[German]Microsoft has just announced that it will no longer be developing its Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). This marks the end of an era, even though the demise of this update management tool, which administrators have been using for years, has been apparent for some time.
Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)
Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is a software component that has been included in Microsoft Windows Server since version 2003. Administrators in companies use WSUS to centrally manage updates for clients and servers. WSUS is the successor to the Software Update Services software component.
Windows Server Update Services is a client-server system based on an SQL database (either via an existing MS-SQL Server 2005 or later or the supplied Windows Internal Database) on the server. The database manages the version data for updates and client reports. Clients send a status report back to WSUS.
WSUS development discontinued
The departure from WSUS had been announced for some time – Microsoft is focusing on Intunes and SCCM as alternative solutions. In July 2024, I announced in the article Microsoft stops driver synchronization in WSUS in April 2025 that WSUS would lose a feature next year.
Now, Microsoft has announced the end of product development for WSUS in its Tech Community post Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) deprecation Microsoft wants to "phase out Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) as part of its vision for simplified Windows management from the cloud.". Microsoft will "im Rahmen der Vision einer vereinfachten Windows-Verwaltung aus der Cloud den Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) abschaffen.
Specifically, this means that Microsoft will no longer develop new features or accept new feature requests for WSUS. This effectively means that WSUS is dead, even though no real innovations have been added to WSUS since Windows Server 2012. However, Microsoft intends to retain the current functionality of WSUS and continue to release updates via the WSUS channel.
The discontinuation of WSUS currently has no impact on existing features or support for Microsoft Configuration Manager. The WSUS role in Windows Server 2025 will also continue to be available. However, Microsoft recommends that companies transition to cloud tools. This includes Windows Autopatch and Microsoft Intune for client update management and Azure Update Manager for server update management. In summary:
- WSUS deprecated
- No new features/capabilities;
- existing functionality remains unchanged
- Updates will continue to be released via WSUS
- WSUS role remains in Server 2025
- Switch to Autopatch, Intune, and Azure Update Manager recommended
