
Further simplifying servicing models for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 - walterbell
https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsitpro/2016/08/15/further-simplifying-servicing-model-for-windows-7-and-windows-8-1/
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fowl2
Good to see they're going back to a simpler branching/linear model. The
combinatorial explosion of versions to test/support with 20+ independent
patches PER MONTH must be/have been ridiculous.

They've been moving this way for a while - see SQL Server, Sharepoint, etc.

 _Pros_ :

* Hopefully faster install times / smaller downloads

* Hopefully better tested/tested together releases.

* No longer running into bugs that have already been patched because an administrator thought "we don't use feature X!" and have suppressed the update.

* Easier to say your software requires "Windows 7 SP1 with October 2016 CU" than "Windows 7 SP1 with KB1234 and KB124213" \- if you could figure out exactly what patches you needed anyway!

* Easier to verify patch status - hopefully they'll put a version number somewhere easy to find

 _Cons_ :

* Harder to track down regressions to a particular patch. Note that sometimes issues were cause by particular combinations anyway so this should reduce that type of bug.

* Can't avoid specific regressions

* Can't avoid feature changes you don't like - not that you really could forever under that old model either.

* Larger download times, if you were being selective with updates.

Much Hope.

