WSUS v2 client and high CPU fix

[Les Connor [SBS MVP]]

For those using WSUS v2 (SBS R2) there is a WSUS client available that
should resolve workstation unresponsiveness while detecting updates.

You may notice this issue as when logging onto a workstation, it seems
unresponsive for about 90 seconds - and taskmgr shows a svchost.exe process
using close to 100% CPU cycles. AFAIK, all workstations will be affected by
this, but some to a greater or lesser degree.

The WSUS client doesn't change the high CPU utilization much, nor the
detection time, but it won't prevent the computer from responding to other
tasks.

The WSUS client can be installed if you're using WSUS v2, allthough it's
recommended you install WSUS v3 on your server. If you install WSUS v3, the
client is automatically installed.

The link for WSUS 3.0 client for x86 platform is
http://download.windowsupdate.com/v7/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe

The link for installing WSUS v3 on SBS is here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=4F8813EE-DEE5-4B9F-A127-55042F34BA43&displaylang=en

It's my understanding that this client will be automatically pushed via WSUS
v2 on about May 22, but some may want it now.

--
Les Connor [SBS MVP]

[David]

Many thanks for info on the new WSUS-Client! Have you been a guinea-pig yet
and tested it? Is there any real information available on the v.3 client -
a search on Microsoft revealed nothing.

This is a problem that is bugging me right royally! To the extent that two
customers have *emphatically demanded* that I disable/uninstall the damn
thing. Not only does the extended log-on delay infuriate them, but more so
do the continual 1-minute (plus) lock ups throughout the working day at
about 45-minute intervals. On a single processor PC they can do nothing.
On Dual processor PCs, it will generally lock-up the processor that is
running the Explorer interface, so effectively you're still dead until it
finishes. When first installed, I had users yanking the mains cord because
the "bloody PC has crashed again!".

As a consultant working remotely, wsus and the constant dip-feeding of
patches/updates has increased the unchargeable time I'm forced to spend
checking servers each day - just in the hope of getting a green tick.
Renewing their subscription to Shavlik HFNetChkPro at my own expense would
be more cost and time effective.

Sorry - rant over - its been a very long week!

David

"Les Connor [SBS MVP]" <les.c...@DEL.cfive.ca> wrote in message
news:96A8EBA5-7462-42CF...@microsoft.com...

[Les Connor [SBS MVP]]

Hi David,

Yes, I've deployed the new WSUS client, and it performs as advertised. The
high CPU is still there, but the machine remains responsive, although it's
still affected during the 90 seconds or so the detection takes to complete.

I've got WSUS v3 installed on a handful of SBS networks, and I'm satisfied
with the way it's working.

--
Les Connor [SBS MVP]

"David" <a...@xyz.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ecRT8y2...@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

[Owen Williams [SBS MVP]]

In article <FCDA24EE-2FEE-4CBD...@microsoft.com>,
les.c...@DEL.cfive.ca says...

> Yes, I've deployed the new WSUS client, and it performs as advertised. The
> high CPU is still there, but the machine remains responsive, although it's
> still affected during the 90 seconds or so the detection takes to complete.

Just wanted to add to Les' response ... The "90 seconds" figure is
machine-dependent. On slower machines, especially Celerons, the time
may be much longer. I have one laptop where the CPU spikes for 8 to 16
_minutes_. The new client was a BIG help on that puppy, I can assure
you!

-- Owen Williams (SBS MVP)

[Les Connor [SBS MVP]]

I never liked that name 'Celeron'. My every-day laptop is getting quite
crusty - Pentium M 1.3.

In today's computing environment it's only just tolerable. I'm sure I'd quit
if it was a Celeron.

--
Les Connor [SBS MVP]

"Owen Williams [SBS MVP]" <Owen@NoSpam_CVTCLLC.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.20a71bd55...@news.microsoft.com...

[David]

Took a chance and applied the v.3 client on PCs last night/today and
confirmed the findings. All of the PCs already had the KB927891/KB916089
fix applied - so I don't know if that makes a difference.

The new v.3 client appears to delay the initial firing off, so log-on is not
as problematic. On a Pentium-M 1.8MHz laptop, CPU usage for that instance
of svchost was 3-seconds at log-on after a restart with peak memory usage of
29MB. When the wsus client fired off about 15-minutes later, it ran for
65-secs, peak memory of 135MB, usage of up to 99%, but the laptop was still
responsive. It fired off again about an hour later for 103-secs, but once
again didn't cause too much of a problem.
Similar story with a Dual 1GHz P-III workstation. Delayed initial fire-off,
and then although it still fires off for 60 to 100-secs at under hourly
intervals, the system was not too unresponsive. Peak memory 122MB, usage of
over 50% (dual CPUs though).

All in all, confident enough to risk spoiling client's public holidays to
get them to turn on all their office PCs so I can deploy the patch.

Thanks for the help!
David

"Les Connor [SBS MVP]" <les.c...@DEL.cfive.ca> wrote in message

news:2919B98C-04D0-46C2...@microsoft.com...

[Les Connor [SBS MVP]]

Glad it worked as expected.

As an FYI, many of the SBS MVPs tested this client and provided direct
feedback to MS. SBS Dev has taken this issue (and others) seriously and
pushed the WSUS folks very hard on our behalf to get a resolution. If you
run into Paul Fitzgerald, a senior from the SBS Dev team, you can personally
thank him for his efforts on this, and other things he's working on to
specifically resolve issues on SBS that have shown up as a direct result of
recent changes to underlying parts.

--
Les Connor [SBS MVP]

"David" <a...@xyz.co.uk> wrote in message

news:uWDOd8%23jHH...@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

[Owen Williams [SBS MVP]]

In article <2919B98C-04D0-46C2...@microsoft.com>,
les.c...@DEL.cfive.ca says...

> In today's computing environment it's only just tolerable. I'm sure I'd quit
> if it was a Celeron.

It's a 1.1GHz Celeron (per My Computer | Properties). It's fine for routine
word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail, and Internet browsing which does _not_
have all the moving images (if those exist anymore!). The 512MB RAM and
7200RPM replacement hard disk help a lot - it was _deadly_ slow with the
original 4200RPM drive.

I am working on moving everything to a ThinkPad T60p with Core 2 Duo and 2GB
RAM running Vista Ultimate. But some of my peripherals - as well as my
accounting software - is not supported on Vista, so I expect I will be using my
old laptop at least occasionally for a few more months.

-- Owen Williams [SBS MVP]

[David]

Just a heads-up!

A side-effect of installing the v.3 client Update Agent, is that the current
v.2.01 Microsoft Baseline Security Analyser fails to scan workstations for
missing update patches.

David

"Les Connor [SBS MVP]" <les.c...@DEL.cfive.ca> wrote in message

news:68D4329C-2AC5-4B37...@microsoft.com...

[Les Connor [SBS MVP]]

Thanks. I don't use anything other than WSUS ;-). It either works -
completely - or it's of no use at all if another app has to check up on it.

--
Les Connor [SBS MVP]

"David" <a...@xyz.co.uk> wrote in message

news:e3LUThDk...@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

[David]

I really only run Microsoft's BSA for verifying the security aspect. But
it's reassuring to confirm that programs are doing what they profess to do,
so its double check of needed updates (as well as running Shavlik - which I
prefer any day to wsus) is still of value.

David

"Les Connor [SBS MVP]" <les.c...@DEL.cfive.ca> wrote in message

news:D9FDDFA5-FAFF-47EE...@microsoft.com...