Hello

I have recently set up a replica wsus server (Windows Server 2012 R2) in one of our Branch offices and it has successfully synced our approvals and computer groups from our upstream server (also Windows Server 2012 R2). I have set it up so the replica wsus server does not store update files locally and that computers in the branch site will install updates from Microsoft update. I have started creating the group policy object that will affect the branch office clients but got confused with the two options in the Specify intranet Microsoft update service location setting:

Set the intranet update service for detecting updates: 
Set the intranet statistics server:   

Ideally I would like to set the the first option (Set the intranet update service for detecting updates:) to point to the Replica server in the Branch office so that Clients will know what approved updates to download (but to download from Microsoft Updates) and then set the second option (Set the intranet statistics server:) to our upstream wsus server.

Had a little research and seems other people have asked this same question and the answer always seems to be they both have to be set to the same WSUS server as it is a legacy issue and that the WSUS team have not done anything about it. Is this still the case in 2015 as it doesn't make sense to have an option if it doesn't work properly

Thanks for the help

Charlie

• Edited by CharlieRix Friday, June 19, 2015 3:04 PM

my understanding has always been that the statistics server is used for reporting purposes - I could be wrong

if you include your downstream servers in your reporting rollups then you can have the statistics go to the same server as the update server - your downstream branch server. this is an option in the Options section of the WSUS console

if you don't care about reporting then it doesn't matter.  I think the only way you will know for sure is to test both configurations and see what happens

• Proposed as answer by Steven_Lee0510Microsoft contingent staff, Moderator 4 hours 12 minutes ago

Hi Charlie,

According to the official deployment document, we should type the HTTP URL of the same WSUS server in the Set the intranet update service for detecting updates box and in the Set the intranet statistics server box.

For detailed information, please refer to the link below,

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc720533(v=ws.10).aspx

Best Regards.