Introduction to Dynamics 365 Platform Updates D365 Release Management Since the introduction of the «One Version Service Update» strategy, Dynamics 365…
Introduction to Dynamics 365 Platform Updates D365 Release Management Since the introduction of the « One Version Service Update » strategy, Dynamics 365 has been regularly updated, and the products are improved with every release while new features are implemented. Microsoft publishes in good time when the updates will be available and offers customers the option of implementing them themselves two weeks before the automatic update. All updates are grouped into waves, of which there are two per year. Release wave 1 contains all feature updates from April to September Release wave 2 contains all feature updates from October to March You can find more information about release management here . The preliminary release plan is published here . Which update should we use to update our D365 products? As soon as the latest version of the service updates has been published, it can be implemented. Sometimes the update is only installed later, e.g. if you happen to be in a peak season or are doing your year-end closing. Another reason might be that a required adjustment / improvement is only released with the next update and you see no improvement in the current version. How often should the D365 products be updated? As a Microsoft customer, you have eight updates available per year, of which you must implement at least two; however, you can skip a maximum of only three updates. So every fourth update definitely has to be implemented. If you have already skipped the updates three times in a row, the fourth and latest update is installed automatically by Microsoft via the Lifecycle Service (LCS). If you would like to find out more about how the updates can be paused, follow the link . Are the service updates mandatory? Microsoft's strategy obliges you to do so if you want support, because Microsoft only supports the latest versions. You can see from the release plan when Microsoft support for the versions expires. Even if you want to work with an up-to-date product and use a