Microsoft will unify quality updates in Windows 10 Version 1809

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Since its debut, Windows 10 (Waas, Windows 10 as a Service) has been on a steep path as a service. Unlike Windows 7, feature updates for the Windows 10 major (new) version of the operating system are released semiannually, and while software-as-a-service delivery models have been used, Microsoft continues to invest in improving back-end quality updates.

Delta and Express updates

The Windows 10 Cumulative Updates (CU) mode allows the user to install only the latest/nearest CU packages(LCUs), and the LCU will include all the changes in the previous CU. While this update is easy for IT administrators and end users to use, it also means that CU packages will grow larger. For example, the first CU package for a new version of Windows 10 is usually only 100-150MB, but at the end of the life of the version, the CU package usually exceeds 1GB.

To solve the problem of increasing CU packet size, Microsoft introduced the Delta Update (Incremental Update) function from Windows 10 version 1607. This update function allows users who have installed previous CUs to download only the different parts of the new CU package for updating. Instead of downloading the full package each time the CU is updated. The Delta update package is on average about 30% smaller than the complete update package, which is typically 300-400 MB.

Although the Delta update package is smaller, it also includes a complete update component, not just files that have changed since the last CU.

In the Windows 10 Creators Update released in the spring of 2017, Microsoft introduced the Express Update (Quick Update) feature, which further reduces the update volume. Express updates can generate differential downloads even if their size is already smaller than the Delta update. Unlike Delta updates, Express updates have only specific changes, not full components. And because Express updates provide exact monthly differential updates, you can use them directly without having to install previous updates.

To help IT administrators deliver the best update experience and reduce complexity, Microsoft has announced that it will delist the Delta Update feature in February 2019, focusing exclusively on full updates and Express updates. Mike Benson has mentioned in his blog post that since the third-party update manager has supported the Express update feature for more than a year, Microsoft is abandoning support for incremental updates.

More efficient quality update support in Windows 10 Version 1809

Although the current version of Windows 10 in the lifecycle can continue to receive full updates and quick updates, starting with Windows 10 Version 1809, it will only receive one type of update package – a full update. However, the entire update size of Windows 10 Version 1809 is just about the same size as the current Quick Update package, and more importantly, it can be redistributed on the network.

Maliha Qureshi describes in his blog post that the new single update for Windows 10 Version 1809 and next-generation Windows Server will benefit users in the following ways:

  • Organizations and users who have completed the update through WSUS or the Microsoft Update Catalog can save network bandwidth with smaller update packages.
  • Incremental updates have been used to manage the updated size of the organisation, eliminating the need to monitor the device’s update status and history to determine which devices are eligible for incremental updates.
  • Because new quality update packages are redistributable, organisations that use WSUS, SCCM, or (fast-updated) third-party management solutions can significantly reduce network bandwidth and cache size on patch distribution.
  • Since downloading updates no longer requires a difference calculation, starting with Windows 10 Version 1809, the device update efficiency will increase by about 40%.

The new update package for Windows 10 Version 1809 is available through Update Standalone Installer (.msu) in Windows Update, WSUS, and the Microsoft Update Catalog. Devices managed by Intune, third-party MDM solutions and SCCM will be able to use the new updated design. The updated version of “B”, the out-of-band version and the updated versions of “C” and “D” will be available in the new update format.

Any device running Windows 10 version 1803 or a currently supported version of Windows 10 can receive quality updates through feature updates and monthly updates.

Microsoft promises that the new updated design will take up less disk size on the distribution server than fast updates, and the final update size provided to the terminal will be roughly the same as the quick update.

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