Microsoft 365 Apps: Enhancement for Configuration Manager ADRs

[BobClements]

Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise offers three production update channels for you to choose from: Current Channel, Monthly Enterprise Channel and Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel. The channel(s) you choose to support in your environment will determine the update frequency, features, and support duration between versions. There are a number of ways for you to manage these updates, including our latest addition: Servicing Profiles.

Today, we are pleased to announce an update for Microsoft 365 Apps that will improve update manageability in Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager. Up until now the use of Automatic Deployment Rules (ADR) with Microsoft 365 Apps has been a challenge to manage, depending on the update channel(s) you support. Starting in late June, all future updates for Microsoft 365 Apps, including 2019 and 2021 volume license products, will receive an updated naming convention via the Title property. With this change you will be able to utilize the Title property within the search criteria of your ADR definition to easily target the necessary updates for your environment. This improvement should eliminate the need for IT admins to continually update their search criteria with each new release.

Overview

The updated Title property in the update catalog for Microsoft 365 Apps will include the following changes:

1. The release type will be included in the title, enabling you to easily specify which update you want to select without needing to include the specific version.
2. The Version number and architecture values have traded places.

Adding release type to the Title property should help simplify update management with your ADRs. If we look at the update history for Microsoft 365 Apps, there are three different release types:

• Feature Update. This is the first release of the most recent fork. Feature updates will include new features, along with security and non-security updates.
• Quality Update. These are subsequent releases of the most recent fork. Quality updates will include security and non-security updates.
• Extended Quality Update. These are subsequent releases of the previous fork. Extended quality updates will include security and non-security updates.

A closer look at the upcoming changes

Refer to the following list of updates to illustrate what the upcoming changes look like on release:

Note that this list of updates is for demonstration purposes only and that the announced changes will apply starting in late June.

Before - Channel Name, Release Version, Architecture, Build.Version

Microsoft 365 Apps Update - Current Channel Version 2104 for x64 based Edition (Build 13929.20386)
Microsoft 365 Apps Update - Current Channel Version 2104 for x64 based Edition (Build 13929.20372)
Microsoft 365 Apps Update - Monthly Enterprise Channel Version 2103 for x64 based Edition (Build 13901.20516)
Microsoft 365 Apps Update - Monthly Enterprise Channel Version 2102 for x64 based Edition (Build 13801.20638)

Microsoft 365 Apps Update - Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel Version 2008 for x64 based Edition (Build 13127.21064)

Microsoft 365 Apps Update - Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel Version 2008 for x64 based Edition (Build 13127.21624)
Microsoft 365 Apps Update - Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel Version 2002 for x64 based Edition (Build 12527.21912)

After - Channel Name, Release Type, Architecture, Release Version, Build.Version

Microsoft 365 Apps Update - Current Channel Feature Update for x64 based Edition Version 2104 (Build 13929.20386)
Microsoft 365 Apps Update - Current Channel Quality Update for x64 based Edition Version 2104 (Build 13929.20372)
Microsoft 365 Apps Update - Monthly Enterprise Channel Feature Update for x64 based Edition Version 2103 (Build 13901.20516)
Microsoft 365 Apps Update - Monthly Enterprise Channel Extended Quality Update for x64 based Edition Version 2102 (Build 13801.20638)
Microsoft 365 Apps Update - Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel Feature Update for x64 based Edition Version 2008 (Build 13127.21064)

Microsoft 365 Apps Update - Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel Quality Update for x64 based Edition Version 2008 (Build 13127.21624)
Microsoft 365 Apps Update - Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel Extended Quality Update for x64 based Edition Version 2002 (Build 12527.21912)

Updating your Automatic Deployment Rules

With Configuration Manager, one of the best ways to automate update management for Microsoft 365 Apps is through the use of Automatic Deployment Rules (ADR). This feature helps reduce administrative overhead by automatically selecting, downloading and deploying updates based on the criteria you define. If you have implemented Monthly Enterprise Channel or Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel for Microsoft 365 Apps, an ADR can be challenging to manage due to the fact that both channels have a minimum of 2 versions available at any given time.

The following examples will illustrate how to use the updated Title property to simplify your ADR rules.

ADR search criteria for Monthly Enterprise Channel

Monthly Enterprise Channel offers 2 releases: current and extended. You can leverage the release type value to select your desired update version. The screenshot below illustrates a set of search criteria that can be used to identify the current updates for Monthly Enterprise Channel by excluding the extended tag. If you require extended updates for this channel use the following value in the Title property: Monthly Enterprise Channel Extended.

The results from this search criteria will include the x86 and x64 non-extended updates for Monthly Enterprise Channel.

ADR search criteria for Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel

Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel offers 4 releases: preview, current and extended. You can leverage the release type value to select your desired update version. The screenshot below illustrates a set of search criteria that can be used to identify the current updates for Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel by excluding the preview and extended tags.

The results from this search criteria will include the x86 and x64 non-extended updates for Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel, along with monthly quality updates.

Note: If you are on the current version of Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel and can maintain feature updates every 6 months, the search criteria outlined above will ensure devices update to the next version automatically without the need to update your ADR.

If you are on an extended version of Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel and need to remain on the extended release, you will need to update your ADR search criteria between the months of January-February and July-August as the updates reach end of life.

To select an alternate release type for Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel, update the Title property search criteria with a value from the following table:

Release	ADR Search Criteria - Title Property
Preview	Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview)
Quality	Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel Quality
Extended	Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel Extended

Watch

 

Additional Resources

For more information on the different update channels available for Microsoft 365 Apps, refer to the following articles:

• Overview of update channels for Microsoft 365 Apps - Deploy Office | Microsoft Docs
• Update history for Microsoft 365 Apps (listed by date) - Office release notes | Microsoft Docs

Change Log

05.14.2021     Initial Release

05.19.2021     Updated before/after examples for SAEC. There is only 1 "Feature Update" every 6 months.

This blog post is brought to you by Bob Clements, a Senior Customer Engineer and “Office Ranger” at Microsoft. Feel free to share your questions and feedback in the comments below.

[bdam55]

@BobClements, please pass along my sincerest thanks to those responsible for this ... belated ... gift.  If I ever actually get to visit the mothership via an MVP Summit the team's first round is on me.

[BobClements]

@bdam55 we are really happy to have this in flight. I'll pass along your message =)

[pschum]

If "Extended" updates are used, how is the release (in ConfigMgr) of future Office Feature Updates ensured if the word "Extended" does not even appear in the update title of the Feature Update, which is required by ADR according to Title Filtering in order for an update to end up in the SUG...?

Or will feature updates also be tagged "Extended" in the future (e.g., "Monthly Enterprise Channel Extended Feature Update")?

[BobClements]

@pschum in the context of Monthly Enterprise Channel, there will only ever be 1 Feature Update and 1 Extended Quality Update at any given time, and the titles will be unique between the two. That said, if you need to remain on the extended release of MEC then you would not want to push any updates with Feature Update in the title. This would keep you at N-1 from an update perspective.

The Extended Quality Updates are not a 1:1 of the previous Feature Update. They are a rev'd version of the previous Feature Update, including current quality and security updates. For example, the EQU for July and August 2021 included additional security updates, while the EQU for June 2021 included additional quality fixes and security updates.

[pilgi3]

We tried to update via quality update from 2008 to 2102 (ADR SCCM).

But now there a no Office shortcuts etc. in the startmenu anymore?

Is it necessary to install the feature update first or is this a bug may?

[BobClements]

@pilgi3 I have not seen this behavior with the 2102 feature update. It could be related to how the icons were originally pinned (e.g., something done in the OS image). If pinned shortcuts are important, consider pinning them via Group Policy.

[pilgi3]

@BobClementsThx for the reply.

Maybe I was not precisly enough, sorry.

We have installed Office 365 Version 2008 and now we are installing via MEMCM ADR the Office 365 2102 Quality Update (Build 13801.20864).

After we see in Program and Feature the new installed Office version.

BUT there a no folder, icons, shortcuts (for example Word, Excel) in the "LEFT" side of the start menu. Looks like there is no Office installed.

On the right "pin" area the shortcuts are gone as well.

Right now we have this problems on all devices which we have tried, except that one who have installed the Office 365 2102 feature update (Build 13801.20808) (MEMCM, ADR) first a few weeks ago.

Also we can reproduce the issue on a test client (Windows 10 20h2 x64).

[Andrew Porter]

Hi

If I have version 2202 will a 2208 Quality Update upgrade Office to 2208 or will only the 2208 Feature Update do that?

Cheers.

[BobClements]

Hi @Andrew Porter - yes, the monthly updates are cumulative. In the case of SAEC, the updates in January and July include "Feature Update" in the title but the proceeding months (Quality Update) will include everything prior.

[Andrew Porter]

Thanks for the reply. I was referring to the Quality update release the month after the feature update. So I have have version 2202, I skip the previous month's feature update for 2208 (so still on version 2202) but then this month I deploy the 2208 quality update to my machine - will it update to 2208 or will it not do anything?

Thanks. 

[BobClements]

Yes, if you deploy a 2208 update to a device running a 2202 build it will update to 2208.