My three-node Server 2019 Hyper-V cluster uses a Server 2022 WSUS server, but the nodes have stopped reporting in and WSUS shows no updates needed. The update policy appears to apply, and CAU still installs updates and cycles through the nodes when I approve updates manually.
Is there a way to keep the cluster-aware workflow without WSUS, or should I look at another patching tool?
You can keep Cluster-Aware Updating without WSUS. CAU handles the cluster update sequence, while the Windows Update configuration determines where the nodes scan for updates. You could point the nodes at Microsoft Update instead and keep using CAU for the drain, reboot and resume workflow.
That changes how updates are selected and controlled, so test the policy change and an update run before using it across the cluster.
Since manually approved updates still install through CAU, the cluster orchestration looks like it's working. I'd investigate the reporting and update detection side separately before replacing the whole setup.
Check the nodes' effective update settings and their scan and reporting errors, then compare those with the WSUS server logs. The policy editor showing older settings under Legacy Policies is worth checking, but it doesn't establish that a policy change caused this.
Third-party patch management is another option if you want to replace more than WSUS. Action1 and TridentStack Control were suggested as products to evaluate, but cluster-aware handling wasn't established for them. Ask specifically how each tool drains roles, reboots nodes and checks cluster health before moving to the next node.
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8e~hingelock_276:
Watch out for simply removing the WSUS policy. The setting that points clients at WSUS may remain, so explicitly revert the relevant settings and verify them in a test environment.