Overview
As part of our Intune automated application packaging service, we have a cleanup process designed to maintain a streamlined and efficient application environment in customers’ tenants. When new versions of back catalogue applications are released, our automation ensures that outdated versions are responsibly removed to avoid clutter and inefficiencies.
This article explains the criteria for removing older application versions and how customers can manage their app retention preferences.
Retention of Older Versions for Rollback Support
To ensure that customers can roll back to older versions in the event of issues, bugs, or security concerns, we do not remove all older versions when a new version is uploaded. Instead, our automated cleanup process adheres to the following retention rules:
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Latest Packaged Version: The most recent packaged application version is always retained.
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Two Older Versions: In addition to the latest assigned version, two older versions are kept on the tenant.
This approach provides flexibility for customers to roll back to a previous version if needed.
Assignment Deferral Considerations
Given that customers may configure assignment deferrals (with support for up to 1-month deferrals), our cleanup process ensures that older versions are only removed if they meet the following criteria:
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Version Age: The older version must be at least 30 days old.
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Version Gap: The older version must be at least three versions behind the latest available release.
These conditions ensure that assignment deferrals do not inadvertently trigger the premature removal of versions that customers may still require.
Self-Service Cleanup
Customers have the option to manually remove older application versions if they do not wish to retain three or more versions on their tenant. This can help optimise storage and reduce clutter.
Important Note:
If customers choose to remove all older versions except for the most recent app version, rolling back to a previous version will become more complex. In such cases, manual intervention will be required from our team to upload the desired rollback version.
Limitations on Automated Cleanup
The automated cleanup process cannot delete application versions if:
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Manual Assignments: The customer manually assigns an older version of an application.
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Dependencies: The customer manually adds a dependency to the app version.
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Supersedence: The customer manually adds supersedence to the app version.
These limitations ensure that critical application configurations and dependencies are preserved.
Best Practices for Managing Application Versions
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Regular Review: Periodically review older application versions and remove those no longer needed to maintain a clean and efficient tenant.
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Rollback Strategy: Retain at least two older versions to ensure a straightforward rollback process.
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Deferral Monitoring: Align cleanup decisions with assignment deferral configurations to avoid unintentional version gaps.
By understanding and managing the cleanup process, customers can maintain a flexible and efficient application environment that supports both stability and innovation.