Windows 10 to Use P2P to Deliver Updates

[GoodBytes]

Leaked build of Microsoft's upcoming OS reveals potentially faster distribution model for patchesTo help speed up the Windows Update experience, Microsoft has included a peer-to-peer option in the latest leaked build of Windows 10. It also includes the ability to have other computers in your network to share the update, potentially reducing bandwidth consumption.

While Microsoft has traditionally uses Windows Update to deliver OS and some application updates from a single source, the latest leaked build of Windows 10 reveals that the company is moving towards P2P. A new option allows Windows 10 users to enable "updates from more than one place," with the ability to download apps and OS updates from multiple sources to obtain them more quickly.

Apps and OS updates can be downloaded from Microsoft and PCs on a local network, or a combination of local PCs, internet PCs, and Microsoft’s traditional Windows Update servers. It’s no surprise that Microsoft is moving towards this distribution model. The software maker acquired Pando Networks in 2013, the maker of a peer-to-peer file sharing technology that’s similar to BitTorrent. It’s not clear what technology Microsoft is using for its Windows 10 testing, but it’s reasonable to expect it has evolved from the Pando Networks acquisition.

Source:http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/15/8218215/microsoft-windows-10-updates-p2p]http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/15/8218215/microsoft-windows-10-updates-p2pOther Sources:

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[MrRavens]

That's pretty cool.

[A.D.A.M]

Oh hey thats neat. Will ISPs block that too since you know the only usage of p2p networks is pirating.

[Prastupok]

Oh hey thats neat. Will ISPs block that too since you know the only usage of p2p networks is pirating.

 

Doubtful, or they'd catch hell.

 

This is a great post, GoodBytes.

 

For those of us with 5-6 computers, local transfer will be much nicer. That's without even considering those with data caps.

[Norman_the_Owl]

Look guys, microsoft is evolving! That's a good sign, they're not all dinosaurs around there

[rockking1379]

Oh hey thats neat. Will ISPs block that too since you know the only usage of p2p networks is pirating.

 

this made me laugh. i hate how thats all people think P2P is used for. it has so many legitamate uses all masked by the illegal ones

[RyomaSJibenG]

i'm really looking forward for W10, seems like this is going to be the next big OS

[NeatSquidYT]

Noice.

[Sidiox]

Goooood. The LAN stuff will be amazing. My computers (4-5) currently run a mix of Win7 and Win8.1, when I upgrade this will take a lot of the load from my very limited bandwidth. 

[deviant88]

1st possible minor usefull feature in win10, it could make updates faster untill now they were extremely slow.

[Arty]

yay, dammit ms release the build pls

[kuzimins]

And what if the isp throttles p2p? Then worse download speeds.

[GoodBytes]

And what if the isp throttles p2p? Then worse download speeds.

That is why you can use the old method.

Hopefully the Windows 10 market will be enough that your ISP stop doing this.

[Michael McAllister]

What is a big part of the problem in updating Windows? Download speed. Especially if you are doing a clean install of Windows that has been out for a while.

To help improve the experience, in the latest leak build of Windows 10, it has been discovered that Windows 10 will use peer-to-peer (P2P) protocol to distribute the OS updates.

But it doesn't stop there, It also includes the ability to have other computers in your network to share the update, helping reduce, potentially, internet bandwidth.

 

As long as it's systems Microsoft has 100% oversight of, fine.  I won't use it if I'm downloading from unknown sources (like traditional P2P).

[Master Disaster]

As long as it's systems Microsoft has 100% oversight of, fine. I won't use it if I'm downloading from unknown sources (like traditional P2P).

I'm sure the system will utilise hash checking to ensure updates are legitimate before running them.

This means that a user with multiple PCs can set one machine to update over the internet then use that machine as an update server for other machines on the LAN, that's a brilliant feature.

[Michael McAllister]

I'm sure the system will utilise hash checking to ensure updates are legitimate before running them.

This means that a user with multiple PCs can set one machine to update over the internet then use that machine as an update server for other machines on the LAN, that's a brilliant feature.

 

I understand and like the concept.  My concern is the external computers.  Do they plan to peer with end-user systems?  If I'm peering with you, for example, how do I know your system is clean and won't piggy-back malicious code over to my computer?

[Master Disaster]

I understand and like the concept. My concern is the external computers. Do they plan to peer with end-user systems? If I'm peering with you, for example, how do I know your system is clean and won't piggy-back malicious code over to my computer?

Hash checking

[Blebekblebek]

yes hash check, if the files are being used to seed it won't be able to rewritten (override) by something else

[Master Disaster]

yes hash check, if the files are being used to seed it won't be able to rewritten (override) by something else

What will happen is MS will push out an update manifest file which lists the updates and their MD5 sums. When a users machine gets a file (or even part of a file) from P2P it will MD5SUM it then check the hash against the manifest, if they match the file is real, if not its been tampered with and will be deleted before its even run. A virus can't infect a PC if its never run on the system its infecting.

[terrytek]

Finally, something Microsoft can get kudos for.

[MetEishYa]

And what if the isp throttles p2p? Then worse download speeds.

Isp here already throttle p2p data like crazy so for me i like that they kept the better method still

[Maslofski]

excellent!

[Altecice]

Meanwhile the server managers laugh at this as we already use P2P to push updates from our WSUS servers inside our domains.  B)

[othertomperson]

Yay for local network too. Then only one pc locally has to dl it at some point and everyone else can still get it if you lose connectivity, and potentially at gigabit speeds too

[QueenDemetria]

Sweet, another reason to hate Windows update. My ISP throttes P2P traffic regardless of legality, and with 2.5mbps down throttling is a big deal. Oh well, the share over lan is a nice feature I guess, but I can see flaws with it.