Managing Microsoft Teams involves a wide variety of tasks from creating and managing teams, setting up policies, and managing organizational-wide settings. One of the key tasks to note is planning and managing Microsoft Teams preview features with Microsoft Teams update policies. This is a crucial element in the MS-700 Managing Microsoft Teams exam and this article is intended to provide you with valuable insights on the subject matter.
1. Understanding Features of Microsoft Teams update policies
Microsoft Teams update policies provide control over the Teams update experience by allowing administrators to decide what features from the Office 365 roadmap are offered to their users. They can choose to present their users with new features and improvements as soon as they’re available (Public Preview) or have their users receive the mainstream features and improvements when they’re fully tested and validated (Standard Release).
The preview features, also known as ‘Public Preview’, give the users early access to upcoming changes, including the features still in development. This option enables you to gather user feedback and prepare for the release to the general public. However, enabling the Public Preview feature allows the users to switch between the Public Preview and General Availability (GA), which presents the stable version.
The update policies in Teams are applicable per user level, meaning you can define different update settings for different users depending on the role they play in your organization.
It’s also important to note that currently there’s no graphical user interface (GUI) to manage Teams update policies. They are managed through PowerShell, a task-based command-line shell and scripting language built on .NET.
2. Planning Microsoft Teams Preview Features with Update Policies
In planning for Microsoft Teams preview features, you first need to create an update policy. The creation of an update policy is achieved through remote PowerShell. Below are the steps:
- Open Windows PowerShell.
- Enter the following code to sign in:
$credential = Get-Credential
$session = New-CsOnlineSession -Credential $credential
Import-PSSession $session
- After signing in, you should create the update policy with the command:
New-CsTeamsUpdateManagementPolicy -Identity “My New Policy” -AllowPublicPreview $true
Here, `My New Policy` is the policy name you can specify, while `$true` allows users with this policy to see the Public Preview features. For a policy to have only GA features, replace `$true` with `$false` while creating the policy.
- Having created the policy, you can assign it to a user with the command:
Grant-CsTeamsUpdateManagementPolicy -PolicyName “My New Policy” -Identity “user@contoso.com”
Here, `user@contoso.com` is the user sign-in ID.
3. Managing Microsoft Teams Preview Features with Update Policies
Managing Teams preview features involves ensuring that your organization is ready for changes when they roll out. You may choose to validate changes, prepare user training, and address other potential impacts within your organization. A good place to start managing preview features is checking Microsoft 365 Message Center for updates and changes in Teams.
Moreover, you have the ability to enable or disable whether to receive updates on new Teams features. PowerShell commands can be used to modify the update policy as well.
Use the command below to disable Public Preview in a policy:
Set-CsTeamsUpdateManagementPolicy -Identity “My New Policy” -AllowPublicPreview $false
And to enable it again, run this command:
Set-CsTeamsUpdateManagementPolicy -Identity “My New Policy” -AllowPublicPreview $true
In conclusion, understanding and utilizing Microsoft Teams update policies is a critical aspect of managing Microsoft Teams. This knowledge is especially vital for the MS-700 exam. The ability to plan and manage preview features can help to create an efficient and advanced user experience, which is the ultimate goal of Microsoft Teams administration.
Practice Test
True or False: Microsoft Teams update policies enable you to control how and when Teams updates are deployed to the users in your organization.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Microsoft Teams update policies are designed to give administrators the ability to decide how their users receive updates to Microsoft Teams, including when they are deployed.
Multiple Choice: Which of the following can you control with Microsoft Teams update policies?
- A) The frequency of Teams updates
- B) The time of day that updates are deployed
- C) The types of features that are updated
- D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Microsoft Teams update policies allow you to control all aspects of Teams updates, including the frequency of updates, deployment times, and the kinds of features that get updated.
True or False: Microsoft Teams preview features are generally available to all users regardless of the update policies.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Microsoft Teams preview features are typically not automatically available to all users, it often depends on the update policies set by the administrator.
Multiple Choice: Which of the following would be a reason to use Microsoft Teams update policies?
- A) To control when updates are deployed
- B) To manage the release of preview features
- C) To keep the network bandwidth usage low during peak hours
- D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Microsoft Teams update policies are often used to control the deployment time of updates, manage the release of preview features, and minimize bandwidth usage during peak network hours.
True or False: Microsoft Teams update policies can be applied at the tenant level and the user level.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Teams update policies can be applied on a tenant-wide basis, or to specific users or groups of users within the tenant.
Multiple Choice: In order to plan and manage Microsoft Teams preview features with Microsoft Teams update policies, you need:
- A) Administrator rights to Microsoft Teams
- B) Teams Client Updates
- C) Teams Policies
- D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Managing preview features through update policies requires administrator rights to Microsoft Teams, Teams Client Updates, and Teams Policies.
True or False: Microsoft Teams preview features are always bug-free and completely stable for use.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Preview features are new or enhanced features that are being tested and may not be fully stable or bug-free.
Multiple Choice: In managing Microsoft Teams Update policies, what does the setting Early updates do?
- A) It implements the updates as soon as they are released.
- B) It allows users to manually update their Teams.
- C) It delays the release of updates.
- D) None of the above.
Answer: A) It implements the updates as soon as they are released.
Explanation: The early updates setting in Teams update policies implements the updates as soon as Microsoft releases them.
True or False: You can create and manage Teams update policies directly from the Teams admin center.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Teams update policies can be created and managed directly in the Teams admin center.
Multiple Choice: Which one is not a configuration option for Teams update policies?
- A) Early updates
- B) Monthly updates
- C) Specific feature update
- D) Security updates
Answer: D) Security updates
Explanation: Teams update policies do not have a separate configuration option for security updates. The options include early updates, monthly updates, and specific feature updates.
Interview Questions
What is the primary purpose of Microsoft Teams update policies?
The primary purpose of Teams update policies is to control when and how Teams updates are deployed on users’ devices, giving administrators the ability to manage updates and preview features.
What is the default Teams update policy?
The default Teams update policy is “Global (Org-wide default)”, it includes settings for all the features available in Teams and is applied to everyone in the organization.
How can you manage Microsoft Teams preview features with Teams update policies?
You can manage preview features by going to the Microsoft Teams admin center, navigating to Teams > Teams update policies, selecting a policy, and then turning on or off preview features.
Can you assign a custom Teams update policy to specific users or groups?
Yes, you can assign a custom Teams update policy to specific users or groups through the Microsoft Teams admin center.
How can an administrator enable the Teams preview features?
An administrator can enable the Teams preview features by adjusting the settings in the Teams Update Policies in the Teams Admin Center.
Where can you access Teams Update Policies?
You can access Teams Update Policies through the Teams Admin Center.
Can more than one Teams update policy be applied to a single user or group?
No, only one policy can be applied to a user or group at a time.
What is the path to access the Teams update policies page in the Microsoft Teams admin center?
The path to access the Teams update policies page is Teams admin center > Teams > Teams update policies.
Can an individual user override a Teams update policy?
No, an individual user can’t override a Teams update policy, only administrators have the right to change or assign policies.
Is it good practice to turn on all the new features right after Microsoft releases them in Teams?
It is not always recommended. Though it might be tempting to turn on all new features, it’s best to first understand how they work and consider possible implications.
What happens when you change settings in a Teams update policy?
When you change settings in a Teams update policy, it will generate a new version of the policy, and all the users assigned with this policy will get the latest version automatically.
How long does it take for a Teams update policy change to take effect?
A Teams update policy change can take up to 24 hours to take effect.
What should an administrator do if they need to remove a Teams update policy?
An administrator can remove a Teams update policy by going to Teams admin center > Teams > Teams update policies, select the policy to be removed, and then click Delete.
Is it possible to recover a deleted Teams update policy?
No, once a Teams update policy is deleted, it cannot be recovered.
Can I see the history of changes made to the Teams update policy over time?
No, Teams doesn’t provide a history of changes made to the Teams update policy. However, you can see the current settings of the policy in the Teams admin center.
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