Senior System Administrator at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Provides automatic server updates for our clients
Pros and Cons
  • "We get server updates from the internet and from the Bluetooth server. All of the clients are connected to it, and they're all updated from this exact server. It updates automatically."
  • "Setup is complex."

What is our primary use case?

We have more than 200 users in our organization.

What is most valuable?

We get server updates from the internet and from the Bluetooth server. All of the clients are connected to it, and they're all updated from this exact server. It updates automatically.

What needs improvement?

We faced issues with updates with some clients, so we have downloaded a patch appliance in those instances.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used this solution for nine years.

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Microsoft Windows Server Update Services
May 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We haven't had any issues with stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is okay.

How was the initial setup?

Setup is complex. I would rate it as seven out of ten.

For the installation process, we had to install a service from Windows and load the drivers.

The amount of time it takes to deploy will depend on the operating system. It can take from 45 minutes to one hour.

We have the M&A ticketing system, which we use to get information about the clients and issues. It's not difficult to maintain the solution.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution as nine out of ten. I would recommend it.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT Systems Administrator at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Faithfully delivers updates to endpoints; offers the option to create multiple downstream servers
Pros and Cons
  • "Provides the ability to create multiple downstream servers."
  • "User interface is outdated and not user-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

We use WSUS on a host in our main data center so that all the Windows and the endpoint updates are downloaded to a central location before being distributed to the endpoints through our local network. The aim is to avoid the endpoint downloading the update directly from the internet and killing the office bandwidth.

What is most valuable?

This product provides the option to create multiple downstream servers. If the infrastructure is distributed to different sites or different countries, you can create a structure where the upstream server downloads all the updates using the specific internal connection, and then distributes those updates to the downstream servers at a scheduled time when the workload is minimal. 

What needs improvement?

The interface is not user-friendly. It looks like Windows 98 and it needs a different format, maybe something web-based, or perhaps it's time to rebuild from scratch. It needs to be something that provides clear options and should include an FAQ section to help provide some answers without having to search Google or contact technical support. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for about three years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution delivers updates to the endpoint. We worry about server stability but not the endpoints. If there are any issues we can manage without it functioning at peak level.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is very scalable. You can add servers as needed and add batches of endpoints to it. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is difficult. It's easier if you don't need downstream servers but if you want to do it properly and securely and have the packages distributed without any interference, it's a little bit complex. To configure it from scratch for 1,000 endpoints, can take up to three days.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

When purchasing the operating system, WSUS is included in the price of the product.

What other advice do I have?

It's important to monitor bandwidth usage and traffic that might be blocked on the firewalls.

This is a good product and it does its job but it's quite complex to configure, implement, and maintain, and the interface is terrible, so I rate it eight out of 10.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Windows Server Update Services
May 2024
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Windows Server Update Services. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2024.
772,679 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Owner at xconsult
Real User
A scalable solution that is easy to deploy, but difficult for some people to understand
Pros and Cons
  • "This solution is stable."
  • "In the next release, I would like to see additional tools added to fix the engine issues on the client's side."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case is to update the server and Windows desktop.

The deployment model we are using is on-premises, mainly.

What is most valuable?

WSUS doesn't have many features, so it's very difficult to answer this question.

This solution is easy to use.

What needs improvement?

Tagging in the server is complicated, and it's not easy to understand how to put it into a specific category. This solution is difficult for some people to understand.

The package validation process should be improved.

In the next release, I would like to see additional tools added to fix the engine issues on the client's side.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for twenty years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is scalable. 

We were able to deploy in multi-levels, now we have two levels.

How are customer service and technical support?

I did not have to contact the technical support because this solution is easy to use.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not use any solution previously.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup and activation are straightforward, and the configuration tends to be quick with the validation of the package.

The deployment of this solution only took one day. It was quick.

What about the implementation team?

I did not implement this solution through a vendor. I did it myself.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The WSUS cost is included in Microsoft Windows, and there are no licensing fees.

If you have many operating systems you would have to add more storage.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not evaluate other solutions.

What other advice do I have?

I would suggest sharing packages between clients.

I am not using this solution extensively now because I am on the architect's side.

I am working as a freelancer and I use this solution with most of my clients.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT proffesional at Ambo university
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Provides valuable server updates and robust reporting capabilities
Pros and Cons
  • "It ensures we get the necessary updates and features from the servers."
  • "While the product is generally effective, I believe the integration with other applications could be enhanced."

What is most valuable?

The product's most valuable feature is efficiently updating our server using the services provided. It ensures we get the necessary updates and features from the servers. 

What needs improvement?

While the product is generally effective, I believe the integration with other applications could be enhanced. Additionally, improvements in the stability and user interface would be beneficial.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've used Microsoft Windows Server Update Services for over two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The platform is generally very stable, though there is always room for minor improvements. I rate the stability a nine out of ten. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have more than 3000 Microsoft Windows Server Update Service users in our organization. It continues to perform efficiently.

How was the initial setup?

I wasn’t directly involved in the installation process, so I can’t provide detailed insights. However, from what I understand, it was relatively straightforward. I believe some deployment aspects could be streamlined further.

What other advice do I have?

The critical features are security solutions that ensure the security of our business data and operations.

The reporting capabilities are robust. We collect information from various sources and schedule updates accordingly.

Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Technology Manager/Engineer III at a marketing services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Easy to deploy and identifies which updates are needed for each machine
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is its ability to identify which updates are needed on a particular machine."
  • "Having the ability to group updates by the operating systems would be very helpful."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use of this solution is installing Windows updates.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is its ability to identify which updates are needed on a particular machine.

What needs improvement?

When updates are displayed they are in one big list on the screen, and the naming convention isn't such that it groups them by the operating system. This makes it difficult because there are updates for Windows 7, Windows 10, and so forth, and I have to scroll through and select out the ones that are relevant to the operating system. Having the ability to group updates by the operating systems would be very helpful.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using the Windows Server Update Services for a few months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I use it on a daily basis and I would rate the stability an eight out of ten. While I haven't experienced any issues, I assume that they are there and I just haven't encountered them yet. At this point, we do not have any plans to increase usage.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability seems to be appropriate. We don't have a big environment, although if we did, the sorting of the updates may be a bigger problem.

There are two of us in the company, myself and the system administrator, who are using this service.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not been in contact with Microsoft support, as there seems to be a lot of information about it available on the internet. This product is an industry-standard, and any product in this category is easy to find information on.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. I just downloaded a Udemy video series about how to install it. I followed those exact steps, it was accurate, and it was simple.

If you already have the server running then it requires adding the WSUS role. It will take between one and four hours to deploy.

What about the implementation team?

I deployed this solution and am also doing the maintenance.

What other advice do I have?

At this point, it accomplishes everything that I need to do.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Principal Cloud Security Consultant at Pegasystems
Real User
Top 5
A stable and easy-to-deploy solution that alerts users about errors while patching servers
Pros and Cons
  • "Compared to Linux, Windows Server’s setup is easier."
  • "There are some bugs in IIS."

What is most valuable?

I like the solution. When we do patching, the tool gives us error messages. We have around 1,000 production servers. It is tough to push Microsoft patches to 1,000 servers. When the servers fail, we troubleshoot to understand why they were not patched.

What needs improvement?

IIS is the web server for Windows Server. There are some bugs in IIS. It must be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the tool’s stability a seven or eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate the tool’s scalability a seven out of ten. We are a printing and packaging company. We have more than 4,000 customers globally. We maintain all our customers’ data in our data center.

How are customer service and support?

Whenever we face issues, we raise them to Microsoft and resolve the issues.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

Compared to Linux, Windows Server’s setup is easier.

What other advice do I have?

We are planning to move to AWS. Our organization has given the employees the credentials to learn AWS. We also have Linux servers. We are not using all the services from Microsoft. We use what our organization needs. Overall, I rate the tool an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Alejandro Bartolomeo - PeerSpot reviewer
Country Manager at Arkano Software
Real User
Efficient, reliable, but configuration difficult
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is the efficiency once configured."
  • "Microsoft Windows Server Update Services could improve the ease of use."

What is our primary use case?

I am using Microsoft Windows Server Update Services for patch management.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is the efficiency once configured.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft Windows Server Update Services could improve the ease of use.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Windows Server Update Services for approximately 12 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is stable.

How are customer service and support?

The support could improve because we needed to do a lot of research to use the Microsoft Windows Server Update Services and hardware. It was a time-consuming process.

How was the initial setup?

The setup and configuration of Microsoft Windows Server Update Services are difficult. It could be made easier.

What about the implementation team?

I used two people for the implementation and maintenance of Microsoft Windows Server Update Services.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise others that this is a good solution but it takes some time to configure. It is important to do it right.

I rate Microsoft Windows Server Update Services a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Information Technology Security Specialist at a university
Real User
Reduces internet traffic needed to keep my environment secure, but the integration with IIS needs to be fixed
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the decreased level of internet usage by my network."
  • "I would like to see support for other operating systems such as Linux."

What is our primary use case?

WSUS is used differently depending on the client and their requirements. For some clients, I only use this solution for security patches and updates. In some cases, I use Windows Updates and Windows Upgrades.

I have more than 4,000 clients and it is important to me to make sure that the upgrade process does not affect my third-party software. This means that for most of them, I stopped the upgrades and only use the WSUS security patch tool to keep up with the latest protection available for my environment.

How has it helped my organization?

It is a principle that you have to keep your environment updated because cyber attacks are changing on a daily basis and you have to protect your network. Without this tool, I would not be able to update my entire network manually.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the decreased level of internet usage by my network. When there is a new patch available, I can just connect my WSUS server to Microsoft, download the upgrades, and then use the internal traffic to upgrade all of the network clients.

WSUS allows me to choose what kinds of upgrades or updates that I need for my network. For example, I can download specific security patches for Windows Server or different versions of Windows.

What needs improvement?

There are some incompatibilities or conflicts between WSUS and IIS because sometimes when running WSUS, I have to stop my IIS and restart it in order to connect. I have searched Google on the issue and I have found that it is a common problem. This is something that Microsoft should solve in the next release.

I would like to see support for other operating systems such as Linux. If you install WSUS and there are other operating systems on the network like Linux Red Hat, Ubuntu, or Debian, then it should be able to update them. It would be amazing.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using WSUS for more than two years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability is a good feature of the WSUS server.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not needed to contact the Microsoft helpdesk concerning WSUS.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very easy. It is a Windows Server feature and can be set up with a few clicks and a few simple settings.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Windows Server Update Services Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: May 2024
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Windows Server Update Services Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.