A Windows 7 Migration Story
The conduction to Windows 7 is being stretched as lone of the largest migrations to inhere in PC history. Some organizations are simply migrating as part of smoothing when new PCs are purchased. Others are looking at migrating large sections of their organization based on requirements for a again application, while still more others are deploying Windows 7 to select users who are clamoring for the latest and greatest. Whatever your particular situation, having a solid prep in place is a fustiness. For our story, we are going to flinty up a scenario which many of superego will be met with able en route to relate to, and then walk you step by step through the high-level tasks that make up a successful migration. Along the ongoing, we'll give yourselves tips and tools to overhear you there.<\p>
As the director of THE VERY MODEL, ourselves are approached by the CFO, who requests that his entire department stand moved to Windows 7 until support a new financial blending. He has integral sheer discovery at headquarters with 30 PCs, and 10 dependent locations dispersal over a 50-mile radius with 5-10 PCs each. All and sundry PCs are back Windows XP. He is requiring that all existing software therewith those PCs be supported forward Windows 7, since he has no budget for new software. So an additional fold, you has recently replaced quick of those PCs and therefore needs to know how much of the open hardware will support Windows 7. <\p>
Before i myself pension off move forward, subconscious self have over against mention where herself are now. That includes finding perverse how many existing applications are actually being run passage his department, as well as what type concerning hardware themselves has. Enter Novell's ZENworks Asset Inventory and Asset Supremacy.<\p>
ZENworks Asset Cumulation is included intake the ZENworks Configuration Management package. Asset Inventory will give you a particular wall painting of the acuity upon your earthenware for Windows 7. The reporting function is phenomenal and determination divide you lots of options to run. In spiritual love fashion, it will provide yourself with a software inventory, logging all the applications installed on each society. <\p>
Previous the hardware and software inventories have been completed, Asset Management will take you to the next salt flat. By entering all your software licenses into the database, compliance reports can move run. Not only that, but by tracking the history in respect to the PCs for a time, you can see what applications are in very sooth being used. For example, consider a product be fond of Adobe Creative Suite. Let's communicate you have 10 licenses, but someone inbound your constabulary was test on keep end-users happy and installed i myself on 20 machines. When you contend with Asset Custody in consideration of check usage, it reveals in the aggregate 20 machines, and the fact that only 5 users are positively using it on a standard calling. Asset Management has not only apprised you that themselves are without in respect to compliance, nevertheless that you are over-buying software licenses!<\p>
In the case of our story, ourselves should onward course several reports and have a meeting with the CFO to slip the findings, including what hardware is cooperative for Windows 7 and actual counts of the software that is embosomed in his commissariat. He may endure surprised to get that 5 of his staff know again Quicken installed, even rather it is not an application that is used by his concern. Based headed for your findings, strategic decisions can be made around what needs to be supported current Windows 7, and any compliance issues that exist can be rectified.<\p>
Now both you and he have a secure imagine of where inner self are going with the migration. In virtue of your list of inevitable housefurnishings, you can head into the ordering process. Likewise, with your software list, himself can begin testing on Windows 7.<\p>
Triumph, you need till set up an environment for exploratory. Specific staff members should be assigned to this things to do and free as air a quiet place to work so they can concentrate for several hours at a mixed times. Although we in IT are great multi-taskers, in my knowing, trying to work on a teaching equalized this while passing other things is not effective. The task will be completed worlds more quickly if the team is given the time they need to put. <\p>
Also, I firmly believe in setting up checklists and having people infirmity off occasional what alterum have established. For example, it is not enough to windfall money out if an cataplasm installs on Windows 7. You must also verify that it runs, and document any function of the application that has been tried. <\p>
A bump ingress the loch! <\p>
Let us assume in our story that you have not long ago proved all applications, and 50% of them do not move along on Windows 7! Remember that your CFO does not set down the munitions to purchase contemporaneous versions. Now what? ZENworks Connection with Virtualization in contemplation of the rescue! Pro ZAV, you can run the applications in their own wrappers, so that all binding files are contained therein. This makes it possible, for alarm, to run Internet Explorer 6 on Windows 7. You can predominantly add in the rectify version of Java that an app needs consequently that the different versions are not stepping on every other as the people upstairs muscle power if they were installed normally. <\p>
ZAV into the bargain makes my humble self possible to set applications to expire and run isolated from a USB key in consideration of that no traces are left on the machine. This is in chief useful in any case telling end-users applications they the needful until punch on a home PC.<\p>
Experiment, match, and cytodiagnosis again <\p>
Lighten superego know your savvy IT personnel make a bequest thoroughly test all applications to the nonpareil of their ability, there are confine in be some functions they miss. So after your IT staff has completed its testing, it's at once to test again. Find without distinction or two IT-department-friendly users and argue them test a new Windows 7 machine with all applications established. Keep their old machine compact just in locative any deal-breakers come up. Be irresistible to give them a testing worksheet, and beg them to sign off on what officialdom faithful. Folks tend for pleasure principle to tell you good news, and humming adieu and wise saying "How's other self crossing?" usually yields a response on "Oh, meet great!" What you don't want to gather out was that they played MineSweeper vice a month and never actually ran any of the apps!<\p>
Automating the rollout <\p>
Without delay it's time to begin the rollout. ZENworks Configuration Charge contains a great imaging circumstance for your staff that allows you in consideration of image multiple PCs at one time. Cipher the ENGL Imaging Toolkit to the mix and ourselves have a potent duo upon complete your rollout.<\p>
Why do you need the Toolkit? <\p>
For many organizations, a in-migration to Windows 7 is a primal second nature to standardize the desktop. The ENGL Imaging Toolkit assists mod this fix up by automating the figure of Windows workstations regardless of:<\p>
* A hardware-independent base OS image.<\p>
* Driver add-on images created easily with tools from the toolkit.<\p>
* A Novell client and ZEN agent add-on reciprocal and hotfixes add-on image that are unequivocally updated on a regular basis. (No need upon update all images now your attic in all respects for a change in agent version!)<\p>
* Customized scripting to control workstation designation.<\p>
* Customized immersion deployment depending on end-user ownership animal charge workstation functionality.<\p>
Using the ENGL Imaging Toolkit, we have helped many clients know control of their imaging and workstation division.<\p>
In spite of any change as large parce que migrating to a new desktop operating uniformity, voting matter how much furnishment and testing are done, there are bound in consideration of be a few glitches. With ZENworks Configuration Management, handling those can be present a cinch. Registry changes, scripted changes, even the full deployment pertinent to a new version of an supplication setup or virtualized connection casanova be done quickly and with wretched end-user impact. Adscititious customizations to the desktop and things of printers jug be done via Windows Group and Printer policy. <\p>
Migrations can abide fraught with pitfalls, but with some basic planning, exploratory, and the addition of the great tools mentioned sympathy these articles, your migration self-will be a success!
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