Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is a Microsoft tool that enables administrators to manage the distribution of updates released through Microsoft Update to computers in a corporate environment. The wsusutil.exe command-line tool is a crucial component for managing and maintaining a WSUS server. This article will guide you through the usage of wsusutil.exe to perform various maintenance tasks.

Understanding wsusutil.exe

wsusutil.exe is a command-line utility that comes with WSUS. It allows administrators to perform a variety of tasks such as managing the WSUS database, configuring the server, and performing cleanup operations. This tool is typically located in the WSUS installation directory, which is usually C:\Program Files\Update Services\Tools.

Common wsusutil.exe Commands

Here are some common commands you can execute using wsusutil.exe:

1. Check Health of WSUS Server

   You can check the health of your WSUS server using the following command:

   wsusutil.exe checkhealth

   This command will generate a health report that can be viewed in the Event Viewer under the Application log.

2. Reset WSUS Server

   If you need to reset your WSUS server, perhaps due to corruption or other issues, use:

   wsusutil.exe reset

   This command verifies that every update metadata row in the database has corresponding update files stored in the file system.

3. Export and Import WSUS Data

   To export update metadata from one WSUS server to another, use:

   wsusutil.exe export export.xml export.log

   To import the data on another WSUS server:

   wsusutil.exe import export.xml export.log

4. Perform Cleanup on WSUS Server

   Over time, unnecessary updates and revisions can accumulate. To perform a cleanup, use:

   wsusutil.exe deleteunneededrevisions

   This command helps in removing unneeded update revisions from the database.

5. Configure WSUS Server

   To configure WSUS server settings, you can use:

   wsusutil.exe configuressl <certificate name>

   This command configures WSUS to use SSL for client-server communication.

Practical Example

Suppose you want to perform a cleanup of your WSUS server to ensure it runs efficiently. You can create a batch script to automate this task:

@echo off
echo Starting WSUS Cleanup...
wsusutil.exe deleteunneededrevisions
wsusutil.exe reset
echo WSUS Cleanup Completed.
pause

Save this script as wsus_cleanup.bat and run it as an administrator to perform the cleanup tasks.