In Windows 11, you have several options regarding how Windows updates and Microsoft Store apps are delivered to the computer. By default, Windows obtains updates from the Microsoft update servers, local network computers, and the Internet.
Windows Update Delivery Optimization enables the application of updates more quickly than previous versions of Windows. Once one PC on your local network has installed an update, other network devices can obtain the same updates without downloading directly from Microsoft.
This process is similar to popular peer-to-peer file-sharing apps. Only partial file fragments of the update files are downloaded from any source, which speeds up the delivery and increases the security of the process. If you allow delivery optimization to take place, you then can choose from the following options how your PC will obtain updates and apps from other PCs:
- Devices on my local network Windows attempts to download from other PCs on your local network that have already downloaded the update or app.
- Devices on the internet and my local network Windows attempts to download from the PCs on your local network, and Windows also looks for PCs on the Internet configured to share parts of updates and apps.
If Delivery Optimization is enabled, your computer can also send parts of apps or updates downloaded using Delivery Optimization to other PCs locally or on the Internet.
Typically, you’ll want to configure delivery optimization settings for your Windows 11 devices by configuring device configuration profiles in Microsoft Intune. After creating a profile, assign or deploy that profile to your Windows 10/11 devices. Table 3-14 lists the available settings.
TABLE 3-14 Delivery Optimization settings
| Setting | Description |
| Download Mode | Configure the use of Windows Update Delivery Optimization for downloads of Windows apps and updates as follows: HTTP only, no peeringHTTP blended with peering behind the same NATHTTP blended with peering across a private groupHTTP blended with internet peeringSimple download mode with no peeringBypass mode |
| Bandwidth optimization mode | Select the maximum bandwidth that Delivery Optimization uses across all concurrent download activities. Downloads from LAN peers are not throttled even when this policy is set. AbsolutePercentagePercentage with business hours |
| Delay background HTTP download (in seconds) | Delay the use of the HTTP source in a background download to prioritize the download from peers. After the max delay is reached, the download will resume from the HTTP source. The recommended value is 60 seconds. |
| Delay foreground HTTP download (in seconds) | Delays use of the HTTP source in a foreground download to prioritize the download from peers. After the max delay is reached, the download will resume from the HTTP source. The recommended value is 60 seconds (0-86,400). |
| Minimum RAM required for peer caching (in GB) | Minimum RAM required on devices to use peer caching. The recommended value is 4 GB (1-100,000). |
| Minimum disk size required for peer caching (in GB) | Minimum disk size required on devices to use peer caching. The recommended value is 32 GB. (1-100,000) |
| Minimum content file size for peer caching (in MB) | Minimum content file size required to use peer caching. The recommended value is 10 MB (1-100,000). |
| Minimum battery level required to upload (in %) | Minimum battery level required to upload data to peers while on battery power. Uploads will automatically pause when the battery level drops below the set minimum battery level. The recommended value is 40 percent (0-100) |
| Modify cache drive | The device drive that Delivery Optimization will use for its cache. The drive location can be specified using environment variables, drive letter, or full path. |
| Maximum cache age (in days) | The maximum retention period for each content item in the cache. The recommended value is 7 days (0-3650). |
| Maximum cache size type | Delivery Optimization can utilize the maximum cache size as a percentage of disk size or an absolute value (in GB). |
| VPN peer caching | Enables the device to participate in peer caching while connected via VPN to the domain network. |
| Cache server host names | This policy allows you to set one or more Delivery Optimization in Network Cache servers that will be used by your client(s). One or more values can be added as either fully qualified domain names (FQDN) or IP addresses. |
| Delay foreground download Cache Server fallback (in seconds) | Set this policy to delay the fallback from Cache Server to the HTTP source for a foreground content download by X seconds. Note: if you set the policy to delay foreground download from HTTP, it will apply first to allow downloads from peers first (0-2,592,000). |
| Delay background download Cache Server fallback (in seconds) | Set this policy to delay the fallback from Cache Server to the HTTP source for a background content download by X seconds. Note: If you set the policy to delay background download from HTTP, it will apply first (to allow downloads from peers first) (0-2,592,000). |
To create a device configuration profile that configures your required delivery optimization settings, use the following procedure:
- Open the Microsoft Intune admin center.
- Navigate to the Devices, select Windows, and then select Configuration profiles.
- Select Create profile, and on the Create a profile page, in the Platform list, choose Windows 10 and later, and then in the Profile Type list, select Templates.
- Select Delivery optimization and click Create.
- On the Delivery Optimization page, on the Basics tab, enter a Name and Description, and then click Next.
- On the Configuration settings tab, shown in Figure 3-48, enter the settings you want to configure and select Next.
FIGURE 3-48 Device configuration profile
- Assign the profile, select Next, and then, optionally, configure applicability rules.
- Select Next, and on the Review + Create tab, select Create.
After the delivery optimization settings are configured in Intune or Group Policy and assigned to your devices, they replace the Delivery Optimization settings in the Settings app. Users will see the Some settings are managed by your organization notification.
