Microsoft readies Windows Autopatch to free admins from dealing with its fixes
(2022/06/17)
- Reference: 1655476205
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/06/17/autopatch/
- Source link:
If Windows Autopatch arrives in July as planned, some of you will be able to say goodbye to Patch Tuesday.
Windows Autopatch formed part of Microsoft's [1]April announcements on updates to the company's Windows-in-the-cloud product. The tech [2]was in public preview since May .
Aimed at enterprise users running Windows 10 and 11, Autopatch can, in theory, be used [3]to replace the traditional Patch Tuesday to which administrators have become accustomed over the years. A small set of devices will get the patches first before Autopatch moves on to gradually larger sets, gated by checks to ensure that nothing breaks.
[4]
If an issue crops up, the updates can be paused, rolled back or just the bits of an update that aren't broken rolled out. The cadence will also increase for urgent updates, such as zero-day threats.
[5]
[6]
Although Autopatch is available free for users running Windows 10/11 Enterprise E3 and above, there is a cost in terms of granular control. Earlier this month Microsoft confirmed it would not be possible to schedule rollouts only at certain days and times. It will also not be possible to individually approve or deny devices.
[7]Microsoft warns IT admins on EU data processing, fixes File Explorer flaws
[8]Microsoft CRM tool to pull sales data from email, Teams calls, Office 365
[9]Eaton, Microsoft to outfit datacenters with 'grid-interactive' UPS tech
[10]Microsoft continues cyber security spending spree with Miburo buy
PowerShell fans will be disappointed to learn that "Programmatic access to Windows Autopatch is not currently available."
As for where Autopatch pulls its fixes, Windows updates come from the General Availability Channel and Office updates come from the Monthly Enterprise Channel. Teams and Microsoft's Edge browser are special cases – Edge has its own update service and the Teams client application is synchronized with changes to the Teams online service.
Drivers and firmware published to Windows Update as "Automatic" will also dribble down to users via Autopatch. Windows Server and Windows multi-session is not, however, supported.
[11]
While Patch Tuesday will continue for many of us, there is now an opportunity for administrators immersed in Windows at an enterprise level and tired of the monthly festival of fixes to free up resources and let Autopatch do its thing.
That's as long as admins are willing to trust that Microsoft is better at managing updates than it is at [12]quality control . ®
Get our [13]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/06/microsoft_365_cloud/
[2] https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-it-pro-blog/get-started-with-windows-autopatch-public-preview/ba-p/3439912
[3] https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-it-pro-blog/windows-autopatch-faq/ba-p/3272081
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YqylIU1DB8WpevL7HykiXwAAAQg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YqylIU1DB8WpevL7HykiXwAAAQg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YqylIU1DB8WpevL7HykiXwAAAQg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/16/windows_11_build_25140/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/16/microsoft_launches_tools_to_suck/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/16/eaton_microsoft_grid_interactive_datacenters/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/15/miburo/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YqylIU1DB8WpevL7HykiXwAAAQg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/15/microsoft_patch_tuesday/
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Windows Autopatch formed part of Microsoft's [1]April announcements on updates to the company's Windows-in-the-cloud product. The tech [2]was in public preview since May .
Aimed at enterprise users running Windows 10 and 11, Autopatch can, in theory, be used [3]to replace the traditional Patch Tuesday to which administrators have become accustomed over the years. A small set of devices will get the patches first before Autopatch moves on to gradually larger sets, gated by checks to ensure that nothing breaks.
[4]
If an issue crops up, the updates can be paused, rolled back or just the bits of an update that aren't broken rolled out. The cadence will also increase for urgent updates, such as zero-day threats.
[5]
[6]
Although Autopatch is available free for users running Windows 10/11 Enterprise E3 and above, there is a cost in terms of granular control. Earlier this month Microsoft confirmed it would not be possible to schedule rollouts only at certain days and times. It will also not be possible to individually approve or deny devices.
[7]Microsoft warns IT admins on EU data processing, fixes File Explorer flaws
[8]Microsoft CRM tool to pull sales data from email, Teams calls, Office 365
[9]Eaton, Microsoft to outfit datacenters with 'grid-interactive' UPS tech
[10]Microsoft continues cyber security spending spree with Miburo buy
PowerShell fans will be disappointed to learn that "Programmatic access to Windows Autopatch is not currently available."
As for where Autopatch pulls its fixes, Windows updates come from the General Availability Channel and Office updates come from the Monthly Enterprise Channel. Teams and Microsoft's Edge browser are special cases – Edge has its own update service and the Teams client application is synchronized with changes to the Teams online service.
Drivers and firmware published to Windows Update as "Automatic" will also dribble down to users via Autopatch. Windows Server and Windows multi-session is not, however, supported.
[11]
While Patch Tuesday will continue for many of us, there is now an opportunity for administrators immersed in Windows at an enterprise level and tired of the monthly festival of fixes to free up resources and let Autopatch do its thing.
That's as long as admins are willing to trust that Microsoft is better at managing updates than it is at [12]quality control . ®
Get our [13]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/06/microsoft_365_cloud/
[2] https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-it-pro-blog/get-started-with-windows-autopatch-public-preview/ba-p/3439912
[3] https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-it-pro-blog/windows-autopatch-faq/ba-p/3272081
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YqylIU1DB8WpevL7HykiXwAAAQg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YqylIU1DB8WpevL7HykiXwAAAQg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YqylIU1DB8WpevL7HykiXwAAAQg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/16/windows_11_build_25140/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/16/microsoft_launches_tools_to_suck/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/16/eaton_microsoft_grid_interactive_datacenters/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/15/miburo/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YqylIU1DB8WpevL7HykiXwAAAQg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/15/microsoft_patch_tuesday/
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
"or just the bits of an update that aren't broken"
Mike 137
Given this all too common situation, I just don't trust automated patching of mission critical systems. There should always be a test run where it doesn't matter should it break.
No no no no no no no no
steviebuk
no no no!
People specifically wait to make sure the new "update" doesn't kill network printing for example (as it did at ours when that was out). Using autopatch means everyone, everywhere that ends up being forced to use it will be borked.
Re: No no no no no no no no
chivo243
That's why I used* WSUS**, with a GP to install updates and restart after hours, when there was no user logged in... If somebody was busy late, or forgot to log out, they had to wait a week for the GP to trigger it again.
*I've moved on, but keep in touch with my ex-colleagues, and remind them to wait, and not approve every update!
**I then watched El Reg and other reputable tech websites for a week before approving any updates, ANY!
Auto F***up
druck
A small set of devices will get the patches first before Autopatch moves on to gradually larger sets, gated by checks to ensure that nothing breaks.
That's never stopped them before.
auto update
Anonymous Coward
meh...
" Earlier this month Microsoft confirmed it would not be possible to schedule rollouts only at certain days and times. "
Then what is the point?
How many hours of productivity is wasted because of a Windows machine deciding to do an update, for it to then stick at 95% for an hour while it sorts itself out, during a working day?
How hard can it be to have a mechanism there to say "install these patches at 4:55pm" so it can be done at the end of the work day, or even during a lunch hour.
Microsoft will be fiddling with their nipples over putting tabs in File Explorer, but will then say something that would be a genuine help isn't possible?