Windows Update Orchestrator Project

A comprehensive Windows Update management system that provides enterprise-grade update orchestration with deployment ring support, rollback capabilities, and extensive telemetry.

Overview

The Windows Update Orchestrator (WUO) is a sophisticated update management system designed for enterprise environments. It provides:

• Deployment Ring Management: Support for Stable, Beta, Dev, and Canary deployment rings
• Update Orchestration: Intelligent update installation with rollback capabilities
• Security & Validation: Cryptographic signature verification and secure download protocols
• Comprehensive Telemetry: ETW events and Application Insights integration
• PowerShell Management: Complete administrative control via PowerShell module
• Cross-Platform Build: Support for both Windows and Unix build environments

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    WUOrchestrator Service                      │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │              C++ Win32 Service Core                     │  │
│  │  ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐     │  │
│  │  │Update Engine│ │Ring Manager │ │ETW Provider  │     │  │
│  │  └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └──────────────┘     │  │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                           │                                     │
└───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────┘
                            │
                            │ Named Pipe
                            │
┌───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────┐
│                           │                                     │
│  ┌────────────────────────▼─────────────────────────┐            │
│  │              C# Update Agent                       │            │
│  │  ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌────────┐  │            │
│  │  │Downloader   │ │Validator    │ │Installer│  │            │
│  │  └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └────────┘  │            │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘            │
│                                                                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                            │
                            │ HTTPS
                            │
┌───────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────┐
│                           ▼                                     │
│              Update Manifest Repository                         │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐     │
│  │              JSON Manifest Format                       │     │
│  │  ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐  │     │
│  │  │Package Info │ │Prerequisites│ │Install Steps │  │     │
│  │  └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └──────────────┘  │     │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Components

1. WUOrchestrator Service (C++ Win32)

• Location: src/orchestrator/WUOrchestratorService.cpp
• Purpose: Core service that manages update orchestration
• Features:
  • Windows Service integration with SCM
  • Named pipe server for IPC
  • ETW event provider
  • Deployment ring management
  • Update installation coordination

2. Update Agent (C#)

• Location: src/agent/
• Purpose: Handles actual update downloads, validation, and installation
• Features:
  • Secure HTTPS downloads with certificate validation
  • Cryptographic signature verification
  • Update package installation and rollback
  • Application Insights telemetry
  • Configurable retry policies

3. PowerShell Management Module

• Location: scripts/WUOrchestrator.psm1
• Purpose: Administrative interface for managing the orchestrator
• Features:
  • Service status monitoring
  • Deployment ring switching
  • Update installation control
  • Diagnostic log retrieval
  • Rollback testing capabilities

4. Update Manifests

• Location: src/manifests/
• Purpose: JSON-based update definitions
• Features:
  • Cryptographic signatures
  • Prerequisite validation
  • Hardware requirements
  • Installation instructions
  • Rollback procedures

Deployment Rings

The system supports four deployment rings with increasing risk levels:

Ring	Description	Target Audience	Update Frequency
Stable	Production-ready updates	General users	Monthly
Beta	Pre-release validation	IT Pros	Bi-weekly
Dev	Development builds	Developers	Weekly
Canary	Latest features	Testers	Daily

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Windows 10/11 (Build 19041 or later)
• Visual Studio 2022 with C++ workload
• .NET 6.0 SDK or later
• PowerShell 5.1 or later
• Administrator privileges

Build Instructions

Option 1: Windows Build (Recommended)

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/bashirk/WUOP
cd WUOP

# Build the project
.\scripts\build.bat

# Install the service (requires admin)
.\scripts\install.bat

Option 2: Cross-Platform Build

# Build C# components only
./scripts/build.sh

# Note: C++ service requires Windows environment

Installation

1. Run the installer (requires administrator privileges):

   .\scripts\install.bat

2. Verify installation:

   Get-Service -Name "Windows Update Orchestrator"

3. Check event logs:

   Get-WinEvent -LogName "WUOrchestrator/Operational" -MaxEvents 10

Configuration

Service Configuration

The orchestrator service reads configuration from the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WUOrchestrator
├── DeploymentRing (REG_SZ) - Current ring: Stable/Beta/Dev/Canary
├── ManifestURL (REG_SZ) - Update manifest repository
├── UpdateInterval (REG_DWORD) - Check interval in minutes
├── EnableTelemetry (REG_DWORD) - Telemetry enabled: 0/1
└── LogLevel (REG_DWORD) - Logging level: 0-4

Update Agent Configuration

The C# agent uses appsettings.json:

{
  "AgentConfiguration": {
    "UpdateCheckInterval": 3600,
    "MaxConcurrentDownloads": 3,
    "DownloadTimeout": 1800,
    "InstallationTimeout": 3600
  },
  "Security": {
    "RequireSignatureValidation": true,
    "TrustedPublishers": ["Microsoft Corporation", "Intel Corporation"]
  }
}

Usage

PowerShell Module Commands

# Import the module
Import-Module .\scripts\WUOrchestrator.psm1

# Check service status
Get-WUOrchStatus

# Switch deployment ring
Set-WUOrchRing -Ring "Beta"

# Trigger update check
Invoke-WUOrchCommand -Command "CheckForUpdates"

# Get recent logs
Get-WUOrchLogs -MaxEvents 50

# Test rollback functionality
Test-WUOrchRollback -PackageId "KB5034123"

# Restart the service
Restart-WUOrchService

Service Management

# Start the service
Start-Service -Name "Windows Update Orchestrator"

# Stop the service
Stop-Service -Name "Windows Update Orchestrator"

# Check service status
Get-Service -Name "Windows Update Orchestrator"

Telemetry and Monitoring

ETW Events

The service provides comprehensive ETW events for monitoring:

• Operational Channel: Service operations and update lifecycle
• Admin Channel: Administrative events and configuration changes
• Debug Channel: Detailed debugging information
• Analytic Channel: Performance metrics and analytics

Performance Counters

Custom performance counters track:

• Manifest download rate
• Update installation success rate
• Active update sessions
• Failed update attempts
• Average update duration
• Ring switch frequency
• Rollback operations

Application Insights

The C# agent sends telemetry to Application Insights:

• Update installation metrics
• Download performance
• Error rates and types
• User experience data
• System health indicators

Security Features

Cryptographic Validation

• Manifest Signatures: All update manifests are cryptographically signed
• Package Verification: Update packages include SHA256 checksums
• Certificate Validation: HTTPS downloads with certificate chain validation
• Publisher Verification: Trusted publisher validation

Access Control

• Service Permissions: Runs as LocalSystem with restricted permissions
• Named Pipe Security: Secure IPC with authentication
• Registry Protection: Configuration stored in protected registry keys
• File System Security: Secure file operations with proper ACLs

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Service won't start

   # Check event logs
   Get-WinEvent -LogName "System" -MaxEvents 50 | Where-Object {$_.Id -eq 7034}
   
   # Verify dependencies
   sc.exe qc "Windows Update Orchestrator"

2. Update installation failures

   # Check operational logs
   Get-WinEvent -LogName "WUOrchestrator/Operational" -MaxEvents 20
   
   # Test manifest validation
   Test-WUOrchManifestValidation -ManifestPath "path\to\manifest.json"

3. Network connectivity issues

   # Test manifest download
   Test-WUOrchManifestDownload -ManifestURL "https://example.com/manifest.json"
   
   # Check proxy settings
   netsh winhttp show proxy

Diagnostic Commands

# Comprehensive health check
Test-WUOrchHealth

# Network connectivity test
Test-WUOrchNetwork

# Service dependencies check
Test-WUOrchDependencies

# Performance baseline
Get-WUOrchPerformanceMetrics

Development

Building from Source

1. Clone the repository

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd WUOP

2. Build the project

   # Windows build
   .\scripts\build.bat
   
   # Cross-platform build (C# only)
   ./scripts/build.sh

3. Run tests

   # PowerShell tests
   Invoke-Pester .\scripts\tests\
   
   # C# unit tests
   dotnet test src\agent\tests\

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests for new functionality
5. Submit a pull request

Uninstallation

To completely remove the Windows Update Orchestrator:

# Run the uninstaller (requires admin)
.\scripts\uninstall.bat

This will:

• Stop and remove the service
• Remove registry entries
• Delete installed files
• Unregister ETW manifest
• Remove PowerShell module

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Support

For issues and questions:

• Check the troubleshooting section
• Review event logs
• Submit issues to the project repository
• Contact your system administrator

Version History

v1.0.0 (Current)

• Initial release
• C++ Win32 service implementation
• C# Update Agent
• PowerShell management module
• ETW telemetry integration
• Deployment ring support
• Rollback capabilities

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Note: This is an enterprise-grade update management system. Always test in a non-production environment before deploying to production systems.