I’ve seen some chatter around generative AI being able to write in the style of writers. I’ve written a few things but didn’t really consider that these systems probably crawled my public data – I expected that some of it was being used in answers, but didn’t realise it’s also able to recognise and replicate my stylings.
As an example, I used the free tier of ChatGPT with the simple prompt:
“Can you write a blog post about the deprecation of WSUS based on the stylings of Adam Fowler?”
ChatGPT obliged:
Sure! Based on Adam Fowler’s style—informal, practical, and often addressing IT professionals directly with a mix of technical explanation and real-world experience—here’s a blog post about the deprecation of WSUS (Windows Server Update Services):
A ChatGPT Generated article proceeded. Reading it, it was definitely in my styling including my overuse of dashes, a conclusion at the end, starting a sentence with ‘So’ even though I know I shouldn’t do that, and trying to share a real world view. Except, the content itself is not what I would have written. I’ve added notes to the below; anything in brackets and italics are my editorial notes:
WSUS Deprecation: What You Need to Know (and What to Do Next)
by Your Name
So, it’s happening. WSUS (Windows Server Update Services) is officially getting the axe (ehh sort of, being announced as depricated as per the title with at least 10 years left I wouldn’t exactly call ‘getting the axe’, more of a ‘beginning of the end’). If you’ve been in IT long enough, you’ve probably had a love-hate relationship with WSUS—keeping it running smoothly can feel like a victory, but man, when it breaks… well, you know the pain (I wouldn’t make an implication like this without a real example as it sounds like I don’t really know what I’m talking about and covered it up). But with Microsoft slowly phasing out WSUS in favor (I’d write in Australian English but then my articles get posted by non-Australian companies so that’s probably fair) of more modern solutions, it’s time to face the inevitable: what does this mean for you and your organization?
Why Deprecate WSUS?
To be blunt, WSUS has been showing its age. The service, first introduced back in 2003, has become increasingly difficult to maintain (no it hasn’t, it’s stayed the same for so long!) and less capable of meeting the demands of modern environments (again it hasn’t, it pushes out updates from a central point still, you can even update VMs in Azure from WSUS), especially as organizations scale and update frequency skyrockets (no, update frequency has decreased. We get monthly rollups, yearly feature updates – this is much more organised and less frequent than old ways).
WSUS has always been prone to database corruption, content synchronization issues, and inconsistent reporting. It’s manageable, but only with the right amount of care and feeding—and plenty of frustrated late nights (late night work to me indicates work that can’t be done during the day, and WSUS can definitely be taken offline or worked on at any time). Plus, the lack of native support for cloud-based infrastructures makes WSUS feel a little like trying to use a flip phone in 2024 (we still have new flip phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6).
Microsoft sees the future as cloud-first, and with tools like Windows Update for Business (WUfB) and Microsoft Intune, the writing was on the wall. If you’ve been dragging your feet on moving to a cloud-based update management solution, this is your nudge (or push) (I’d class it as a consideration rather than a nudge or push with WSUS being around for a long time still and being fine for those with an on-premises leaning).
What Are Your Alternatives?
1. Windows Update for Business (WUfB)
WUfB is the go-to recommendation from Microsoft for managing updates across devices, especially in modern environments where cloud integration is key. With WUfB, you can control when updates roll out to your devices and minimize downtime (you can do this with WSUS/Group Policy). Plus, you get the advantage of leveraging the vast cloud resources for faster deployments (I don’t know what’s faster about it, WSUS syncs at frequently as you want, as does the end devices and it’s faster to get the update from a local source than somewhere in the world) without having to babysit a local WSUS server.
The key to WUfB’s appeal is its simplicity and native integration with cloud-based tools like Microsoft Endpoint Manager (a.k.a. Intune). It’s perfect for organizations already committed to a hybrid or cloud-first model.
2. Microsoft Intune
For those who need more granular control over device management, Intune is the powerhouse. While WSUS focused just on updates, Intune goes beyond that, giving you full MDM (Mobile Device Management) capabilities. It also integrates seamlessly with WUfB, offering even more control over update policies while managing compliance, security, and configuration profiles—all from a single interface.
And if you’re worried about transitioning from an on-premise solution, don’t be. The cloud-native approach might be daunting, but Microsoft has made the tools easy to work with and deploy. Sure, there will be a learning curve, but the benefits of modern management are worth it. (I almost agreed with this entire section, but I’d say ‘may be worth it’ because there’s a lot to do to migrate to Intune and still doesn’t have feature parity with Microsoft Endpoint Manager, but also has new features that aren’t available on-prem).
3. Third-Party Tools
WSUS’s retirement might make you nervous about vendor lock-in, and that’s understandable. If you’re not fully on board with Microsoft’s ecosystem or want more flexibility, third-party patch management tools like PDQ Deploy, ManageEngine Patch Manager, or Ivanti offer robust alternatives (I know nothing about these solutions so hopefully they’re good ones??). These can sometimes (sometimes? either they do or they don’t) integrate with cloud services but still give you the local control WSUS provided. The added benefit is that some of these platforms are more reliable and easier to use than the aging WSUS (WSUS isn’t that hard to use in my opinion – there’s a reason (of many) it’s still around and widely used).
The Next Steps for IT Pros
If your WSUS server is still going strong (miraculously) (calm down, again if it was that bad nobody would use it), don’t panic. WSUS isn’t disappearing overnight, and Microsoft will likely support it with patches for a while (it’s not just likely, they have this documented and contractual obligations to support it for 5 + ~5 years). However, it’s clear they aren’t investing in any major updates (again it’s not just ‘clear’ they’ve annonced it’s deprecation and plainly said there will be no new features), so treating this as a “grace period” would be wise.
Here’s what you should do next:
- Evaluate your environment: Is it hybrid, on-prem, or fully cloud? This will guide your next move. If you’re hybrid or cloud-first, consider WUfB and Intune. (and if you’re on-prem?)
- Start testing now: Don’t wait until WSUS is completely dead to start playing with its replacements. Start small—pilot a group of devices using WUfB or Intune and see how the process goes.
- Plan your migration: Migrating to cloud-based solutions like Intune might take some time, depending on your environment’s complexity. Start planning how you’re going to phase out WSUS without disrupting your business.
- Keep an eye on security: Patch management is critical, and the last thing you want is to slack off during a transition period. Ensure that however you’re updating devices, it’s airtight from a security standpoint.
Conclusion: Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
We’ve all been guilty of sticking with what works—until it doesn’t. WSUS has had a good run, but it’s clear that its time is up (if you call at least 10 years left it’s time being up). If you want to avoid the panic of your patching system going belly up, the time to act is now (now = in the next 10 years, so no it’s not) .
Make a plan, test your options, and start transitioning. It’s going to be worth it when you’re no longer troubleshooting WSUS sync failures at 2 a.m. (This is very much my style making a callback to a previous comment in the closing line, but again get some sleep you don’t need to be troubleshooting WSUS sync at 2 a.m. – if WSUS breaks and there’s a zero day to get out, you can work around this in several other easy ways and before it gets to 2 a.m.)
What I’m trying to demonstrate in the above that although generative AI can match the stylings of someone, it doesn’t mean the views and information itself will also match. It will give you inspiration for a layout or an approach you could take in writing something, but you still have to read the contents thoroughly, adjust, and research items you don’t already know from your experience.
I thought I should check that it was basing it off me, rather than one of those other Adam Fowlers out there and it seems to have the right one (from my point of view anyway):
ChatGPT:
Does this style fit what you had in mind for a blog post in Adam Fowler’s tone?
Me:
yes but can you confirm which Adam Fowler this was?
ChatGPT:
This is based on Adam Fowler from Adelaide, Australia, who is an IT professional and well-known for his work in IT blogging, particularly around practical solutions and insights for IT management. His style is often informal, direct, and highly technical, aimed at helping IT administrators navigate complex changes in technology. Does that match your expectation?
