Verifying WSUS Server Settings

This topic covers typical WSUS Server settings as recommended by Microsoft.

This section covers the following issues which affect update file synchronization and download:

• Registry Settings
• Configuration Settings
• IIS Settings
• Permissions

Note:These settings are configured during WSUS setup by default. They are listed here as a reference, to use as checkpoints when troubleshooting. When troubleshooting, you can verify that these settings are in place.

Registry Settings

Following are registry settings configured during setup on the WSUS server. These settings do not store server configuration information. All configuration information is stored in the WSUS database (SUSDB.mdf).

All of the following Registry entries are within the \HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Update Services\Server\Setup Registry key:

• ContentDir – the location under which update binaries and end user license agreement files are stored. If the user chose to install WMSDE during setup, this location also contains the database storage files and log files; for example, C:\WSUS. Note the following:
  • <ContentDir>\WsusContent contains the update files
  • <ContentDir>\MSSQL$WSUS contains the database files (if WMSDE)
• TargetDir – the product installation location; for example, C:\Program Files\Update Services
• WmsdeInstalled – this entry specifies whether or not WMSDE was used in the original installation; for example, 1=yes, 0=no. Note: This key does not get modified if your later migrate the WMSDE database to a full SQL Server database.
• SqlServerName – The main registry key used under regular server operation. This is used to bootstrap the server components with the database server where the rest of data and server configuration is used. Ex: %computername%\WSUS for WMSDE. Use this key to quickly figure out which SQL server the WSUS server is using (especially in the remote SQL case).
• SqlDatabaseName – the name of the database. For WSUS 2.0, this is always SUSDB.
• SqlAuthenticationMode – the authentication mode WSUS uses to talk to the database server. For WSUS 2.0, this is always WindowsAuthentication.

Configuration settings

All of the following server configuration settings are stored inside the WSUS database (SUSDB.mdf).

IIS Settings

The following virtual directories (vroots) are created in IIS (in the Default Web Site by default) for client to server synchronization, server to server synchronization, reporting, and client self-update.

Permissions

The following lists permissions necessary for specific folders on the WSUS server disk and registry permissions.

Disk

The following permissions are configured during WSUS setup, and are important for BITS downloads to work:

• The root folder on the drive where the WSUSContent folder resides (for example, <%windir%>\WSUS\WSUSContent) must have Read permissions for either the Users account or the NT Authority\Network Service account (on Windows 2003). If this permission is not set, BITS downloads will fail. Note: this is the permission that WSUS setup does not configure, so make sure the permissions are set as described here
• The WSUS content directory, usually <%windir%>\WSUS\WSUSContent must have Full Control permission granted to the NT Authority\Network Service account. This permission is set by WSUS server setup when it creates the directory, but it is possible that your security software might reset this. permission. Not having this permission set will also cause BITS downloads to fail.
• The NT Authority\Network Service account (on Windows 2003) must have Full Control permissions to the following folders for the WSUS console to display the pages correctly:
  • <%windir%>\Microsoft .NET\Framework\v1.1.4322\Temporary ASP.NET Files
  • <%windir%>\Temp

Registry

The following permissions are set for the Registry during WSUS setup.

• The Users group must have Read access to the \HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Update Services\Server Registry key.
• The following accounts must have Full Control permissions to the \HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Update Services\Server\Setup Registry key:
  • ASP.NET
  • Network Service (for Windows Server 2003)
  • WSUS Administrators