New Windows Servicing Model

From October, Microsoft will provide a new update model for legacy Windows versions which will be similar to the one for Windows 10. The client operating systems Windows 7 and 8.1 as well as the server operating systems 2008 R2, 2012, and 2012 R2 will obtain their future security updates and all non-security updates in the form of monthly cumulative rollup updates.

According to Microsoft, the transition to cumulative rollup updates will allow a single servicing model for all supported Windows versions, thus preventing further “update fragmentation” for the operating system. In the past, administrators or users could decide by themselves which updates they wanted to install on a system or not. As a result, possible problems of those systems could be caused by a different patch level. It’s probably for this reason that Microsoft already published in this year’s spring the “Convenience Rollup update” for Windows 7 SP1. It includes most updates that were released after the release of Service Pack 1 through April 2016.

In October, the cumulative rollup updates will be available for the first time via Windows Update, WSUS, Configuration Manager (SCCM), and the Microsoft Update Catalog.

In addition, according to Microsoft, there will be furthermore monthly update packages that will contain security-related updates only. Unlike the rollup updates, they will not be cumulative but include only updates that have been released for this month. Those “Security-only updates” are rather aimed at corporate customers, because they can only be downloaded using WSUS, SCCM or the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Updates concerning the .NET Framework will still be released separately, however following the same model: Users who rely on Windows Update only, will get the cumulative rollup updates, which include security updates as well as reliability updates for the runtime environment. For corporate customers there will be an additional package containing security updates only.

Source: Microsoft, WindowsPro