SBS 2011 Move WSUS

[PaulTech]

Problem: running out of space and WSUS update DB file (susdb.mdf file) is using 22 GB of the 128 GB of space on the RAID.

The plan was to follow these instructions: http://blogs.technet.com/b/sbs/arch...-database-files-to-a-different-partition.aspx "How to Move the WSUS Content"

I had the customer purchase and connect a "My Passport" 500 GB ext. drive. The drive shows up in the "Computer MGMT" console and I formatted it as the S: Drive. (NTSF with 512 MB per sector, http://social.technet.microsoft.com...xternal-backup-drives-compatibility-list.aspx)

In the Windows SBS Console on the Server Storage tab the only drives that show are:

c: 136 GG (shadow copies enabled)
d: 136 GB (shadow copies enabled)
e: drive 546 GB (shadow copies enabled)

The F: (Backup Drive 1 F:, 596 GB (shadow copies disabled)) does not show but I believe that is standard for the backup drive?

The new S: drive (shadow copies disabled) does not and when I run the Move the WSUS content wizard from the Windows SBS Console the following msg appears:

"Either there are no NTFS drives available, or the available drives do not have enough capacity for the data."

I passed this by another tech and they think it is a incompatible or bad driver.

Anyone dealt with this before?

 

[cyabro]

I think the problem is that you can't put system files, like WSUS, on an external drive.
I've had external drives attached to SBS boxes and never seen them show up when you run those wizards to move system data.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Agreed....Windows doesn't want to put system files in RMS drives.

*Drive letters can change
*Performance...WSUS services would run slower than grass grows...bogging down the whole server.

Move it to the E drive (client/app/other major services including Exchange should always be moved to the larger data drive during initial setup)

 

[PaulTech]

Attached is a screen shot showing the drives and folders on the E drive and these are the specs:

> System Reserved, C:, D:, E: backed up to F: drive

HP LOGICAL VOLUME SCSI Disk Device 136 GB 2 OK
HP LOGICAL VOLUME SCSI Disk Device 546 GB 1 OK
HP LOGICAL VOLUME SCSI Disk Device 136 GB 1 OK
Seagate *FreeAgent* USB Device 596 GB 1 OK <- F: Drive

C: Local Fixed Disk 136 GB 11 GB NTFS *Boot Drive*
D: Local Fixed Disk 136 GB 134 GB NTFS *Another Program*
E: Local Fixed Disk 546 GB 326 GB *Data*
F: Local Fixed Disk 596 GB 136 GB *Backup*
G: CD-ROM Disc - - - -
H: Removable Disk - - - -

The file that grew suddenly several months ago is: WSUS update DB file (susdb.mdf file) on the C: drive.

Here's what I'm not understanding:
> Per the attached screenshot some of the WSUS appears to be on the e: drive but the susdb.mdf is on the C: drive. How do I move it without breaking the SBS?
> The E: drive has plenty of space so is the WSUS really running on the E: drive otherwise I would think the Wizard would allow moving to the E: drive from the C: drive?

The ultimate goal is to relocate the susdb.mdf file to another drive, like the E: drive. The D: drive is available but it is used for a very important program so I would rather install a new internal drive then risk any issues there. Thanks for the help!

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Certainly do-able....moving WSUS "stuff" is pretty easy...both the respository and the database. Plenty of hand holding guides out there. Run some maintenance on it too. Heck sometimes I'd get tired of the maintenance that takes a long time and it sometimes of little effect..and just blow it all out and rebuild from scratch. It's only WSUS...IMO the existing data is terribly non-important.

Have since ripped WSUS out of most of our clients and we just let N-able manage it.

 

[freedomit]

Another option is don't store WSUS content locally, still use WSUS but clients get approved updates direct from MS

 

[PaulTech]

So based on the screen shot attached to the previous post would you agree the repository is already on the E: drive and just the WSUS DB needs to be moved?

If so, this appears to be the correct procedure:
http://koppihle3.blogspot.com/2012/10/sbs2011-moving-data-paths.html

 

[jzukerman]

That's a lot of disk space used on the C: drive. I bet it's full of unnecessary log files going back years that take up a lot of room. Clean up those log files:

http://alloraconsulting.com/it-solutions/76-windows-server-2008-low-space
(the script at the bottom works fine on SBS2011)

Also run the WSUS cleanup to reduce the data files and database:
http://rawtechnology.blogspot.com/2014/01/shrink-windows-server-update-services.html

 

[PaulTech]

Thanks for those links! I had cleaned up some other logs and the files mentioned ARE eating a lot of space.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

You can whack an amazing amount of free space out of those log files by using SQL Studio Express to go open up individual native SBS databases and going for simple recovery mode. You don't need default full recovery on those.