Apple Software Update "service unavailable" error when downloading on MCS 5.5

[Marty Nussbaum]

We're rolling out a new Munki server and upgrading all of our users to MCS 5.5.

Getting the following error when MCS checks in to Apple for updates, then it doesn't display the updates as available to direct them to the Apple Software Update screen.

Aug 24 2021 12:50:24 -0400 ### End managed software check ###
Aug 24 2021 12:50:24 -0400 Checking Apple Software Update catalog...
Aug 24 2021 12:50:24 -0400 Caching CatalogURL https://swscan.apple.com/content/catalogs/others/index-10.14-10.13-10.12-10.11-10.10-10.9-mountainlion-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog
Aug 24 2021 12:50:25 -0400 Checking for available Apple Software Updates...
Aug 24 2021 12:50:26 -0400 Finding available software
Aug 24 2021 12:50:41 -0400 Downloading macOS Mojave Security Update 2021-005
Aug 24 2021 12:50:41 -0400 Downloading Safari
Aug 24 2021 12:50:41 -0400 Error downloading Safari: service unavailable
Aug 24 2021 12:50:41 -0400 Error downloading macOS Mojave Security Update 2021-005: service unavailable
Aug 24 2021 12:50:41 -0400 Done.
Aug 24 2021 12:50:41 -0400 Error downloading updates.
Aug 24 2021 12:50:41 -0400 ERROR: softwareupdate reported an unsuccessful download session.
Aug 24 2021 12:50:41 -0400 ERROR: Could not download all available Apple updates.

Any ideas why we're getting a "service unavailable" error when it tries to download and how to resolve? Should it even be trying to download the updates or simply identifying them as available so they can be downloaded and installed via Software Update?

Thanks!

[Gregory Neagle]

On Aug 24, 2021, at 10:28 AM, Marty Nussbaum <ooomar...@gmail.com> wrote:

We're rolling out a new Munki server and upgrading all of our users to MCS 5.5.

Getting the following error when MCS checks in to Apple for updates, then it doesn't display the updates as available to direct them to the Apple Software Update screen.

Aug 24 2021 12:50:24 -0400 ### End managed software check ###
Aug 24 2021 12:50:24 -0400 Checking Apple Software Update catalog...
Aug 24 2021 12:50:24 -0400 Caching CatalogURL https://swscan.apple.com/content/catalogs/others/index-10.14-10.13-10.12-10.11-10.10-10.9-mountainlion-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog
Aug 24 2021 12:50:25 -0400 Checking for available Apple Software Updates...
Aug 24 2021 12:50:26 -0400 Finding available software
Aug 24 2021 12:50:41 -0400 Downloading macOS Mojave Security Update 2021-005
Aug 24 2021 12:50:41 -0400 Downloading Safari
Aug 24 2021 12:50:41 -0400 Error downloading Safari: service unavailable
Aug 24 2021 12:50:41 -0400 Error downloading macOS Mojave Security Update 2021-005: service unavailable
Aug 24 2021 12:50:41 -0400 Done.
Aug 24 2021 12:50:41 -0400 Error downloading updates.
Aug 24 2021 12:50:41 -0400 ERROR: softwareupdate reported an unsuccessful download session.
Aug 24 2021 12:50:41 -0400 ERROR: Could not download all available Apple updates.

Any ideas why we're getting a "service unavailable" error when it tries to download

Nope. All Munki is doing at this point is running `softwareupdate -da`. You could try running that yourself as a test.

and how to resolve? Should it even be trying to download the updates or simply identifying them as available so they can be downloaded and installed via Software Update?

Munki attempts to download them using `softwareupdate -da` because it would be a poorer user experience to be notified that the updates were available then either have the download fail or have to wait for a download. Why not do that in the background? Not much point in prompting the user to install an update we don't actually have.

Thanks!