Today, Microsoft has unveiled an exciting new feature for mobile device management (MDM) known as Config Refresh. This enhancement aims to ensure the ongoing security and compliance of Policy CSP settings across all devices under management. By enabling frequent MDM policy refreshes, Config Refresh addresses situations where settings may drift from their intended configurations. Let's delve into the details of Config Refresh, its management, and troubleshooting aspects.
Enhancing Mobile Device Management with Windows 11
Windows 11 supports MDM protocols, enabling seamless management of company security policies and business applications while safeguarding user privacy on both corporate-owned and employee-owned devices. MDM facilitates improved device management by leveraging the cloud as the management plane, removing connectivity constraints for remote work scenarios, and streamlining various enterprise management tasks.
As MDM capabilities have evolved to handle millions of devices, Microsoft has been attentive to user feedback, striving to achieve consistency in MDM settings available through configuration service providers (CSPs), aligning with solutions like the Microsoft Intune Settings Catalog and traditional Group Policy settings.
Understanding Config Refresh
Config Refresh plays a pivotal role in enhancing security and compliance for MDM-managed PCs. By default, Group Policy refreshes occur every 90 minutes, while MDM policy refreshes take place every eight hours. With Config Refresh, users now have the flexibility to adjust policy refresh timing, ranging from as short as 30 minutes to as long as 24 hours (1,440 minutes).
This feature is designed to provide enhanced functionality akin to Group Policy, offering a reset operation to revert managed settings using the Policy CSP, offline functionality not dependent on MDM server connectivity, and the ability to pause Config Refresh for troubleshooting purposes, automatically resuming after 24 hours.
Managing Config Refresh
To manage the Config Refresh experience, users can navigate to the Intune Settings Catalog. Enabling Config Refresh sets the default refresh cadence at 90 minutes, with the option to customize it to as low as 30 minutes based on organizational requirements. PCs running Windows 11, version 23H2 or version 22H2 with the June 2024 security update (or later) support Config Refresh.
The DMClient CSP facilitates the configuration of Config Refresh capabilities, with the ConfigRefresh node overseeing the enablement and configuration of the feature. Users can verify Config Refresh activation in the registry under a specified path.
Troubleshooting and Verification
Upon enabling Config Refresh, Windows initiates a scheduled task in the Task Scheduler responsible for executing the refresh operation. This scheduled task is located in the Microsoft/Windows/EnterpriseMgmtNonCritical node. Users can monitor Config Refresh activity through the Event Viewer, observing various event IDs indicating the start, completion, or failure of the refresh process.
Getting Started with Config Refresh
Microsoft encourages users to embrace Config Refresh as a tool to enhance device security, mitigate configuration drift, and ensure ongoing compliance. This feature aligns with Microsoft's commitment to delivering secure-by-design and security-by-default Windows experiences. Users can engage further with Windows Security resources, Microsoft's Security solutions, Security blogs, and stay updated on cybersecurity news via LinkedIn and other platforms.
In essence, Config Refresh in Windows 11 represents a significant step towards bolstering mobile device security and ensuring seamless management of MDM policies, fostering a more secure computing environment for users and organizations alike.
Enhancing Mobile Device Management with Windows 11
Windows 11 supports MDM protocols, enabling seamless management of company security policies and business applications while safeguarding user privacy on both corporate-owned and employee-owned devices. MDM facilitates improved device management by leveraging the cloud as the management plane, removing connectivity constraints for remote work scenarios, and streamlining various enterprise management tasks.
As MDM capabilities have evolved to handle millions of devices, Microsoft has been attentive to user feedback, striving to achieve consistency in MDM settings available through configuration service providers (CSPs), aligning with solutions like the Microsoft Intune Settings Catalog and traditional Group Policy settings.
Understanding Config Refresh
Config Refresh plays a pivotal role in enhancing security and compliance for MDM-managed PCs. By default, Group Policy refreshes occur every 90 minutes, while MDM policy refreshes take place every eight hours. With Config Refresh, users now have the flexibility to adjust policy refresh timing, ranging from as short as 30 minutes to as long as 24 hours (1,440 minutes).
This feature is designed to provide enhanced functionality akin to Group Policy, offering a reset operation to revert managed settings using the Policy CSP, offline functionality not dependent on MDM server connectivity, and the ability to pause Config Refresh for troubleshooting purposes, automatically resuming after 24 hours.
Managing Config Refresh
To manage the Config Refresh experience, users can navigate to the Intune Settings Catalog. Enabling Config Refresh sets the default refresh cadence at 90 minutes, with the option to customize it to as low as 30 minutes based on organizational requirements. PCs running Windows 11, version 23H2 or version 22H2 with the June 2024 security update (or later) support Config Refresh.
The DMClient CSP facilitates the configuration of Config Refresh capabilities, with the ConfigRefresh node overseeing the enablement and configuration of the feature. Users can verify Config Refresh activation in the registry under a specified path.
Troubleshooting and Verification
Upon enabling Config Refresh, Windows initiates a scheduled task in the Task Scheduler responsible for executing the refresh operation. This scheduled task is located in the Microsoft/Windows/EnterpriseMgmtNonCritical node. Users can monitor Config Refresh activity through the Event Viewer, observing various event IDs indicating the start, completion, or failure of the refresh process.
Getting Started with Config Refresh
Microsoft encourages users to embrace Config Refresh as a tool to enhance device security, mitigate configuration drift, and ensure ongoing compliance. This feature aligns with Microsoft's commitment to delivering secure-by-design and security-by-default Windows experiences. Users can engage further with Windows Security resources, Microsoft's Security solutions, Security blogs, and stay updated on cybersecurity news via LinkedIn and other platforms.
In essence, Config Refresh in Windows 11 represents a significant step towards bolstering mobile device security and ensuring seamless management of MDM policies, fostering a more secure computing environment for users and organizations alike.
