SharePoint 2016 CU/PU/Feature Pack recommendations?

Question

I do understand that

• CU is released on a monthly basis and contains bug fixes
• PU may be released on a monthly basis and contains security fixes
• Feature pack is released on a yearly basis and contains new features, bug fixes & security fixes

and

• CU should be installed only when it is required
• PU should be installed ASAP
• Feature pack should be installed in a month or two after the release.

Now I have the following queries

• Is January 2018 CU a CU or PU? I has security fix as well.
• What is the recommended frequency for CU installation? I do understand that it should be installed on a demand basis however just trying to see if there are any other recommendations.
• What happens when I skip last 3 CUs and wanted to install the current CU? should I install all the CUs that are missed?
• Can I just keep installing PUs without having to install CUs?
• Finally, what is recommended for Feature Pack installation?

Answer 1

Now a days MSFT releasing two things, security updates and PU (also be CU) on monthly basis. What I understand on MSFT official site they called it public update but Stefan called it cu on his msdn blog. For me it is two name for one update.

• Jan 2018 is sharepoint update can call CU or PU, as I said earlier. This update include the security fix.

• Now MSFT guideline is ASAP.Microsoft recommends that all customers install Public Updates for SharePoint Server 2016 as soon as they become available. Microsoft performs rigorous validation of each Public Update, both internally and with a select set of partners and customers before it is released to ensure it has the highest quality.

• updates are culamalitve, that's mean include all previous cu/ security fixes, so if you miss 3 and want to install latest then it will cover all.

• there is no separate PU or Cu for SharePoint 2016, it is the name of same updates. So you dont need to worry.There are may be separate security updates. Make sure when u patch your SharePoint farm, must install both packages( without language and language dependent)

• feature pack is also part of updates, there is no separate release for it.like before we were seeing service pack but no more. So if you are on Jan 2018 CU/PU then both features packs already installed.

Official Recommendation is install updates asap when they available.but, I would test it in lower farm then go to production.read the q&a section of above mentioned link.