We're getting the error "Auto Deployment Rule results exceeded maximum number of updates" on an Automatic Deployment Rule.  The auto-deployment rule cumulatively adds to an existing Software Update Group.  What's the limit on the size of a Software Update Group (perhaps < 1000 items) and can/should it be increased ?  Or do we have to delete these Software Update Groups periodically ?  What's the best practice ?

Thanks

The limit is 1000 SU in a SU group and it can't be increased.

As a good workaround you could create software update groups based on the current year which will limit the total number of updates in each group.

Cheers

Damon

Deleting the update group would mean those updates are no longer deployed. Simply come up with a system to sub-divide the updates which you should already be doing. As Damon suggests, you could do by some time interval such as monthly or you can do it by product such as Windows Workstations and Windows Servers. This should partially be based on how you deploy updates. In general, I lean to doing both (calendar interval as well as product) because deploying server updates to workstations (and vice-versa) is worthless and actually can cause issues because it will bloat the policy received by those systems as well as WMI.

To add my two cents I tend to make separate ADRs for workstations and servers and then group things into as small as 6months simply becuase patch count occasionally gets really large, so I completely agree with all the above.

As a good workaround you could create software update groups based on the current year which will limit the total number of updates in each group.

Cheers

Damon

• Marked as answer by APang.F1 9 hours 17 minutes ago

As a good workaround you could create software update groups based on the current year which will limit the total number of updates in each group.

Cheers

Damon

• Marked as answer by APang.F1 Tuesday, April 28, 2015 10:28 PM

Thanks,

Is the "Date Released or Revised" property filter the only option available to limit updates by date ?

I use the Date Released property with my groups.

Damon,

How do you divide the updates out to years?  IF I try the Date Released or Revised I can only select from a drop down and the last 9 months is the max.  If I set a filter in the bulletin ID for something like MS14% or MS15%, I will be missing some updates because some don't have bulletin IDs.

I'm just curious how other people are getting around this?

Easiest thing to do is to change the filter criteria from "is on or before" to "is between".

I know you can do that in the search criteria while browsing software updates but I don't think you can do that in an ADR.  Maybe I'm wrong.

Brett Chevalier

Why would you do it in an ADR? For past updates, you would create update groups manually. You only ADRs are only useful for automating updates going forward. Thus, if you choose to sub-divide based on timeframes, create your historic groups manually.