Should we move from WSUS to Intune Update Rings?
WSUS has worked for years, but Microsoft is investing in Windows Update for Business via Intune. For SMBs with M365 Business Premium, Intune Update Rings are often more practical than maintaining your own WSUS.
Try this first
- 1Inventory current WSUS: how many clients, how well maintained, hours/month spent on it.
- 2For Intune-enrolled workstations: create Update Rings (Settings, Devices, Update rings for Windows 10 and later). Pilot ring first, then production rings.
- 3For servers: WSUS stays practical until Microsoft offers real alternatives on-prem. Azure Update Manager is an option via Arc.
- 4Migration approach: enroll new workstations straight into Intune, convert legacy WSUS clients in phases. Not 'big bang' unless it's simple.
- 5Document which device type patches via which route, otherwise you get double patches or a gap (neither WSUS nor Intune).
When to bring us in
For organisations with internet restrictions on workstations, WSUS remains the only way to limit bandwidth. Delivery Optimization in Intune helps somewhat, but less tightly.
See also
- One DC or two DCs for an SMB office?Two is almost always the right answer; one DC is a single point of failure for logon, DNS and GPOs.
- Should I split FSMO roles across two DCs?For a small domain all on one DC is fine; with two DCs splitting is tidier but not required.
- How do I know my AD replication is healthy?Replication errors creep in silently; they only surface when logins or GPOs misbehave.
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