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Deploy Windows SSUs and LCUs together with one cumulative update

AriaUpdated's avatar
AriaUpdated
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Dec 08, 2020

Update 2021.02.09: Thank you all for your feedback and for deploying the one monthly cumulative update packages in December and January through the Windows Insider Pre-Release category. Beginning with the February 2021 LCU, we will now publish all future cumulative updates and SSUs for Windows 10, version 2004 and above together as one cumulative monthly update to the normal release category in WSUS.

For those of you curious about when this capability will be available for earlier versions of Windows, stay tuned!


You can now deploy the December 2020 latest cumulative update (LCU) and servicing stack update (SSU) together via our new one cumulative update package, or separately.

On September 9th, 2020, I announced the work in progress to simplify on premises deployments of servicing stack updates. Today, I am excited to announce that you can take advantage of this new capability using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and the Windows Insider Program for Business.

We have released the December 2020 LCU and the December 2020 SSU to WSUS in two ways for devices running Windows 10, version 2004 and later: to the typical Security Updates category and to the Windows Insider Pre-Release category.

To deploy the cumulative update and servicing stack update separately, no special action is needed. Just ensure, as always, that you deploy the SSU prior to deploying the LCU so that both updates install successfully on the device.

To deploy the LCU and SSU together using the new one cumulative update package, simply follow three easy steps.

Note: Before completing the steps below, ensure that you have installed the September 2020 SSU on the targeted devices.

Step 1: Sync the Windows Insider Pre-Release category

  • In the WSUS console, from Products and Classifications, select Windows Insider Pre-Release Product and Upgrades. Sync WSUS.
  • In Microsoft Endpoint Manager Configuration Manager, navigate to the Products tab of
    Software Update Point Component Properties and select Windows Insider Pre-Release. Select OK to confirm this selection.

Step 2: Select the OS version

From the list of All Updates, select the cumulative update for the version of Windows 10 running on the device(s) that will receive the update. Currently, this would be either of the following:

  • 2020-12 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 2004
  • 2020-12 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 20H2

Step 3: Deploy the update

Deploy the update to the desired devices in your organization the same way you would deploy any other monthly cumulative update.

Note: When you deploy the update package to your devices, the client will automatically orchestrate the proper ordering of installation to ensure the SSU and LCU are both applied correctly on the device. This will be the exact same content as if you had deployed the December 2020 LCU and SSU separately.

Check your preferred method of reporting and note that your devices are now running the December LCU (KB4592438) and SSU (KB4593175).

That’s it! It’s that simple.

The best part? Like all preview builds published to commercial devices in the Release Preview Channel and to the WSUS Windows Insider Pre-Release category, testing out this new deployment technology for LCUs and SSUs from WSUS is fully supported.

If you run into an issue that prevents you or other users in your organization from deploying or updating using this new one cumulative package, use this online form to request assistance directly from Microsoft Support at no cost to you. Or contact customer support through your typical channel.

Try out this new way of deploying LCUs and SSUs and let us know what you think by commenting below or reaching out to me directly on Twitter @ariaupdated.

 

Updated Feb 09, 2021
Version 3.0

28 Comments

  •  

    Indeed, I see two KB4592438 and one 4593175 queued up and ready to be installed.  I don't mind as long as the duplicate will fail gracefully and not install in an incorrect manner and crater machines.  I am crusty enough to remember when an SSU didn't install in the right order and it cratered machines.

  • SusanBradleyGeek If you approve all three payloads, they will all be offered to the device. From there, the order of installation will depend on the network (congestion, disruptions, retransmission) but given ideal conditions the order should be based on size of the payload. In this case, that would mean the standalone December SSU will install first followed by the standalone December LCU, which will then make the December one cumulative update no longer applicable given the device will already be up to date. Please let me know if you have any further questions. 

  • What happens if you have automatic rules that approve both the LCUs, SSUs and these new combo bundles?

  • abbodi1406's avatar
    abbodi1406
    Iron Contributor

    wroot The combined update has no supersedence info (yet)

     

    the "Windows 10 1903 and later" is just the category name

    v2004/20H2 falls into the later term

  • wroot's avatar
    wroot
    Silver Contributor

    The name of a separate old style CU for December and new combined update are the same? How can one tell them apart if you sync both normal product and Insider?

     

    As you mention that in future this will go into 1903 and later product, this means that new combined updates will be supported by 1903 and 1909 also? I was under impression this was only supported by 20H2 (i think i first read about this in 20H2 release post, which is confusing now, why to mention this in 20H2 release notes).

     

    Also, can you say when combined updates might become final and replace separate ones? Because we don't use WSUS and our third party software will not pull Insider product, i think.

  • HotCakeX Thanks! I'm glad this change will help simplify your deployments. 🙂

     

    lalanc01 apologies for the inconvenience. As stated in the September blog, we plan to fully transition to the new one cumulative update packages (LCUs + SSUs together) and publish only those payloads to the typical Windows 10 1903 and later product category and no longer publish the LCUs and SSUs separately down the line. Until then, we are publishing the one cumulative updates to the Windows Insider Pre-release category to provide an opportunity for admins to switch over prior to one cumulative updates (SSUs + LCUs together) becoming the default state.  Does this help to clarify? 

     

    P.s. You make a really good callout about having to decline updates. We should be expiring the old feature updates that are no longer being used for validation to keep the pre-release category small and I will actually go work on that to simplify such in future. 🙂 

  • lalanc01's avatar
    lalanc01
    Iron Contributor

    Hi, thank you for the information.

     

    Can you please explain why thise were added to this product and not just a new name under the regular Windows 10 1903 and later product??

    asking because when we check this one and sync, it will also sync a ton of Insider Feature Updates that we will need to decline (since we don't use those) to keep our WSUS catalog as slim as possible.

     

    Thank you for your collaboration

  • Thanks for the post, It's a great and much appreciated move, simplifies updating clients. I don't think there is any reason left to use the old approach anymore.