v4.2.0

SPSUpdate - Release Notes

[4.2.0] - 2026-06-30

This release adds a near real-time patching dashboard: while a cumulative update is rolled
out across the farm, SPSUpdate records the progress of every phase into a shared status
store and the master assembles a self-contained, auto-refreshing HTML dashboard.

Added

• Status store and dashboard functions: Set-SPSUpdateStatus / Get-SPSUpdateStatus
  (atomic per-scope JSON store, each writer owns its file), Get-SPSStatusCampaignPath
  (resolves <root>\<App>-<Env>-<Farm>), and Export-SPSUpdateProgressReport (renders a
  self-contained HTML dashboard with overall state, per-phase sections, colored state
  badges, per-item exit codes and per-sequence percentage; meta-refresh while running).
• New optional StatusStorePath config key (UNC share) with a local Results\status
  fallback.
• New -Action ResetStatus to clear a campaign before a fresh patching round.
• SPSUpdate.ps1 is instrumented end-to-end: ProductUpdate per server (per-setup-file
  items), the four mount/upgrade sequences (per-database items and a running percentage),
  the Configuration Wizard per server (local and remote), and side-by-side. The master
  regenerates the dashboard on every wait-loop iteration and writes a final completed
  dashboard with auto-refresh off.
• New Test-SPSUpdateReadiness.ps1 pre-flight check (module, config, DPAPI secret,
  elevation, status store write access, per-server CredSSP reachability). The status store
  check probes write access both as the current user and as the InstallAccount, since the
  upgrade sequences run as the service account and only appear on the dashboard when it can
  write to the share.
• The dashboard collapses finished scopes (Done/Skipped) by default and keeps active ones
  expanded (native <details>/<summary>, accessible, no JS); each collapsed line still
  shows its badge, percentage and an N/M done count.
• Real process exit codes are surfaced: the ProductUpdate item's Exit column shows the
  setup.exe code (0, 17022 = reboot required, ...), and the Configuration Wizard records
  the psconfig.exe code in its detail (PSConfig completed (exit 0)).

How to use

1. Set StatusStorePath to a UNC share writable by the InstallAccount from every server
   (grant it Modify on the SMB share and NTFS — the sequence tasks run as that account).
2. Run Test-SPSUpdateReadiness.ps1 to confirm the environment (both write probes green).
3. SPSUpdate.ps1 -ConfigFile '<farm>.psd1' -Action ResetStatus to start a clean campaign.
4. Open <StatusStorePath>\<App>-<Env>-<Farm>\_dashboard.html in a browser.
5. Run -Action ProductUpdate on each server, then the default master run; watch the
   dashboard update itself.

Changed

• Bumped the module manifest to 4.2.0 and exported the new functions.

Notes

• Validated end-to-end on a real three-server Subscription Edition farm with an actual
  cumulative update (binary install, parallel content-database upgrade, and the post-setup
  Configuration Wizard, all reflected live on the dashboard).

A full list of changes in each version can be found in the change log

v4.1.0

SPSUpdate - Release Notes

[4.1.0] - 2026-06-29

This release adds a self-contained HTML report for the ContentDatabase inventory, in the
same spirit as the SPSUserSync reports. It builds on the v4.0.0 modernization and is fully
backward compatible.

Added

• New public function Export-SPSUpdateDbReport that renders the ContentDatabase inventory (<App>-<Env>-<Farm>-ContentDBs.json) as a self-contained, offline HTML report: summary cards (total databases, total size, balance spread), the per-sequence LPT distribution (count / size / percentage bars), and a sortable, filterable table of every database. Inventories generated before v4.1.0 (no size) still render and fall back to distributing by database count.
• SPSUpdate.ps1 now writes the HTML report under a new Results\ folder whenever the inventory is (re)generated (the InitContentDB action and the Default-mode prime). Report failures warn but never block the run.
• Private report helpers: ConvertTo-SPSHtmlEncoded, Get-SPSReportCardHtml, Get-SPSReportHtmlHead, Get-SPSReportDistributionHtml, Get-SPSReportHtmlScript.

Changed

• Initialize-SPSContentDbJsonFile now persists SizeInBytes and SizeInMB for each database in the inventory JSON. This is backward compatible: the mount/upgrade flow still reads only Name, WebAppUrl and Server.
• Bumped the module manifest to 4.1.0 and exported Export-SPSUpdateDbReport.

Notes

• An inventory produced by v4.0.0 (without size) renders correctly; regenerate it with -Action InitContentDB to get the size columns and size-based balancing in the report.

A full list of changes in each version can be found in the change log

v4.0.0

SPSUpdate - Release Notes

[4.0.0] - 2026-06-29

This is a major modernization release that aligns SPSUpdate with the SPSWeather and
SPSUserSync projects. It is a breaking release: the package layout, the configuration
format and the credential storage all change. Review the migration notes below before
upgrading an existing deployment.

Added

• New SPSUpdate.Common PowerShell module (src/Modules/SPSUpdate.Common) with a manifest-driven version, a dot-sourcing loader, and a one-file-per-function layout split into Public/ and Private/.
• DPAPI credential store: Get-SPSSecret / Set-SPSSecret persist the InstallAccount as an encrypted SecureString in Config\secrets.psd1, replacing the Windows Credential Manager module. -Action Install writes the secret and -Action Uninstall removes it.
• Tolerant configuration loader: optional keys fall back to safe defaults (Binaries.ProductUpdate, Binaries.ShutdownServices and UpgradeContentDatabase default to $true; MountContentDatabase and SideBySideToken.Enable default to $false).
• Repository scaffolding aligned with the other SPS* projects: .editorconfig, .gitattributes (UTF-8 BOM + CRLF for PowerShell files), PSScriptAnalyzerSettings.psd1, and an expanded .gitignore.
• Wiki: new Release-Process page and _Sidebar.md navigation.
• Offline install guide (src/SPSUpdate_README.md) shipped inside the release ZIP, rewritten for the psd1 config, the DPAPI secret store and the Modules\ layout (no DSC).

Changed

• BREAKING — Project layout moved from scripts/ to src/. The release ZIP now packages the contents of src/, so the archive extracts straight to SPSUpdate.ps1, Config\ and Modules\ (no wrapper folder).
• BREAKING — Environment configuration moved from JSON to a PowerShell data file (*.psd1), read with Import-PowerShellDataFile. A single documented template (Config\CONTOSO-PROD.example.psd1) lists every option with its possible values inline. Runtime/output files (the ContentDB inventory and logs) stay JSON by design.
• BREAKING — The config key StoredCredential is renamed to CredentialKey and now points at an entry in Config\secrets.psd1 instead of a Windows Credential Manager target.
• SPSUpdate.ps1 now imports SPSUpdate.Common, derives its version banner from the module manifest, and reads/writes the InstallAccount credential through Get-SPSSecret/Set-SPSSecret.
• Add-SPSUpdateEvent is now self-contained (version/user resolved from the module) and re-points a mis-mapped event source to the SPSUpdate log instead of returning silently.
• CI: release.yml zips the contents of src/; pester.yml triggers on src/**, tests/** and PSScriptAnalyzerSettings.psd1, and runs PSScriptAnalyzer against src/SPSUpdate.ps1 and the SPSUpdate.Common module.
• README.md trimmed to a short overview with quick links; the wiki (Home, Getting-Started, Configuration, Usage) rewritten for the new layout, psd1 config and DPAPI secret store.

Fixed

• Invoke-SPSCommand now fails fast when the CredSSP New-PSSession cannot be established (-ErrorAction Stop + a clear throw) instead of falling back to running the SharePoint scriptblock locally on the master server with no session — which previously made PSConfig and side-by-side operations silently target the wrong server. Added an OpenTimeout and clearer remote-failure error messages, aligned with the SPSWeather hardening.

Removed

• BREAKING — The bundled third-party credentialmanager module (DLLs + manifest) and all Get-/New-/Remove-StoredCredential usage.
• The legacy scripts/ tree, including the flat util.psm1 / sps.util.psm1 helpers and the per-farm JSON configs.

Migration from 3.x

1. Convert each JSON config to a *.psd1 file (see Config\CONTOSO-PROD.example.psd1) and rename StoredCredential to CredentialKey.
2. Re-run .\SPSUpdate.ps1 -ConfigFile '<farm>.psd1' -Action Install -InstallAccount (Get-Credential) as the service account to store the credential in Config\secrets.psd1 (the previous Credential Manager entry is no longer used).
3. Extract the new ZIP on each server; it unpacks to SPSUpdate.ps1, Config\ and Modules\ directly.

A full list of changes in each version can be found in the change log

v3.2.1

SPSUpdate - Release Notes

[3.2.1] - 2026-06-11

Changed

scripts/Modules/sps.util.psm1:

• Initialize-SPSContentDbJsonFile now distributes content databases across the four sequences using a Longest Processing Time First (LPT) algorithm based on DiskSizeRequired, instead of splitting them evenly by count (floor(count / 4)). Sequences are now balanced by total database size so parallel upgrade workloads finish closer to the same time.
• Initialize-SPSContentDbJsonFile now prints a distribution report to the transcript showing the count, total size (MB) and percentage for each of the four sequences.
• Initialize-SPSContentDbJsonFile now also writes a timestamped snapshot of the inventory (<basename>_yyyy-MM-dd_HH-mm-ss.json) next to the canonical file each time it runs. The canonical file (consumed by SPSUpdate.ps1) is still overwritten in place, while the dated snapshots accumulate in scripts/Config/ so previous inventories can be reviewed or restored. Snapshot failures are logged via Write-Verbose and never block the canonical write.
• Start-SPSProductUpdate now invokes the SharePoint patch setup with /passive instead of /quiet. /passive still runs the patch without user interaction but displays a progress UI, which gives administrators visibility on the installation progress when the script is run interactively. Behavior of the returned exit code and the post-install service-restoration logic is unchanged.

scripts/SPSUpdate.ps1:

• Bumped $SPSUpdateVersion to 3.2.1.

Fixed

scripts/Modules/sps.util.psm1:

• Fixed Initialize-SPSContentDbJsonFile edge case where fewer than 4 content databases caused groupSize to evaluate to 0, dumping every database into SPContentDatabase4 and leaving SPContentDatabase1..3 empty.

Tests

tests/Modules/sps.util.Tests.ps1:

• Added Pester tests for Initialize-SPSContentDbJsonFile covering: no file written when Get-SPContentDatabase returns $null, fair distribution of fewer than 4 databases (regression for the floor(count / 4) bug), LPT balancing by size (the largest database lands alone in its sequence), and the SPContentDatabase1..4 JSON property contract consumed by SPSUpdate.ps1.

A full list of changes in each version can be found in the change log

v3.2.0

SPSUpdate - Release Notes

[3.2.0] - 2026-05-26

Added

scripts/SPSUpdate.ps1:

• Added new InitContentDB value for the Action parameter that (re)generates the ContentDatabase inventory JSON file for the local farm. Intended to be run on the source farm before a farm upgrade (for example SharePoint Server 2019 → Subscription Edition).
• Added new MountContentDatabase configuration property in the JSON config file. When true, the master server iterates through the ContentDatabase inventory JSON file and mounts every database that is not already attached to the farm. Mounts are performed sequentially to avoid concurrent writes to the configuration database.
• Loader of the ContentDatabase inventory JSON file now also runs when MountContentDatabase is true (previously only when UpgradeContentDatabase was true).
• Added dedicated transcript log file naming for the InitContentDB action.

scripts/Modules/sps.util.psm1:

• Added Mount-SPSContentDatabase wrapper around Mount-SPContentDatabase. The wrapper validates the target web application, skips databases that are already attached, and accepts an optional DatabaseServer parameter.

tests/SPSUpdate.Tests.ps1:

• Added assertions for the new InitContentDB action and the MountContentDatabase flow.
• Added regression test that the ProductUpdate flow no longer calls Test-SPSPendingReboot.

tests/Modules/sps.util.Tests.ps1:

• Added tests for Mount-SPSContentDatabase (export, parameters, idempotency when the DB is already attached, mounting when missing, error when the web application is not found).

Changed

scripts/SPSUpdate.ps1:

• Bumped $SPSUpdateVersion to 3.2.0.
• Removed the blocking pending-reboot check from the ProductUpdate action. On production farms the Windows reboot markers (Component Based Servicing, PendingFileRenameOperations, etc.) commonly remain set after several reboots, which was causing legitimate updates to be aborted. The Test-SPSPendingReboot helper is kept available in util.psm1 for ad-hoc usage.

Documentation

• Updated scripts/SPSUpdate_README.md, wiki/Configuration.md and wiki/Usage.md to document the new InitContentDB action, the new MountContentDatabase JSON property and the removal of the blocking pending-reboot check from ProductUpdate.

A full list of changes in each version can be found in the change log

v3.1.1

SPSUpdate - Release Notes

[3.1.1] - 2026-05-11

Added

scripts/Modules/util.psm1:

• Added Test-SPSPendingReboot to detect pending reboot state using multiple Windows markers (Windows Update, CBS, pending file rename, pending computer rename, and ConfigMgr).

scripts/Modules/sps.util.psm1:

• Added missing Clear-ComObject helper used by Get-SPSLocalVersionInfo to safely release COM objects.

tests/Modules/util.Tests.ps1:

• Added tests for Test-SPSPendingReboot and module export validation for the new helper.
• Added regression tests for Start-SPSScheduledTask TaskPath parameter support and task path normalization behavior.

tests/Modules/sps.util.Tests.ps1:

• Added regression test ensuring Start-SPSProductUpdate no longer exposes InstallAccount.

tests/SPSUpdate.Tests.ps1:

• Added assertions for consolidated reboot detection (Test-SPSPendingReboot) in ProductUpdate flow.
• Added regression assertion to prevent reintroduction of legacy ProductUpdate MOF cleanup code.

Fixed

scripts/Modules/util.psm1:

• Fixed Start-SPSScheduledTask to support TaskPath and use that path when resolving and starting tasks.
• Normalized scheduled task paths to the expected \<TaskPath> format for Get-ScheduledTask and Start-ScheduledTask.
• Changed Add-SPSScheduledTask behavior to create or update existing tasks instead of skipping them.

scripts/Modules/sps.util.psm1:

• Fixed runtime failure in Get-SPSLocalVersionInfo when Clear-ComObject was missing.

scripts/SPSUpdate.ps1:

• Updated ProductUpdate to run update binaries without InstallAccount.
• Replaced single reboot check with consolidated reboot detection and detailed marker reporting.
• Removed legacy ProductUpdate finally block used for old DSC MOF cleanup.
• Enabled script-level verbose forwarding (-Verbose) to downstream module cmdlets.
• Added transcript file path output (Transcript log file: ...) at startup for easier log discovery.
• Updated installed SharePoint version output to print FileVersion explicitly.

Changed

Documentation:

• Updated ProductUpdate examples and guidance to remove InstallAccount requirement.
• Removed stale references to temporary MOF cleanup after ProductUpdate.

A full list of changes in each version can be found in the change log

v3.1.0

SPSUpdate - Release Notes

[3.1.0] - 2026-05-07

Added

tests/Modules/util.Tests.ps1:

• New Pester test suite for util.psm1 module with 11 test cases
• Module loading validation tests
• Tests for Get-SPSInstalledProductVersion function (callable, return type validation)
• Tests for Add-SPSUpdateEvent function with parameter validation (Message/Source mandatory, EntryType/EventId optional)
• Tests for Invoke-SPSCommand function structure validation (Credential, Server, ScriptBlock parameters)

tests/Modules/sps.util.Tests.ps1:

• Comprehensive Pester test suite for sps.util.psm1 with 4 test cases
• Get-SPSLocalVersionInfo: Tests DisplayVersion fallback when patch metadata is missing
• Start-SPSProductUpdate: Tests file blocking detection with Add-SPSUpdateEvent logging
• Start-SPSProductUpdate: Tests exit code reporting ($setupInstall.ExitCode)
• Start-SPSProductUpdate: Tests service startup type restoration with SP 2015/2019 compatibility

tests/SPSUpdate.Tests.ps1:

• Main script validation test suite with expanded coverage for script structure, task handling, and event logging
• File validation: Existence, file extension matching, PowerShell syntax validation
• Content validation: param block, script version declaration, module imports (util, sps.util), Start-Transcript logging, try-catch error handling, Administrator privilege checks
• Dependency validation: Module files (util.psm1, sps.util.psm1), folders (credentialmanager, Config), sample JSON configuration files
• Configuration file validation: JSON validity, required ConfigurationName property
• Scheduled task validation: task name constants, task existence checks, TaskPath usage, and default action task management patterns
• Error logging validation: catchMessage pattern and Add-SPSUpdateEvent coverage for initialization, task scheduling, product update, credential, and configuration wizard failures

Fixed

scripts/Modules/util.psm1:

• Get-SPSInstalledProductVersion: Changed return type from string to System.Diagnostics.FileVersionInfo object to enable proper version property access (ProductMajorPart, ProductBuildPart)

scripts/Modules/sps.util.psm1:

• Get-SPSLocalVersionInfo (Lines 393-502): Fixed uninitialized $versionInfo variable by adding proper initialization in all code paths (if block, catch block, fallback assignments)
• Start-SPSProductUpdate (Lines 494-647): Fixed incorrect variable name $setup.ExitCode → $setupInstall.ExitCode for accurate error code reporting
• Start-SPSProductUpdate: Fixed version detection to use ProductMajorPart property instead of non-existent FileMajorPart on FileVersionInfo object
• Start-SPSProductUpdate (Lines 838-851): Fixed service restoration logic to use original $service.StartType from saved JSON instead of forcing all services to Disabled startup type
• Start-SPSProductUpdate (Lines 693-710): Removed misleading exception placeholder from blocked-file error message for clearer error reporting
• Start-SPSProductUpdate: Added credentialed Start-Process execution with Windows identity safety guard for cross-platform compatibility

scripts/SPSUpdate.ps1:

• Added Test-ConfigurationFile to validate JSON structure and required configuration properties before execution
• Centralized scheduled task names and task folder path into script-scoped constants
• Added scheduled task existence checks before recreating full and sequence tasks
• Standardized catch blocks around key operations by composing catchMessage strings and logging failures through Add-SPSUpdateEvent
• Extended task handling in Default mode to use task variables, TaskPath, and event logging consistently

Changed

.github/workflows/pester.yml:

• Updated PSScriptAnalyzer code quality step to exclude credentialmanager folder (third-party dependency)
• Filter implemented: Get-ChildItem excludes files matching 'credentialmanager' pattern before analysis
• Improved CI/CD reliability by preventing false positives from third-party code analysis

README.md and wiki/Getting-Started.md:

• Removed outdated SharePointDsc and DSC-based prerequisite/setup guidance
• Updated documentation to describe native ProductUpdate execution of SharePoint update binaries
• Replaced the DSC CredSSP example with direct PowerShell CredSSP configuration commands

A full list of changes in each version can be found in the change log

v3.0.3

SPSUpdate - Release Notes

[3.0.3] - 2025-11-05

Changed

scripts\SPSUpdate.ps1:

• Add ErrorAction SilentlyContinue in LanguagePackInstalled registry

Added

scripts/SPSUpdate_README.md:

• Resolve Documentation Request: Add readme file for offline installation (issue #8).

A full list of changes in each version can be found in the change log

v3.0.2

SPSUpdate - Release Notes

[3.0.2] - 2025-10-17

Changed

scripts\SPSUpdate.ps1:

• Cleanup DSC Mof files after installation of Cumulative Updates
• Check patch status before running SPConfig.exe

scripts\Modules\sps.util.psm1:

• Refactor Get-SPSServersPatchStatus and Start-SPSConfigExe functions

A full list of changes in each version can be found in the change log

v3.0.1

SPSUpdate - Release Notes

[3.0.1] - 2025-10-17

Changed

scripts\SPSUpdate.ps1:

• Change credential variable with InstallAccount variable in ProductUpdate Section

scripts\Modules\sps.util.psm1:

• Fix Exception: The term 'Localhost' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet

A full list of changes in each version can be found in the change log