Windows as a service is a new concept, introduced with the release of Windows 10 which applies to:
• Windows 10
• Windows 10 Mobile
• Windows 10 IoT Mobile
Not sure what Windows as a service is? With Windows 10, Microsoft moved to deliver Windows as a service which introduces a new way for how it’s built, deployed and serviced. View this 5-minute video demo where Microsoft demystify the core components of the Windows as a service model will demystify the core components of the Windows as a service model , including the build release process and update cadence as well as rupcoming enhancements that further streamline the model.
Terminology you should know:
•Feature updates add new features to Windows 10, delivered in an agile manner
•Quality updates are released monthly and are cumulative.
•Servicing branches allow organizations to choose when to deploy new features.
•Deployment rings are groups of devices used to initially pilot, and then to broadly deploy, each feature update in an organization.
New feature update releases are initially considered Current Branch (CB) releases; organizations will use these for pilot deployments to ensure compatibility with existing apps and infrastructure. After about four months, the feature update will be declared as Current Branch for Business (CBB), indicating that it is ready for broad deployment.
Each Windows 10 feature update (which initially begins as CB and then is declared as CBB) will be serviced with quality updates for a minimum of 18 months after it is released. The total length of time can be longer, as there will be two CBB releases serviced at all times. There will be a minimum of 60 days advanced notice (a grace period) after a CBB declaration occurs before an older feature update is no longer serviced.
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB is a separate Long Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) version. Each release is supported for a total of 10 years (five years standard support, five years extended support). New releases are expected about every three years.
Staying up to date
The process for keeping Windows 10 up to date involves deploying a feature update, at an appropriate time after its release. A variety of tools management and patching tools such as Windows Update, Windows Update for Business, Windows Server Update Services, System Center Configuration Manager, and third-party products) can be used to help with this process. Windows Upgrade Analytics, a free tool to streamline Windows upgrade projects, is another important tool to help.
Because app compatibility, both for desktop apps and web apps, is outstanding with Windows 10, extensive advanced testing isn’t required. Instead, only business-critical apps need to be tested, with the remaining apps validated through a series of pilot deployment rings. Once these pilot deployments have validated most apps and CBB has been declared, broad deployment can begin.
This process repeats with each new feature update, two to three times per year. These are small deployment projects, compared to the big projects that were necessary with the old three-to-five-year Windows release cycles.
Additional technologies such as BranchCache and Delivery Optimization, both peer-to-peer distribution tools, can help with the distribution of the feature update installation files.
