11/11/2008

The following discusses the supported Windows Software Update Server (WSUS) 3.0 SP1 topology and configuration for System Center Mobile Device Manager (MDM).

By configuring load balancing with MDM Device Management Server, you can help eliminate a single point of failure and support more devices in your company network. You must also configure load balancing for the WSUS servers installed on every computer that is running MDM Device Management Server to make sure of high availability for MDM software distribution.

The following shows the primary tasks that you must complete to implement a scaled-out MDM software distribution configuration:

  1. Configure remote access for the WSUS Microsoft® SQL Server® database

  2. Set up a Distributed File System (DFS) share or a separate network share

  3. Configure IIS on every computer that is running MDM Device Management Server and WSUS for remote access

  4. Move the local content directory from the first installation of MDM Device Management Server and WSUS to the DFS share or the network share

  5. Configure network load balancing (NLB, or hardware load balancer)

MDM WSUS Topology

The following shows scaled-out software distribution architecture in the MDM system:

The following are highlighted by number in the diagram:

  • 1: Each computer that is running MDM Device Management Server must have WSUS 3.0 SP1 installed. You must enable IP affinity on the MDM Device Management Server load balancer.

  • 2: We recommend that you use a DFS share for load-balanced WSUS implementations. Load-balanced WSUS implementations support Server Message Block (SMB) file shares. However, we do not recommend it. Every computer that is running WSUS must be able to access the DFS file location.

  • 3: By using MDM Software Distribution Console, you can create and send software packages to managed devices.

Best Practices for Configuring WSUS

Review the following best practices when you configure WSUS in the MDM system:

  • When you install WSUS in the MDM system implemented as an integrated or distributed topology, WSUS can support additional Windows-based computers, such as desktops or servers, and managed devices. However, when you install WSUS in the MDM system implemented as a scaled-out distributed topology with load-balanced servers, WSUS supports only managed devices.

  • We recommend that you use a DFS share when you use an NLB cluster. However, a separate network share is sufficient.

  • The computers running MDM Gateway Server should not be load-balanced.

  • When you implement WSUS in a scaled-out, load-balanced deployment, you should configure WSUS to access a single database.

  • If you expect to perform large amounts of software distribution at or near the capacity of an MDM instance, we recommend that you configure a WSUS database server separate from the MDM SQL Server.

Procedures for Implementing WSUS Load-Balancing

Detailed procedures about how to implement WSUS load balancing are included in the Knowledge Base article, Configure WSUS for Network Load Balancing at this Microsoft Web site: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=105602 .

In summary, follow these steps to implement WSUS loading balancing:

  1. Configure WSUS to access the SQL database remotely. At the end of this step, you have set up the first front-end computer that is running WSUS.

  2. Set up additional front-end computers that are running WSUS on every computer that is running MDM Device Management Server by following the instructions that are included in Install WSUS 3.0 SP1 on MDM Servers. As you set up other front-end computers that are running WSUS, you may have to add the parameter DEFAULT_WEBSITE=0while you install WSUS by using the WSUSSetup.exe command at a command prompt. If you have chosen to set up WSUS with port 8350 instead of port 80, you must perform this action.

  3. Configure the proxy server on the front-end computers that are running WSUS. This step is optional.

  4. Set up a DFS share or a network share.

  5. Configure IIS on the front-end computers that are running WSUS.

  6. Move the local content directory on the first front-end computer that is running WSUS to the DFS share.

  7. Configure NLB (or hardware load balancer).

  8. Test the WSUS load-balanced configuration.

  9. Configure each WSUS client to sync from the DFS share.