Lawrence Garvin, SolarWinds Head Geek and WSUS MVP, will provide an overview of the detection logic used by the Windows Update Agent and how that determines the update states reported to WSUS (Installed, Not Installed, Not Applicable), the three rule sets (Prerequisite, Applicability, and Installed) thate comprise the detection logic and how they are used in the detection process, focusing on the six detection logic rules that are used in 99% of package creation activities.

1. Package Creation
Fundamentals
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2. WUAgent Detection Logic
» Prerequisite Rules
 Primary purpose is to exclude irrelevant updates
» Applicability Rules
 Evaluates boolean value isInstallable
 Determines if update can be installed
» Installed Rules
 Evaluates boolean value isInstalled
 Determines of update is already installed
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3. WUAgent Detection Logic
» Ruleset Results
 isInstalled=TRUE
• update is reported as Installed
 isInstalled=FALSE and isInstallable=FALSE
• update is reported as Not Applicable
 isInstalled=FALSE and isInstallable=TRUE
• update is reported as Not Installed
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4. Rule Management
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5. Rule Management
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6. Rules
» 20 Basic Rules
 Processor Architecture rule
 Windows Language rule
 Windows Version rule
 File rules (10)
 Registry rules (6)
 WMI Query rule
» 4 MSI Rules
» NOT Rules
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7. Rules – Architecture & OS
» Basic Rules
 Processor Architecture
 Windows® Language
 Windows Version
These rules are generally implemented as prerequisite
rules.
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8. Rule Editor
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9. Processor Architecture
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10. Windows Language
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11. Windows Version
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12. Rules - File
» Basic Rules
 File Rules
• Exists (with Registry Value)*
• Version (with Registry Value)
• Creation Date (with Registry Value)
• Modified Date (with Registry Value)
• Size (with Registry Value)
* May be implemented as a prerequisite rule.
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13. Rules – File Exists
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14. Rules – File Version
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15. Rules - Registry
» Basic Rules
 Registry Rules
• Key Exists*
• Value Exists*
• DWORD Value
• Expand String Value
• Sz Value
• Version in Sz
* May be implemented as a prerequisite rule.
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16. Registry Key Exists
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17. WSUS Documentation Resources
» Windows Server® Update
Services
 WSUS and WUAgent APIs
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/ee663305(v=VS.85).aspx
 Creating Update Metadata
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/bb902486(VS.85).aspx
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18. System Center Documentation Resources
» System Center
 System Center Updates
Publisher
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/bb531022.aspx
 Publishing Rules
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/bb531100.aspx
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19. © 2013 SOLARWINDS WORLDWIDE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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