Software Updates that require multiple reboots

Ever have the problem of a software update installing only to find out that you need the next one and the next one.  By the time you are finished it has required several restarts. This can cause a problem for your users if they are restarting every day or left for the day and another patch restart occurred.





Now available in 1610, you can force the client to rescan and update if necessary.  This is not enabled by default when you upgrade.  You will need to revisit your Software Updates / Servicing Updates deployments and enable this.  Also, you will need to update your ADR so that all future updates will also have this feature installed. 


This is especially critical when a machine needs several office or .Net patches that require restarts before the next update can install.

Manual force of WSUS via automation

Have you ever wanted to have an odd Schedule or found that your site will not longer sync on the schedule but a full sync will work. 


Well here is some code to kick off a Full sync on your site.  All you have to do is create a scheduled task on the Central or primary site.
The code modifies the control file.  Because of some timing issues I did add a few seconds on to the request. 


XXX - SITE CODE
SERVER - SERVERNAME
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Set swbemLocator = CreateObject("WbemScripting.SWbemLocator")
swbemLocator.Security_.AuthenticationLevel = 6 'Packet Privacy
Set swbemServices= swbemLocator.ConnectServer("SERVER", "root\sms\site_XXX")

Set context = CreateObject("WbemScripting.SWbemNamedValueSet")
'context.Add "LocaleID", "MS\1033"
'context.Add "MachineName", "SERVER"
Context.Add "SessionHandle", swbemServices.ExecMethod("SMS_SiteControlFile", "GetSessionHandle").SessionHandle
                                        

SynchronizeSoftwareUpdatePoint swbemServices,context,"XXX"

Sub SynchronizeSoftwareUpdatePoint(swbemServices,swbemContext,siteCode)
    ' Load site control file and get the SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER component section.
    swbemServices.ExecMethod "SMS_SiteControlFile.Filetype=1,Sitecode=""" & siteCode & """", "Refresh", , , swbemContext
       
    ' Calculate the current timestamp (number of seconds from 1/1/1970 to current time UTC).
    calculatedUTCOffsetinSeconds = (8 * 60 * 60)
    currentTimestamp = datediff("s", "1/1/1970 12:00:00 AM", now()) + calculatedUTCOffsetinSeconds
    currentTimestamp=currentTimestamp-7198
   
    Query = "SELECT * FROM SMS_SCI_Component " & _
            "WHERE ComponentName = 'SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER' " & _
            "AND SiteCode = '" & siteCode & "'"
   
    Set SCIComponentSet = swbemServices.ExecQuery(Query, ,wbemFlagForwardOnly Or wbemFlagReturnImmediately, swbemContext)
                      
    ' Only one instance is returned from the query.
    For Each SCIComponent In SCIComponentSet
        ' Loop through the array of embedded SMS_EmbeddedProperty instances.
        For Each vProperty In SCIComponent.Props        
                           
            ' Setting: Sync Now
            If vProperty.PropertyName = "Sync Now" Then
               
                ' Modify the value.
                vProperty.Value = currentTimestamp
               ' wscript.echo "New value " & currentTimestamp
               
                ' Output success message.
               ' wscript.echo " "
               ' wscript.echo "Reset 'Sync Now' property with current timestamp. "              
            End If
              
        Next  
             ' Update the component in your copy of the site control file. Get the path
             ' to the updated object, which could be used later to retrieve the instance.
             Set SCICompPath = SCIComponent.Put_(wbemChangeFlagUpdateOnly, swbemContext)
    Next
                         
    ' Commit the change to the actual site control file.
    Set InParams = swbemServices.Get("SMS_SiteControlFile").Methods_("CommitSCF").InParameters.SpawnInstance_
    InParams.SiteCode = siteCode
    swbemServices.ExecMethod "SMS_SiteControlFile", "CommitSCF", InParams, , swbemContext
     
    ' Release copy of the site control file.
    swbemServices.Get("SMS_SiteControlFile").ReleaseSessionHandle swbemContext.Item("SessionHandle").Value
End Sub

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I know this works on SCCM 2007, I am sure it will work on SCCM 2012 but I never tried it: