Software updates in Configuration Manager 2007 must be synchronized with the Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) or Microsoft Update before the update information is available in the Configuration Manager console. Synchronization can be scheduled in the properties for the active software update point highest in the Configuration Manager hierarchy or by manually initiating the Run Synchronization action. Synchronization on child sites is either requested by the configured parent site after it completes synchronization or initiated when a previous synchronization failed. Manual synchronization is not available on child sites.

When synchronization is initiated on a configured schedule, all changes to the software updates metadata since the last scheduled synchronization are inserted into the site database. This includes new software updates metadata or metadata that has been modified or removed. When synchronization is initiated manually, only new software updates metadata since the last synchronization is inserted into the site database. The manual synchronization completes faster than the scheduled synchronization.

The synchronization process might take in excess of one hour to complete depending on whether synchronization has run before, and what languages, products, and classifications have been configured. You can monitor the synchronization progress by looking at the log file for the WSUS synchronization manager, wsyncmgr.log, located by default at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Configuration Manager\Logs. When synchronization completes, the WSUS synchronization manager component, SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER, creates status message 6702.

Use one of the following procedures to synchronize software updates on the site server.

Note
Scheduled synchronizations perform full synchronization, but using the Run Synchronization action performs only delta synchronization.

To configure the software update synchronization schedule

  1. In the Configuration Manager console at the highest site in the hierarchy with an active software update point, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Site Management / <site name> / Component Configuration.

  2. Right-click Software Update Point, and then click Properties.

  3. Click the Synchronization Schedule tab, click Enable synchronization on a schedule, and configure the schedule.

  4. Click OK to save the synchronization schedule. Unless the Start value is modified in the custom schedule, synchronization is initiated as soon as possible and then again based on the configured recurrence pattern. When synchronization is complete, a request is sent to child sites to initiate synchronization.

To manually initiate software update synchronization

  1. In the Configuration Manager console at the highest site in the hierarchy with an active software update point, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Software Updates / Update Repository.

  2. Right-click Update Repository, and then click Run Synchronization. Software updates synchronization is initiated as soon as possible. When synchronization is complete, a request is sent to child sites to initiate synchronization.

Note
You should initiate the synchronization from a Configuration Manager console on a computer that is not running the SMS Provider. If you run the software update synchronization and then close the Configuration Manager console when the console is running on the same computer as the SMS Provider, the console might stop responding until the synchronization is complete.

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