Topic last updated—November 2007

This topic provides general troubleshooting information for Configuration Manager 2007 software updates synchronization and specific synchronization issues and provides detailed information about issues and possible solutions.

General Troubleshooting Tips

Typically, synchronization errors occur when one of the following is not configured correctly:

  • When the active software update point is installed on a remote site system server, the Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) Administration console must be installed on the site server.

  • The port settings configured for the active software update point must be the same as the port settings configured for the WSUS Web site in Internet Information Services (IIS).

  • When there is a proxy server between the active software update point and the upstream update server or Microsoft Update, the proxy server and the software update point proxy server account must be configured, if credentials are required.

  • The computer and Administrator accounts must be able to access virtual directories under the WSUS Web site in IIS from the site server.

  • The active software update point at the central site should be configured to synchronize with Microsoft Update. This setting is automatically configured when you first create the software update point on the central site, but if the setting is modified in the WSUS Administration console, WSUS Configuration Manager does not reset this setting as it does for other WSUS settings.

Check for Errors

When synchronization fails, status message ID 6703 is created by WSUS Synchronization Manager (the SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER component in Component Status) and log file entries are recorded on the site server.

Status Message ID 6703

Status message ID 6703 contains different error messages depending on the problem that occurs. Look for the synchronization error message in one of the detailed troubleshooting topics for possible solutions to the issue.

Wsyncmgr.log

The wsyncmgr.log file is located on the site server in the <ConfigMgrInstallationPath>\Logs folder. When there are synchronization errors, WSUS Synchronization Manager writes entries to the log file with the specific errors. Look for the error message in one of the detailed troubleshooting topics for possible solutions to the issue.

WCM.log

Log file entries are not written to WCM.log as part of the synchronization process, but the entries can provide some clues to help troubleshoot issues with synchronization. WSUS Configuration Manager connects to WSUS running on the active software update point once every hour, by default, and if there is a problem with ports or connectivity, errors are logged in this log file that might provide more detail than wsyncmgr.log.

WSUS Server Not Configured Error

WSUS Synchronization Manager fails to connect to the WSUS server to initiate synchronization with the message WSUS server not configured. The status message described in the following table is created.

Message ID Description                                                                                        

6703

SMS WSUS Synchronization failed. Message: WSUS server not configured. Source: CWSyncMgr::DoSync. The operating system reported error 2147500037: Unspecified error

WSUS Synchronization Manager writes log entries to wsyncmgr.log in <ConfigMgrInstallationFolder>\Logs similar to the following:

Performing sync on regular schedule

STATMSG: ID=6701 SEV=I LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER" SYS=<ComputerName> SITE=<SiteCode> PID=5364 TID=5220 GMTDATE=<Date & Time> ISTR0="" ISTR1="" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=0

Sync failed: WSUS server not configured. Source: CWSyncMgr::DoSync

STATMSG: ID=6703 SEV=E LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER" SYS=<ComputerName> SITE=<SiteCode> PID=5364 TID=5220 GMTDATE=<Date & Time> ISTR0="CWSyncMgr::DoSync" ISTR1="WSUS server not configured" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=0

Sync failed. Will retry in 60 minutes

Sync time: 0d00h05m01s

Possible Solutions

Following are possible solutions for the WSUS server not configured error:

  • Check the port settings configured for the active software update point, and make sure they are the same as the port settings configured for the Web site used by WSUS running on the active software update point. For more information, see How to Determine the Port Settings Used by WSUS.

  • Check to make sure the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for the active software update point site system server is correct. For more information, see How to Verify the Fully Qualified Domain Name Settings Used By the Active Software Update Point.

  • When the Configuration Manager site is in native mode, the WSUS Web site and virtual directories must be configured for Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) because the active software update point is automatically configured to use SSL, but WSUS is not automatically configured. When a Configuration Manager site is in mixed mode, you have the option to configure the active software update point to use SSL. In both cases, you must manually configure the WSUS Web site and virtual directories. For more information, see How to Configure the WSUS Web Site to Use SSL.

  • Check to make sure that WSUS running on the active software update point for the child primary site is not configured to be a replica. The following procedure provides the steps to check whether WSUS is configured to be a replica.

    To check the update source settings in WSUS

    1. Open the WSUS console on the active software update point for the site.

    2. Click Options in the console tree pane.

    3. Click Update Source and Proxy Server in the display pane.

    4. Verify that This server is a replica of the upstream server is not selected unless you are in the WSUS console on the active software update point for a secondary site. Child primary sites should never be configured as a replica of the upstream server.

  • Check that Update Services is running on the WSUS server.

The Remote Name Could Not Be Resolved Error

Update Services on the WSUS server fails to connect to the configured upstream update source with the message The remote name could not be resolved. The status message described in the following table is created.

Message ID Description                                                                                        

6703

SMS WSUS Synchronization failed. Message: UssCommunicationError: WebException: The remote name could not be resolved: 'www.update.microsoft.com' at System.Net.HttpWebRequest.GetRequestStream(). Source: Microsoft.SystemsManagementServer.SoftwareUpdatesManagement.WSyncAction.WSyncAction.SyncWSUS. The operating system reported error 2147500037: Unspecified error

WSUS Synchronization Manager writes log entries to wsyncmgr.log in <ConfigMgrInstallationFolder>\Logs similar to the following:

Performing sync on local request

STATMSG: ID=6701 SEV=I LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER" SYS=<ComputerName> SITE=<SiteCode> PID=3584 TID=756 GMTDATE=Mon Aug 06 17:54:25.519 2007 ISTR0="" ISTR1="" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=0

STATMSG: ID=6704 SEV=I LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER" SYS=<ComputerName> SITE=<SiteCode> PID=3584 TID=756 GMTDATE=Mon Aug 06 17:54:26.660 2007 ISTR0="" ISTR1="" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=0

Synchronizing WSUS server <ComputerName>

Synchronizing WSUS server <FQDN> ...

sync: Starting WSUS synchronization

Sync failed: UssCommunicationError: WebException: The remote name could not be resolved: 'www.update.microsoft.com'~~at System.Net.HttpWebRequest.GetRequestStream(). Source: Microsoft.SystemsManagementServer.SoftwareUpdatesManagement.WSyncAction.WSyncAction.SyncWSUS

STATMSG: ID=6703 SEV=E LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER" SYS=<ComputerName> SITE=<SiteCode> PID=3584 TID=756 GMTDATE=Mon Aug 06 17:54:32.699 2007 ISTR0="Microsoft.SystemsManagementServer.SoftwareUpdatesManagement.WSyncAction.WSyncAction.SyncWSUS" ISTR1="UssCommunicationError: WebException: The remote name could not be resolved: 'www.update.microsoft.com'~~at System.Net.HttpWebRequest.GetRequestStream()" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=0

Sync failed. Will retry in 60 minutes

Update Services writes similar log entries to <WSUSInstallationFolder>\LogFiles\SoftwareDistribution.log.

Possible Solution

Check the proxy settings configured for the active software update point, and make sure they are configured correctly. When there is a proxy server between the WSUS server and the upstream update source, the proxy settings must be configured. When credentials are required, you must specify the correct account information for the proxy. For information about how to configure the proxy settings in Configuration Manager, see How to Configure the Proxy Settings for the Software Update Point.

When the proxy settings are configured correctly in the ConfigMgr software update point properties, you can open the WSUS console to check the proxy settings to make sure they match the settings in Configuration Manager. When the proxy settings are configured correctly, you can review the synchronization status in the WSUS console, which might provide more information about why WSUS synchronization failed.

This issue can also be caused by any number of network issues that prevent the URL address for the upstream update source from being resolved. If configuring the proxy settings does not resolve the issue, troubleshoot this issue like any other name-resolution issue on your network.

The Request Failed with HTTP Status 401: Unauthorized Error

When WSUS Synchronization Manager initiates WSUS synchronization, access to the ApiRemoting30 virtual directory in IIS is required. When access is denied to this virtual directory with the message The request failed with HTTP status 401: Unauthorized, the status message described in the following table is created.

Message ID Description                                                                                        

6703

SMS WSUS Synchronization failed. Message: The request failed with HTTP status 401: Unauthorized. Source: Microsoft.UpdateServices.Administration.AdminProxy.CreateUpdateServer. The operating system reported error 2147500037: Unspecified error

WSUS Synchronization Manager writes log entries to wsyncmgr.log in <ConfigMgrInstallationFolder>\Logs similar to the following:

Performing sync on local request

STATMSG: ID=6701 SEV=I LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER" SYS=<ComputerName> SITE=<SiteCode> PID=2300 TID=3720 GMTDATE=<Date & Time> ISTR0="" ISTR1="" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=0

STATMSG: ID=6704 SEV=I LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER" SYS=<ComputerName> SITE=<SiteCode> PID=2300 TID=3720 GMTDATE=<Date & Time> ISTR0="" ISTR1="" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=0

Synchronizing WSUS server <ComputerName>

Sync failed: The request failed with HTTP status 401: Unauthorized. Source: Microsoft.UpdateServices.Administration.AdminProxy.CreateUpdateServer

STATMSG: ID=6703 SEV=E LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER" SYS=<ComputerName> SITE=<SiteCode> PID=2300 TID=3720 GMTDATE=<Date & Time> ISTR0="Microsoft.UpdateServices.Administration.AdminProxy.CreateUpdateServer" ISTR1="The request failed with HTTP status 401: Unauthorized" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=0

Sync failed. Will retry in 60 minutes

Sync time: 0d00h00m03s

Next scheduled sync is a retry sync at <Date & Time>

Waiting 60 minutes for requests…

Possible Solution

Check the permissions on the ApiRemoting30 virtual directory under the WSUS Web site in IIS. The computer and Administrator accounts must have appropriate rights to this virtual directory. The following procedure provides the steps to check the permissions on the ApiRemoting30 virtual directory.

To check the permissions on the ApiRemoting30 virtual directory

  1. On the WSUS server, open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

  2. Navigate to Internet Information Services \ <computername> \ Web Sites \ <WSUS Web site> \ ApiRemoting30.

  3. Right-click ApiRemoting30, and then click Permissions.

Unable to Connect to Remote Server Error

WSUS Synchronization Manager fails to connect to the WSUS server to initiate synchronization with the message Unable to connect to remote server. The status message described in the following table is created.

Message ID Description                                                                                        

6703

SMS WSUS Synchronization failed. Message: Unable to connect to the remote server. Source: Microsoft.UpdateServices.Administration.AdminProxy.CreateUpdateServer. The operating system reported error 53: The network path was not found.

WSUS Synchronization Manager writes log entries to wsyncmgr.log in <ConfigMgrInstallationFolder>\Logs similar to the following:

Performing sync on local request

STATMSG: ID=6701 SEV=I LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER" SYS=<ComputerName> SITE=<SiteCode> PID=2300 TID=3720 GMTDATE=<Date & Time> ISTR0="" ISTR1="" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=0

STATMSG: ID=6704 SEV=I LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER" SYS=<ComputerName> SITE=<SiteCode> PID=2300 TID=3720 GMTDATE=<Date & Time> ISTR0="" ISTR1="" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=0

Synchronizing WSUS server <ComputerName>

Sync failed: Unable to connect to the remote server. Source: Microsoft.UpdateServices.Administration.AdminProxy.CreateUpdateServer

STATMSG: ID=6703 SEV=E LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER" SYS=<ComputerName> SITE=<SiteCode> PID=2300 TID=3720 GMTDATE=<Date & Time> ISTR0="Microsoft.UpdateServices.Administration.AdminProxy.CreateUpdateServer" ISTR1="Unable to connect to the remote server" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=0

Sync failed. Will retry in 60 minutes

Sync time: 0d00h00m03s

Waiting 59 minutes for requests...

Possible Solutions

Following are possible solutions for the Unable to connect to remote server error:

  • Check to make sure the IIS Admin Service and World Wide Web Publishing Service services are running.

  • Check the connection to the active software update point where WSUS is running.

The Request Failed with DssAuthenticationError: WebException Error

When access is denied to the DSSAuthWebService virtual directory with the message DssAuthenticationError: WebException: The request failed with HTTP status 401: Unauthorized, the message described in the following table is created.

Message ID Description                                                                                        

6703

SMS WSUS Synchronization failed.   Message: DssAuthenticationError: WebException: The request failed with HTTP status 401: Unauthorized.  at System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHttpClientProtocol.ReadResponse(SoapClientMessage message, WebResponse response, Stream responseStream, Boolean asyncCall).   Source: Microsoft.SystemsManagementServer.SoftwareUpdatesManagement.WSyncAction.WSyncAction.SyncWSUS.  

WSUS Synchronization Manager writes log entries to wsyncmgr.log in <ConfigMgrInstallationFolder>\Logs similar to the following:

Found parent sync notification file TEQ.SYN.

Performing sync on parent request

STATMSG: ID=6701 SEV=I LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER" SYS=<ComputerName> SITE=<SiteCode> PID=5044 TID=7228 GMTDATE=<Date & Time> ISTR0="" ISTR1="" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=0

STATMSG: ID=6704 SEV=I LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER" SYS=<ComputerName> SITE=<SiteCode> PID=5044 TID=7228 GMTDATE=<Date & Time> ISTR0="" ISTR1="" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=0

Synchronizing WSUS server <ComputerName> 

Synchronizing WSUS server <FQDN> ... 

sync: Starting WSUS synchronization

Sync failed: DssAuthenticationError: WebException: The request failed with HTTP status 401: Unauthorized.~~at System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHttpClientProtocol.ReadResponse(SoapClientMessage message, WebResponse response, Stream responseStream, Boolean asyncCall). Source: Microsoft.SystemsManagementServer.SoftwareUpdatesManagement.WSyncAction.WSyncAction.SyncWSUS

STATMSG: ID=6703 SEV=E LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER" SYS=<ComputerName> SITE=<SiteCode> PID=5044 TID=7228 GMTDATE=<Date & Time> ISTR0="Microsoft.SystemsManagementServer.SoftwareUpdatesManagement.WSyncAction.WSyncAction.SyncWSUS" ISTR1="DssAuthenticationError: WebException: The request failed with HTTP status 401: Unauthorized.~~at System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHttpClientProtocol.ReadResponse(SoapClientMessage message, WebResponse response, Stream responseStream, Boolean asyncCall)" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=0

Sync failed. Will retry in 60 minutes

Sync time: 0d00h00m28s

Next scheduled sync is a retry sync at <Date & Time>

Waiting 60 minutes for requests…

Possible Solution

Check the IIS permissions on the DssAuthWebService virtual directory for the WSUS Web site in IIS. The virtual directory must be enabled for anonymous access. By default, the IUSR_<ComputerName> account is used for anonymous access. Check that this account has appropriate rights—for example, whether this account is a member of the Guests group where access has been denied. The following procedure provides the steps to configure the directory permissions for the virtual directory.

To configure anonymous access on the DssAuthWebService virtual directory

  1. On the WSUS server, open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

  2. Expand Web Sites, and then expand the Web site for the WSUS server. It is recommended that the WSUS custom Web site be used, but the default Web site might have been chosen when installing WSUS.

  3. Right-click DssAuthWebService, and then click Properties.

  4. Click the Directory Security tab, and then click Edit in the Authentication and access control section.

  5. Verify that Enable anonymous access is selected and that the IUSR_<ComputerName> account is specified.

Unexpected Software Updates Are Synchronized

When WSUS Synchronization Manager synchronizes with the WSUS server, all software updates metadata in the WSUS database is returned and inserted, or updated, in the Configuration Manager database. If the WSUS server was previously synchronized using different software updates filters (classifications, categories, or languages) than what is currently configured for the active software update point at the central site, software updates metadata outside of the configured filters might be synchronized.

This can occur when an existing WSUS server is used for the active software update point or when the configured languages, products, or classifications are modified directly on the WSUS server and then synchronization is initiated from the WSUS console.

Possible Solution

Every 60 minutes WSUS Configuration Manager will modify the settings on the WSUS server to reflect the configuration for the active software update point. This will prevent additional software updates metadata from being synchronized.

Run Synchronization Action Is Not Available in Console

When you navigate to the Updates Repository node in the Configuration Manager console, the Run Synchronization action is not displayed or not enabled.

Possible Solution

The following requirements must be met before the Run Synchronization action is available:

  • The action is available only from the central site. Synchronization cannot be manually started on child sites and can be initiated only when a synchronization request is received from the parent site.

  • There must be an active software update point installed on the central site.

  • The active software update point must be configured to synchronize with Microsoft Update.

Software Updates Are Not Synchronized in Configured Languages

Software updates are synchronized, but the summary details information is not being synchronized for all of the languages that are selected in the Software Update Point Component Properties. When the active software update point on the central site is synchronized, the selected summary details languages determine what software update metadata is retrieved. If the summary details languages are modified after the synchronization has run at least one time on the central site, the metadata is retrieved in the modified summary details languages for only new software updates or updates that have changed since the last synchronization. The software updates that have already been synchronized will not retrieve metadata for different languages unless there is a change to the update on Microsoft Update or if a custom update is republished to WSUS running on the active software update point for the central site.

Possible Solution

A full synchronization cannot be performed for software updates that have already been synchronized. It is very important that you select all of the summary details languages that will be needed in your Configuration Manager hierarchy before running synchronization on the central site.

Wsyncmgr.log Shows Error 12 and Invalid Schema

If you see the following entries in the wsyncmgr.log, there is a problem with SQL Server:

sp_SetupSDMPackage returns an error

DCM digest has invalid schema

Possible Solution

Restart the SQL Server service.

Synchronization Times Out Because WSUS Synchronization Is in Progress

When Configuration Manager 2007 attempts to synchronize with WSUS, and WSUS running on the active software update point is in the process of synchronizing, Configuration Manager 2007 waits for it to complete in most cases and then initiates synchronization. In some cases, the synchronization process times out while waiting for WSUS to complete synchronization.

Synchronization should never be initiated from the WSUS console. Instead, run the Run Synchronization action in the Configuration Manager console, or let synchronization initiate on the configured synchronization schedule.

Possible Solution

In the WSUS console, click the Synchronizations node and check the status of WSUS synchronization. You can cancel the synchronization in the WSUS console so that Configuration Manager 2007 can start the synchronization process, or you can wait until the WSUS synchronization has completed.

Software Updates Metadata Not Displayed in Configuration Manager Console

When Configuration Manager 2007 initiates synchronization for the first time, the synchronization process can take a long time to complete. During this time the software updates metadata are not displayed in the Configuration Manager console.

Possible Solution

In the WSUS console, click the Synchronizations node and check the status of WSUS synchronization. If synchronization is in progress, wait for it to complete and then monitor the wsyncmgr.log until Configuration Manager 2007 synchronization completes.

Synchronization Fails for an Unknown Reason

If you check wsyncmgr.log but are unable to determine a specific cause for the failure, a number of issues could be involved.

Possible Solutions

Following are possible solutions for synchronization failure:

See Also