Windows Update Rings: Best Practices for Enterprise Deployment - CyberSystem Blog

Managing Windows updates at enterprise scale requires a strategic approach that balances security, stability, and user experience. Windows Update Rings in Microsoft Intune provide a powerful framework for controlling how and when your devices receive feature and quality updates.

What Are Windows Update Rings?

Windows Update Rings are policies in Microsoft Intune that specify how and when Windows as a Service updates your Windows devices with feature and quality updates. Unlike traditional update management, Windows 10 and Windows 11 use a cumulative update model where new updates include all previous updates, simplifying the update process.

Key Benefits

Controlled Rollout: Gradually deploy updates across your organization
Risk Mitigation: Test updates on representative devices before broad deployment
User Experience: Configure update behavior to minimize disruption
Compliance: Ensure devices stay current with security patches
Flexibility: Different settings for different device groups

Understanding Update Types

Before configuring rings, it's essential to understand the two types of Windows updates:

Feature Updates

Feature updates deliver new Windows functionality and are typically released twice per year. These updates:

Include new features and capabilities
May require application compatibility testing
Have a longer deployment cycle (typically 60-180 days deferral)
Can be uninstalled within a configurable period (2-60 days)

Quality Updates

Quality updates include security patches, bug fixes, and driver updates. These updates:

Are released monthly (typically on "Patch Tuesday")
Are cumulative and include all previous quality updates
Have shorter deferral periods (typically 0-30 days)
Are critical for security compliance

For more information, see Get started with Windows client updates.

Recommended Ring Structure

Microsoft recommends a ring-based deployment strategy that uses three primary deployment groups:

Ring 1: Preview (Planning and Development)

Purpose: Evaluate new features and prepare for deployment

Characteristics:

Small group (typically 1-5% of devices)
IT administrators and technical staff
Early access to updates (0-10 days deferral)
Focus on feature evaluation and planning

Best Practices:

Use Windows Insider Preview builds for early validation
Identify features your organization can leverage
Plan for user feedback and training
Test application compatibility

Ring 2: Limited (Pilot and Validation)

Purpose: Validate updates on representative devices

Characteristics:

Medium group (typically 5-15% of devices)
Representative sample of hardware and applications
Moderate deferral (10-30 days for features, 2-7 days for quality)
Generate data for broader deployment decisions

Best Practices:

Ensure all hardware models are represented
Include all critical business applications
Monitor device health and user feedback
Achieve sufficient adoption before advancing

Ring 3: Broad (Wide Deployment)

Purpose: Deploy to the entire organization

Characteristics:

Large group (remaining 80-95% of devices)
All standard business devices
Longer deferral periods (30-90 days for features, 7-14 days for quality)
Fast deployment after validation

Best Practices:

Deploy after Limited ring validation
Monitor for unusual issues
Consider holding mission-critical devices until Broad ring is stable

Optional: Critical Devices Ring

For mission-critical systems (executive devices, medical equipment, production servers), consider a separate ring with:

Maximum deferral periods (90-180 days for features, 30 days for quality)
Extended validation requirements
Zero-downtime focus

Configuring Update Rings in Intune

Prerequisites

Before creating update rings, ensure:

Devices have access to Windows Update endpoints
Devices are running supported Windows editions:
- Windows Pro
- Windows Enterprise
- Windows Education
- Windows IoT Enterprise
Devices are enrolled in Intune

For complete prerequisites, see Windows Update rings policy in Intune.

Creating an Update Ring

Sign in to the Microsoft Intune admin center
Navigate to Devices > By platform > Windows > Manage updates > Windows 10 and later updates > Update rings tab
Click Create profile
Configure the following settings:

Update Settings

Quality Update Deferral Period (days)

Preview: 0-2 days
Limited: 2-7 days
Broad: 7-14 days
Critical: 10-30 days

Feature Update Deferral Period (days)

Preview: 0-10 days
Limited: 10-30 days
Broad: 30-90 days
Critical: 90-180 days (maximum)

Set Feature Update Uninstall Period (2-60 days)

Recommended: 30 days
Allows rollback if issues are discovered

User Experience Settings

Automatic Update Behavior

Auto install at maintenance time: Recommended for most rings
Auto install at reboot: Use for Preview ring only
Notify to schedule restart: Not recommended for managed devices

Restart Checks

Allow: Prevents updates during active hours
Skip: Only for Preview ring

Active Hours

Configure to match business hours (e.g., 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
Updates won't install during these hours

Deadline Settings

Deadline for feature updates: 2-7 days
Deadline for quality updates: 2-3 days
Grace period: 2 days (time before forced reboot)

For detailed settings information, see Windows update settings.

Assignment Strategy

Best Practice: Deploy update rings to device groups rather than user groups. This:

Aligns with feature update deployment guidance
Removes the need for user sign-on before policy applies
Provides more predictable update behavior

Grouping Recommendations:

Create device groups based on:
- Device type (laptops, desktops, tablets)
- Department or business unit
- Geographic location
- Criticality level

Best Practices for Update Ring Management

1. Start Small, Scale Gradually

Begin with a small Preview ring (1-5% of devices) and gradually expand. This approach:

Minimizes risk of widespread issues
Allows time for validation
Builds confidence before broad deployment

2. Use Representative Devices

Your Limited ring should include:

All hardware models in your environment
All critical business applications
Various user personas and use cases
Different network configurations

3. Monitor and Validate

Before advancing to the next ring:

Monitor device health metrics
Collect user feedback
Verify application compatibility
Check for known issues in Microsoft documentation
Achieve target adoption rate (typically 80%+)

4. Implement Pause Capabilities

Intune allows you to pause updates for up to 35 days. Use this when:

Issues are discovered in a ring
Critical business periods require stability
Additional validation is needed

Important: After 35 days, pause automatically expires. You can extend the pause period or resume updates manually.

5. Configure Deadlines Appropriately

Deadlines ensure updates are installed even if users delay:

Feature updates: 2-7 days (longer for critical devices)
Quality updates: 2-3 days (shorter for security)
Grace period: 2 days before forced reboot

6. Enable Rollback Capabilities

Configure the feature update uninstall period (30 days recommended) to allow rollback if critical issues are discovered. This provides a safety net for:

Application incompatibilities
Driver issues
Business-critical problems

7. Use Scope Tags

Scope tags help organize and filter update rings:

Group rings by department, location, or business unit
Simplify management in large organizations
Control access based on administrative roles

Example Ring Configuration

Here's a recommended configuration for a typical enterprise:

| Setting | Preview | Limited | Broad | Critical | |---------|---------|---------|-------|----------| | Quality Update Deferral | 0 days | 2 days | 7 days | 10 days | | Feature Update Deferral | 0 days | 10 days | 60 days | 90 days | | Feature Update Uninstall Period | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 60 days | | Automatic Update Behavior | Auto install at reboot | Auto install at maintenance | Auto install at maintenance | Auto install at maintenance | | Deadline for Feature Updates | 0 days | 2 days | 7 days | 10 days | | Deadline for Quality Updates | 0 days | 2 days | 3 days | 5 days | | Grace Period | 0 days | 2 days | 2 days | 3 days | | Ring Size | 1-5% | 5-15% | 80-95% | <1% |

For more detailed configuration examples, see Configure Windows Update for business rings.

Advanced Strategies

Red Button vs. Green Button Approach

Microsoft recommends two strategies for advancing between rings:

Red Button (Service-Based)

Assumes content is good until proven bad
Updates flow automatically until issues are discovered
Better for update velocity
Requires monitoring and ability to pause quickly

Green Button (Project-Based)

Assumes content is bad until proven good
Manual approval required to advance
More control but slower deployment
Better for highly regulated environments

For most organizations, a Red Button approach with proper monitoring provides the best balance of speed and control.

Geographic Ring Strategy

For large, global organizations:

Create rings based on geographic regions
Deploy to one region first (Limited ring)
Expand to additional regions after validation
Account for time zones in active hours configuration

Device Type-Based Rings

Consider separate rings for:

Laptops: Standard business devices
Desktops: Office-based workstations
Tablets/Surface: Mobile devices
Kiosks: Shared/public devices
Mission-Critical: Special handling required

Managing Update Rings

Monitoring and Reporting

Intune provides comprehensive Windows update reports including:

Device and user check-in status: Shows policy application status
Device assignment status: Lists all targeted devices
Per setting status: Configuration status for each setting

Policy Actions

Available actions for managing update rings:

Pause: Stop updates for up to 35 days
Resume: Restore updates after pausing
Extend: Reset pause period to 35 days
Uninstall: Roll back latest feature or quality update
Delete: Remove policy (doesn't change device settings)

For detailed information, see Manage your Windows Update rings.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Challenge: Updates Not Applying

Solutions:

Verify device has access to Windows Update endpoints
Check device group assignments
Ensure Microsoft Account Sign-In Assistant service is enabled
Verify device is checking in to Intune

Challenge: Users Delaying Updates

Solutions:

Configure appropriate deadline settings
Set grace periods to balance user experience and compliance
Use automatic update behavior during maintenance windows
Communicate update schedule to users

Challenge: Application Compatibility Issues

Solutions:

Extend Limited ring validation period
Test critical applications in Preview ring
Use feature update uninstall period for rollback
Consider application compatibility tools

Challenge: Mission-Critical Device Updates

Solutions:

Create separate Critical Devices ring
Use maximum deferral periods
Implement extended validation
Consider Windows Update for Business pause capabilities

Windows 11 Upgrade Considerations

Update rings can also be used to upgrade Windows 10 devices to Windows 11:

Configure Upgrade Windows 10 devices to Latest Windows 11 release to Yes
Devices install the most current Windows 11 version
Ensure devices meet Windows 11 system requirements
Test application compatibility before broad deployment

Important: Setting the upgrade setting back to No prevents new upgrades but doesn't affect devices already upgraded or in the process of upgrading.

Compliance and Security

Security Update Priority

Quality updates (security patches) should have:

Shorter deferral periods (0-7 days)
Shorter deadlines (2-3 days)
Higher priority than feature updates

Compliance Requirements

Many compliance frameworks require:

Regular security updates
Documented update processes
Ability to demonstrate update deployment
Audit trails

Intune reporting provides the documentation needed for compliance audits.

Additional Resources

Conclusion

Implementing Windows Update Rings with a well-planned ring structure provides:

✅ Controlled Risk: Test updates before broad deployment
✅ User Experience: Minimize disruption with proper scheduling
✅ Security Compliance: Ensure timely security updates
✅ Flexibility: Different strategies for different device types
✅ Scalability: Manage updates across large organizations

By following these best practices and leveraging Microsoft Intune's Windows Update Rings, you can create a robust update management strategy that balances security, stability, and user experience.

Remember: Start small, monitor closely, and adjust your strategy based on your organization's unique needs and feedback from each deployment ring.