High number of definition updates in deployment package folder

Peter 21 Reputation points
2020-10-26T14:07:35.607+00:00

Hey all!

I just stumbled across a rather strange behaviour of my Config Manager when it comes to synchronizing definition updates via ADR. As the Deployment Package had about 11,000 updates in it, which lead to problems when distributing the package to our DPs, I deleted the Deployment Package and re-created it. After running the (existing) ADR, SCCM shows this:

  • The preview in the ADR configuration shows 2 updates
  • The Software Update Group used by the ADR has 2 updates
  • The Deployment Package used by the ADR (and only by that one ADR) has 6 updates
  • The Deployment Package package source path contains more than 700 folders, each containing an .exe file

ADR settings:

  • Date released or revised: Last 1 day
  • Superseded: No
  • Update Classification: Definition Updates

The way I understand ADRs is that they should download the filtered updates (normally 2), save them into the Deployment Package configured in the ADR and add them to the Software Update Group. Superseded updates should be deleted from the Software Update Group and later on be cleaned up as orphanes entries from the Deployment Package in a different process.

Can anyone explain to me, where these hundreds of updates in my Deployment Package Source folder come from although the filter in the ADR seems to work?

Kind regards
Peter

Microsoft Configuration Manager Updates
Microsoft Configuration Manager Updates
Microsoft Configuration Manager: An integrated solution for for managing large groups of personal computers and servers.Updates: Broadly released fixes addressing specific issue(s) or related bug(s). Updates may also include new or modified features (i.e. changing default behavior).
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  1. Jason Sandys 31,186 Reputation points Microsoft Employee
    2020-10-26T19:15:14.02+00:00

    Updates aren't necessarily just a single file or folder; each update can compromise many of each. From memory, (I know this old, but it's still a valid example) the Office 2013 SP1 update has nearly 1,000 files in it. Sometimes, these are additional files that collectively make up the entire update. Sometimes, these are language files. There are other reasons as well.

    Review the Content Information tab of each update and you'll see the files listed there.

    Also, you noted that you deleted the Update Package. Did you re-use the same UNC path for the package without deleting its contents first?

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  1. Amandayou-MSFT 11,051 Reputation points
    2020-10-27T07:08:50.9+00:00

    Hi @Peter ,

    We could check the difference of updates mentioned above between SUG and package to find out the reason why there are four more records.

    And the package source path contains more than 700 folders, Could we check if this path is shared by multiple ADRs?

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  2. Peter 21 Reputation points
    2020-10-27T10:57:51.323+00:00

    @Jason Sandys : Good hint - I knew that "larger" updates have several files but I didn't expect that from simple definition updates. Checking the content information as you suggested proved that I just had the wrong expectations: one definition update has between 120 and 300 files.

    So although this is not really nice, it seems to be "working as designed"!

    Thank you!