The Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 Release Candidate Public Beta Program is open.  Registered WSUS 3.0 beta participants will be able to download the Release Candidate beta build from the download page.  Give us your feedback via the public beta newsgroups, or the feedback page of this site.  Experience peer and product team support via the WSUS 3.0 RC public newsgroups (see the newsgroup link for access instructions).

WSUS 3.0 is the next generation of WSUS with new feature and design investments dedicated to making deployment and update management simple yet powerful. Key areas and features investments in the new WSUS 3.0 include:

Straightforward Installment

· In place upgrade over 2.0

· New configuration wizard to guide setup and configuration Improved Administrative Experience

· New MMC based powerful UI (can also be installed as a remote console on clients (e.g. XP) & host multiple WSUS servers in one console

· Custom views and results filtering

· Report Viewer only admin group

· Integrated “in-context” reporting

· Clean up wizard for management of stale clients/content & built in email notifications

· Reporting rollup support

· Multiple, granular auto-approval rule options

· Enhanced Target group concepts including hierarchies for approval inheritance or block, and overlapping target group membership support

Flexible Deployment Options to improve Branch Office support

· Support for language sub-setting on downstream replica servers

· Independent replica content source options (MU or Upstream Server)

· Optional Peer-cashing capability

· Synchronization up to every hour (vs. 1xday)

Performance Enhancements and Operational Reliability

· 50% improvement in reporting performance – report viewers only admin group

· Native support for x64 platform

· Network Load Balancing & SQL cluster support

· MOM management Pack for proactive alerts on server health

More Content Access and On-demand client synch:

· Easy access to drivers and hot fixes

· Personalization to make the MU Catalog customized to your downloading needs

· Client ‘synch me now’ quick check-in/download support of pending approved updates from WSUS or needed updates from Microsoft Update