The most revolutionary change in Windows 10 is the concept of continuous improvement. New features are delivered through Windows Update, rather than being set aside for the next major release. In a major change of longstanding best practices, Microsoft now recommends that enterprise customers enable Windows Update for the majority of users, although the option to use Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is still available for some configurations.
In the new “Windows as a Service” model, Microsoft plans to deliver significant upgrades, with new features, two or three times per year. That’s a dramatically faster pace than the traditional Windows release scheme, in which new features were reserved for new versions released with great fanfare every three years or so.
To help IT pros adapt to this new, faster pace of change, Microsoft has built a new servicing model for Windows 10. Security updates continue to arrive on the second Tuesday of each month via Windows Update, with additional reliability improvements, hardware driver updates, and the rare out-of-band security update also coming through Windows Update.
New features are delivered in larger update packages that are the equivalent of a complete in-place upgrade. Each new Windows 10 build proceeds through different “branches” on its way to the general public and business users. Each new Windows 10 version update goes through extensive internal and external testing before reaching the general public in the Current Branch. IT pros who prefer a more conservative approach can defer upgrades for longer.
Testers inside Microsoft get to use preview builds first, followed by members of the opt-in Windows Insider program, who use preview builds to provide feedback that Microsoft uses to identify bugs and fine-tune feature designs.
After a reasonable amount of polishing and bug-busting, a stable version is released to the general public.
Version 1511 was released to the Current Branch in November 2015. (The version numbering scheme corresponds to this release date, with the year and month in yydd format.)
Risk-averse IT pros who would rather watch and wait before deploying new code can choose to assign Windows PCs (Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions only) to a later branch, known as the Current Branch for Business. By choosing this option, you can defer upgrades until Microsoft releases them to that branch, typically four to six months after the upgrade is released to the Current Branch.
Version 1511, for example, was released to the Current Branch in November 2015, but it is not scheduled to hit the Current Branch for Business until sometime in the first half of 2016. When it does reach the Current Branch for Business, it will contain at least four months of reliability and security updates based on the experience of the tens or hundreds of millions of PCs in the Current Branch.
For IT pros who want to stay ahead of the curve, Microsoft offers early access to preview builds through the Windows Insider program. Participants in the preview program can currently choose between two update speeds, also known as rings. Choosing the Fast ring makes new builds available as soon as they’re released by Microsoft; opting for the Slow ring delays the availability of a new build until it has been thoroughly vetted by the Fast ring, with any bugs addressed via interim updates.
Participation in the Windows Insider program is voluntary, and you can leave the program at any time.
Source of Information : Microsoft Introducing Windows 10 For IT Professionals
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