Delay of September 2021 Cumulative Update for Exchange Server

[The_Exchange_Team]

We typically release Cumulative Updates (CUs) for Exchange Server on the third Tuesday of a month. In September 2021, that would be September 21^st. Today we want to let you know that we will be releasing the September CUs for Exchange Server a week later, on September 28^th instead.

Quality always comes first before a selected ship date, and we are taking a little bit of extra time to finish building and testing the CU to make sure it meets our quality standards before shipping. We’ve also added a new security-related feature to Exchange Server in the September 2021 CUs (more on that in an upcoming blog post).

In the meantime, we continue to recommend that you keep your on-premises Exchange infrastructure up to date by installing the latest available CU and SU on your servers. You can do this by:

1. Taking inventory             Use the Exchange Server Health Checker script to see if you are behind on your on-premises Exchange Server updates.
2. Installing updates           Use the Exchange Update Wizard to get steps for installing the latest update on your Exchange server(s).

When we release the September 2021 CUs, only the June 2021 and September 2021 CUs will be supported for Exchange Server Security Updates. If you are on Exchange 2016 or Exchange 2019 and not yet running the June 2021 CU, you should install it now.

We’re working hard to deliver to you the quality updates you expect, and we appreciate your patience as we work to deliver the next CU for Exchange Server.

The Exchange Server Team

[gfsilva]

Hi Exchange Team,

Sorry for the offtopic, but any news on Exchange vnext?

Microsoft confirmed a year ago, will release Exchange vnext in the second half of 2021

"Today we are announcing that the next versions of Exchange Server, SharePoint Server, Skype for Business Server and Project Server will be available in the second half of 2021, and are only available with the purchase of a subscription license. Subscription entitles access to support, product updates, security and time zone patches."

We want to know more about the subscription options for exchange 2022...

Thanks

[momurray]

So Microsoft will release a new CU for Exchange 2016? I thought CU21 would be the last one. Did I missed something?

Thanks!

[Malickgn21]

That's will be awesome. 

Thanks EX Server Team 

[Nino Bilic]

@momurray We will ship CUs when it's the right thing to do, even if it was not something that we pre-announced.

[Mark Domansky]

Any word on AD 2022 support for Exchange 2016?

We're just starting an AD upgrade and with the recent release of Server 2022, we'd like to go all the way to that.

We're not looking to change the server OS on Exchange 2016, just the AD version and functional levels.

Thanks

[Nino Bilic]

@Mark Domansky Nothing to announce at this time. Exchange Supportability Matrix shows AD environments currently supported: Exchange Server supportability matrix | Microsoft Docs 

[SWM01]

Do you know if the issues with the Big funnel search index will be addresses with CU11? Our Ex2019 server search via Outlook has not functioned since April, A support ticket with MS was closed and they said it cant be solved until its addressed in a future update.

[agebbett]

Can you please advise if the pending Exchange 2016 CU (CU22 I assume) will require PrepareSchema / PrepareAD / PrepareDomain?

[lewismartin]

@momurray CU's will continue but they will no longer have feature updates, only security ones, a least that's what they said a few months back.

[Raevmiza]

Because of this I just checked our CU on the Exchange Server. What I see I two different things

The healthcheck generates this output:

Exchange: Exchange 2016 CU18
Build Number: 15.1.2308.8
Exchange IU or Security Hotfix Detected
Security Update for Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 21 (KB5004779)
Server Role: Mailbox

What I don't understand is that it says Exchange: Exchange 2016 CU18 but the build number is from CU21 15.1.2308.8

Any idea on this? 

Output of Get-ExchangeServer | Format-List Name,Edition,AdminDisplayVersion

Edition : Standard
AdminDisplayVersion : Version 15.1 (Build 2308.8)

[jordanl17]

Will going from 2016 CU19 to CU22 be supported?   At this point I will wait until CU22, no need for me to go to CU21 as I have the key SUs installed.

[Duncan1528]

"If you are on Exchange 2016 or Exchange 2019 and not yet running the June 2021 CU, you should install it now."

We are running CU20 with Jul21SU... - does this mean, we must install CU21 first to get CU22 - or is it possible to go directly from CU20/Jul21SU to CU22?

[Duncan1528]

We are running CU20 with Jul21SU... - does this mean, we must install CU21 first to get CU22 - or is it possible to go directly from CU20/Jul21SU to CU22?