support for WSUS 3.0 SP2 was scheduled to end in 2017. However, this was not aligned with the support lifecycle for Windows Server 2008 R2, which is supported until January 14, 2020. As a result, the support lifecycle for WSUS 3.0 SP2 has been extended to January 14, 2020.

Although this gives additional time to migrate from WSUS 3.0 SP2 to later versions, performing this migration for all WSUS servers across a large organization is by no means an overnight operation. Therefore, now is the time to start planning this migration to WSUS 4.0 to take advantage of new functionality available in that version:

  • Support for deployment of Windows 10 feature updates (added via KB3159706). (WSUS 3.0 only supports the installation of Windows 10 quality updates, i.e. monthly patches.)

  • PowerShell cmdlets to support automating WSUS administrative tasks.

Additional documentation is available to help with the migration process, both for WSUS itself and for products that leverage WSUS: