Starting with Windows 10, Microsoft now provides two types of update packages for Windows 10.
Feature updates are the equivalent of what used to be called "version upgrades". Technically, a Windows 10 feature update is a new operating system version of Windows. These feature updates include new functionality and require a multi-gigabyte download and a full setup and installation. Microsoft's schedule is to deliver Windows 10 feature updates twice a year.
Quality updates address security and reliability issues and do not include new features. These quality updates are cumulative. Even if you skip several months' worth of quality updates, you can install the latest cumulative quality update and you will be completely up to date on security and reliability fixes. Microsoft provides new Windows 10 quality updates on the second Tuesday of each month, or "Patch Tuesday", as it is widely known.
The download of feature and quality updates are controlled separately from each other. Therefore, it is possible to receive the latest quality updates without receiving the latest feature update.
Feature updates are delivered by Microsoft according to "servicing channels". In early releases of Windows 10, these were called "branches".
By default, all Windows 10 computers are enrolled in the "Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted)" servicing channel, which was previously known as the "Current Branch". For devices assigned to this channel, feature updates are delivered via Windows Update as soon as the feature updates are released by Microsoft.
Because of the enormous number of machines that receive Windows updates, Microsoft "throttles" update delivery to manage the load on the Microsoft servers. As a result, it may take several weeks for a feature update to roll out to all the millions of devices in the "Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted)" servicing channel.
After Microsoft determines that initial reliability and security issues discovered during the first few months of release of a feature update to the "Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted)" servicing channel have been addressed, Microsoft then declares the current feature update ready for widespread deployment to the enterprise through the "Semi-Annual Channel" servicing channel, which was previously known as the "Current Branch for Business".
The time between Microsoft publicly releasing a feature update to the "Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted)" servicing channel and declaring that feature update suitable for deployment to the enterprise in the "Semi-Annual Channel" servicing channel is approximately 4 months.
In the newer versions of Windows 10, it is possible to defer a feature update in both the "Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted") and "Semi-Annual Channel" servicing channels by up to 365 days. Therefore, by moving a computer to the "Semi-Annual Channel" it is possible to delay receiving a feature update i.e. a new Windows 10 operating system version for approximately 16 months.
As a feature update is a new version of the Windows 10 operating system, to avoid any negative impact of deploying a new Windows version throughout your organisation you should review your Windows Update strategy.
This window of time between Microsoft initially releasing the feature update to targeted machines through the "Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted") and releasing the feature update for general deployment to the enterprise through the "Semi-Annual Channel" will also provide the Solid Edge development team time to review and react to any changes introduced by Windows 10 feature updates, thereby helping keep you as productive as possible.
At a minimum, you should consider moving your Windows 10 machines to the "Semi-Annual Channel" servicing channel. By moving to the "Semi-Annual Channel" you are allowing both Microsoft and Siemens PLM to have approximately 4 months to resolve any initial issues discovered in the feature update before you can even potentially receive this new operating system on your machines.
Additionally, you should consider setting the feature update deferral period. This will allow your IT organisation further opportunity to review and determine the suitability of the latest Windows 10 operating system version for your company beyond Microsoft releasing the feature update to the enterprise through the "Semi-Annual Channel".
If you do not review your Windows 10 Updates policy, you will by default be in the "Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted)" servicing channel. You will receive a new version of the Windows 10 operating system approximately every 6 months, and you will receive this new operating system version within weeks of Microsoft initially releasing the feature update.
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