Detecting and installing WSUS updates in Server 2008 Core

Posted on November 14th, 2009 in Deployment, Security, Server 2008 by alt-92

On a normal GUI-box, detecting or installing new updates after a fresh install is reasonably easy.
You just click the Updates Control panel item, or, for the more commandline orientated folks, run a wuauclt /detectnow and wait for the “There are new updates available” Systray icon to appear.

The problem with Server Core … there’s no way for you to see the “updates to install” notice in the system tray when you log on to the computer because, well, there’s no systray!

In comes a handy piece of VBscript that allows you to do a manual quick check and start off the installation process, using the in-box Windows Update Agent API.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa387102(VS.85).aspx

Although the MSDN article states it does not run against SUS 1.0 servers, you don’t have to worry because both Windows Update (site) and WSUS 3.x employ the WUA API.

Save and run the script in the command prompt as “cscript ” since the default script host is graphical (wscript) on a Core box.

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Set updateSession = CreateObject("Microsoft.Update.Session")
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Set updateSearcher = updateSession.CreateupdateSearcher()
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WScript.Echo "Searching for updates..." & vbCRLF
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Set searchResult = _
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updateSearcher.Search("IsInstalled=0 and Type='Software'")
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WScript.Echo "List of applicable items on the machine:"
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For I = 0 To searchResult.Updates.Count-1
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    Set update = searchResult.Updates.Item(I)
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    WScript.Echo I + 1 & "> " & update.Title
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Next
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If searchResult.Updates.Count = 0 Then
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WScript.Echo "There are no applicable updates."
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WScript.Quit
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End If
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WScript.Echo vbCRLF & "Creating collection of updates to download:"
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Set updatesToDownload = CreateObject("Microsoft.Update.UpdateColl")
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For I = 0 to searchResult.Updates.Count-1
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    Set update = searchResult.Updates.Item(I)
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    WScript.Echo I + 1 & "> adding: " & update.Title 
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    updatesToDownload.Add(update)
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Next
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WScript.Echo vbCRLF & "Downloading updates..."
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Set downloader = updateSession.CreateUpdateDownloader() 
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downloader.Updates = updatesToDownload
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downloader.Download()
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WScript.Echo  vbCRLF & "List of downloaded updates:"
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For I = 0 To searchResult.Updates.Count-1
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    Set update = searchResult.Updates.Item(I)
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    If update.IsDownloaded Then
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       WScript.Echo I + 1 & "> " & update.Title 
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    End If
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Next
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Set updatesToInstall = CreateObject("Microsoft.Update.UpdateColl")
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WScript.Echo  vbCRLF & _
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"Creating collection of downloaded updates to install:" 
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For I = 0 To searchResult.Updates.Count-1
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    set update = searchResult.Updates.Item(I)
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    If update.IsDownloaded = true Then
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       WScript.Echo I + 1 & "> adding:  " & update.Title 
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       updatesToInstall.Add(update) 
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    End If
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Next
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WScript.Echo  vbCRLF & "Would you like to install updates now? (Y/N)"
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strInput = WScript.StdIn.Readline
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WScript.Echo 
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If (strInput = "N" or strInput = "n") Then 
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WScript.Quit
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ElseIf (strInput = "Y" or strInput = "y") Then
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WScript.Echo "Installing updates..."
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Set installer = updateSession.CreateUpdateInstaller()
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installer.Updates = updatesToInstall
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Set installationResult = installer.Install()
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'Output results of install
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WScript.Echo "Installation Result: " & _
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installationResult.ResultCode 
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WScript.Echo "Reboot Required: " & _ 
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installationResult.RebootRequired & vbCRLF 
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WScript.Echo "Listing of updates installed " & _
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"and individual installation results:" 
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For I = 0 to updatesToInstall.Count - 1
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WScript.Echo I + 1 & "> " & _
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updatesToInstall.Item(i).Title & _
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": " & installationResult.GetUpdateResult(i).ResultCode 
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Next
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End If


					




				



				

		

	




	



	
		

					


				
Windows 7 VHD boot option – no more VDI for testing?



				

					Posted on  February 21st, 2009 in Deployment, Server 2008, Vista, Windows 7 by alt-92 				



				

					
The beta version of Windows 7 (the public build 7000, and build 7022) offers support in BCDedit to boot from a VHD file on hard disk.    
As explained in this Edge video (http://edge.technet.com/Media/Boot-from-VHD-in-Win7/) the install behaves just like normal, with a few exceptions such as BItlocker support and Hibernate (since these are disk-dependent).    


It looks like a ‘nice to have’ feature for the ubertweaker and enthusiast at first, but think about this:


What if you need to support a DTA environment for desktops? Now, you don’t have to mess around with Virtualization software – just provision and deploy the VHD file with the appropriate configuration (such as a segmented VLAN for Test or Dev) and let your application developers use the same hardware.   
No double PCs, no double network outlets, no extra poweroutlets or powerconsumption (think green here).


Sure, it needs some tweaking (preventing disk access between images) but.. tempting nonetheless…