Application Readiness

Windows XP Support End Looms – Automation Eases Windows 7 Migration

By Randy Littleson

Companies of all sizes have one eye on the clock ticking down to the end of Windows XP support.  Numbers vary on the percentage of corporations and desktops that have been migrated to Windows 7 (we are not seeing many migrating to Windows 8), but all numbers point to a large number of companies that have yet to finish.  It’s a pretty safe bet that the overwhelming majority of companies that are not finished are at some point in their project to get there.

No matter where you’re at in the planning or execution stages of your Windows 7 migration, you will clearly benefit from automation of the Application Readiness process.  As the clock ticks down, you may think that an option is to outsource the management of application preparedness to a third party in an effort to get done by the deadline by “throwing bodies at the problem.”  As is typically the case in such situations, you may succeed with this, but you’ve really just put a band aid over the core issue that will come back to bite you later.  What you won’t be achieving by going this route is establishing/improving your overall Application Readiness processes, systems and tools critical to dealing with future changes (and keep in mind that industry data shows that 30% of applications change each year and need to go through this process).   Future changes are likely to include moving to Microsoft System Center 2012 or standardizing on application virtualization delivery models.

Since the big Windows 7 migration projects began over 3 years ago, Application Readiness solutions to manage application migrations have emerged and matured substantially, evolving from tactical tools to integrated solutions that are highly functional for day-to-day packaging tasks but also highly scalable for mass application migration projects.  And, they are field proven to work—saving you time and increasing the success rate of application migration projects.

While focusing on applications is a critical component of your Windows 7 migration you can’t forget about your users.  The massive time and effort of manually scheduling deployment to users can be a large project.  New solutions have emerged in this area as well.  App Stores not only allow you to deliver new apps to users but can also be used by IT and end users to manage and schedule OS Deployments in a way that minimizes mass help desk calls and network traffic, allows IT to have a controlled deployment and gives end users control over when their machines will be updated

You can complete your Windows 7 projects by the XP deadline, but you need to leverage advancements in automation for these critical areas: 

• Assessing application compatibility status
• Remediating issues
• Publishing fixed applications to your deployment solution
• Scheduling deployments with users

Be sure any solution you select has the following critical capabilities:

• Proven and reliable in many successful Windows 7 migrations, application virtualization projects and day-to-day application packaging
• Allows you to implement best practice MSI and application packaging standards at the same time you are assessing and preparing applications for Windows 7 deployment
• Ability to deploy back to System Center with the new user-centric Application Model fully populated
• Fully integrated with an App Store so that once you are ready to update users for Windows 7 – you can easily provide self-service scheduling
• An automation layer that not only reduces the manual tasks – but one that supports the automation techniques and tools that you already know – like PowerShell

Thousands of companies have used proven Application Readiness solutions to successfully migrate to Windows 7 while at the same time establishing a competency in managing application preparedness on an ongoing basis.  You can implement new standards and practices to enable a continuous Application Readiness process so that as you are filling day-to-day application requests you are ensuring your entire application estate is always ready for the next change.

Why do Companies Standardize their Application Packaging Processes?

By Randy Littleson

I often get asked what drives companies to standardize their application packaging and application readiness processes. I thought the best way to answer this is to give you some real-life examples of what makes this commitment a no-brainer:

One of the largest banks in France needed to prepare their applications for a Windows 7 migration and wanted to implement application virtualization to save time and effort. Challenged with 300 specific applications to prepare for Windows 7 and consider for Microsoft App-V application virtualization, they needed to accelerate and automate the complex process of packaging and converting applications to App-V and to ensure reliable Windows 7 software deployments.

The IT service department for a German Pharmaceutical Retailer with branches across Germany had 30 application packagers needing to deploy enterprise software onto over 1300 desktops and ensure that all users would have access to the same features and functionality. Additionally, the packages were expected to be deployed with no errors. They looked to standardize their application preparation process so that they could package and repackage software quickly and reliably for clients and increase software deployment success rate to >99%.

A national law firm with a small IT department responsible for preparing and managing over 200 applications across 800 desktops was in the process of rolling out a new operating system, moving to VMware's virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), migrating to Microsoft® System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) on the backend, and deploying a new version of Microsoft Office. The team's resources were tapped—they had to repackage everything, consider what and how to virtualize applications, and optimize their SCCM investment—and their current application preparation process was completely ad hoc. They required a solution to help the IT team through the current migration projects and additionally, they needed a solution that would be a best practice standard for routine software deployments. 

These are three very common examples. A typical company is faced with 30% of their applications changing annually. Each of these applications must be put through a standardized Application Readiness process to ensure consistently reliable software deployments. On top of that, most companies are also dealing with migrations, say to Windows 7, or desktop transformation initiatives that utilize application virtualization and/or desktop virtualization—all impacting applications.

For these scenarios and many more like them, companies turn to a standardized process and solution for application compatibility, packaging and preparation such as AdminStudio to increase productivity, reduce IT costs and resource requirements, integrate with SCCM, and quickly convert applications to a virtual format—and ensure reliable application deployments across the enterprise.

A Smart Strategy for Streamlining and Accelerating Windows 7 Migrations

By: Leslie Easter

Everyday more and more companies are making the move to Windows 7. This continues a trend that we saw slowly increase since the Windows 7 release in 2009. As this process has continued, Flexera Software has built up an impressive resume helping our clients make this migration a smooth and hassle-free process. This experience has taught us one valuable thing: companies can do more to minimize the trauma of migration.

Using AdminStudio as a corner stone for migration, Flexera Software augments this software product with a consulting and services know-how to create a full-featured migration solution. Operating system migration is one of the few IT events that touches the daily working experience of every employee. That level of change should not be taken lightly. While a move to Windows 7 and the increased productivity it boasts is attractive, it's not without certain risks.

Gartner recommends 12-18 months of effort to prepare for a Windows 7 migration and at a cost of $2000 to $3500 per application, moving to Windows 7 isn't going to be quick or cheap. Still there are things that you can do to keep the cost down and at the same time minimize the risk of migration. Flexera Software is offering a free on-demand webinar to assist you in maximizing the success of your Windows 7 migration.

Webinar: A Smart Strategy for Streamlining and Accelerating Windows 7 Migrations

Hear Best Practices from companies that have already deployed Windows 7

Most IT professionals are familiar with the issues and frustrations that can come up during an operating system migration.  With many moving parts and tasks to be accomplished, it is easy to run into problems migrating the thousands of desktop and web applications to Windows 7, finding and fixing their compatibility issues, and then packaging and deploying them is overwhelming.  Adding to the pressure is that mistakes made during the migration can have serious business consequences. Learn from organizations before you how they made the move to Windows 7.  Register Today.

Automate Application Migration Processes through Constant Change

By: Randy Littleson

In the past, application migrations used to occur very infrequently. Today, enterprises are not only migrating applications when they upgrade to new operating systems, but as cloud, virtualization technologies and best practices have matured and gained traction, IT must deal with time-consuming, costly support and upgrade issues constantly. In addition, bring your own device (BYOD) has introduced a whole new dimension as users clamor for increased mobility, new device support, and an increasing range of requirements—making managing software more challenging than ever.

Application migrations are necessary to manage applications through change. IT is faced with technical issues and figuring out how to reliably migrate applications to new platforms such as Windows 7 or 8, Windows Server 2012, virtual, cloud and BYOD while ensuring users have a good application experience. They are also faced with business issues and having to ensure they can successfully manage software license compliance and cost through organizational changes, mergers & acquisitions, divestitures and outsourcing. And, they have to figure out how to enhance desktop management processes and embrace user-centric software deployment to support desktop transformation initiatives. As a result, automation of these application migration business processes has become an imperative.

Through automating essential Application Readiness business processes, enterprises are able to:

• Migrate applications—the most pressing business priority for any platform upgrade is whether or not applications required to run the business will work. Migrate applications with an automated application readiness process that assesses compatibility, resolves conflicts and reliably packages and delivers IT certified compatible applications to new platforms
• Manage compliance risk—mitigate software license non-compliance introduced by platform migrations, new environments (including cloud and virtualization) and business changes by having an ongoing and automated software asset management program that optimizes your software license position for applications that are at risk of audit or where you spend the most
• Embrace virtualization and the cloud—automate desktop management processes to support a combination of application deployment models from a common solution to ensure consistency regardless of approach

The right application migration solutions automate business processes across an applications' lifecycle to bring structure to chaos, enabling IT to be in control as they manage software through constant and diverse changes. 

Application Compatibility – Think Holistically to Get it Right the First Time

By: Randy Littleson

Savvy IT professionals know that migrating to a new platform – whether it is Windows 7 or some type of virtualization – requires a well thought out plan that places application compatibility front and center. After all, applications run the business, so migrating to the latest platform doesn't do much good if the business can't run the applications it depends on every day.

With the growing number of platform options and the varying application types (traditional desktop apps, SaaS/web-based apps, virtualized applications, etc.), the application compatibility challenge is growing increasingly complex. And, there are nuances for desktop vs. server/datacenter applications that also need to be factored in.

What's needed is an integrated set of application compatibility testing that covers all of the permutations you may encounter. This will ensure that your testing is robust and thorough and will help automate the process of identifying and then correcting application compatibility issues during your Application Readiness process.

Such an integrated set of application compatibility testing needs to include tests for:

• Windows 7 (32 and 64-bit)
• Windows 8 (32 and 64-bit)
• Windows Server 2008 R2
• Windows Server 2012
• Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10
• Remote Desktop Services & Citrix XenApp
• Microsoft App-V
• Citrix XenApp
• VMware ThinApp
• Microsoft Server App-V
• MSI validation (Microsoft Internal Consistency Evaluators (ICE) and other best practices)
• Inter-application conflict analysis

A 'complete set' of application compatibility tests is going to allow you to look at all the considerations needed to make intelligent decisions, not just about what you could do with your applications, but what you should do as well. The results of all of these tests should be aggregated into a single 'test center' for ease of analysis by your application packaging team – providing a single source of truth on the compatibility assessment of your applications.

Application compatibility testing is a key phase in the full lifecycle Application Readiness process as noted in the graphic below.

It is an essential step in building an application migration plan for any migration project (e.g., Windows 7, application virtualization, etc.) as it is based on facts about the current state of your applications relative to your intended new platform. Having a robust and complete application compatibility capability that is seamlessly integrated into the entire Application Readiness process is essential to getting it right the first time – ensuring that your users can use the applications they rely on, and enabling IT to successfully complete the migration within their resource and budget parameters.

http://www.bonkersworld.net/backwards-compatibility/

“Look but don’t touch. Think but don’t act.” Why Windows 8 matters while Windows 7 is still very much alive.

By: Toby Martin

We are hearing lots of chatter about Windows 8 and its influence on the migration to Windows 7. This is not to suggest that organizations are delaying Windows 7 migration completion for Windows 8, but the view about Windows 8 is generally cautious and can be summed up as "look but don't touch, think but don't act."

A few common misconceptions:

• No hurry to embrace Windows 8 - With Windows 8 not being generally available until October 26, 2012, and the first version being geared so heavily at a consumer play via slate devices, enterprises may feel like they can delay support for the newest O/S. However, Windows 8 will start sneaking in the back door in late 2012 or early 2013 via Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and the Microsoft Surface when it becomes available.
• Update O/S every few years- There is a feeling that operating systems only need updating every few years. The extremely long shelf-life of Windows XP led many IT organizations to delay migrating to Windows 7 because XP was so well established and extensively rolled out, so why change? Microsoft, however, has provided the impetus, with end-of-lifing support for XP in early 2014, leaving little option, but to migrate. Although, with Windows 7 estimated to end-of-life in 2020, migrating from XP to Windows 7 should buy several years of security.
• Windows 8 migrations are still a long way off– This is true, Windows 8 won't matter in the migrations already underway, but the 'ahead of the game' IT executive who is thinking 2-3 years out will consider the inevitability of Windows 8 and how to minimize disruptions. 

Given the pace of change and the onslaught of new software that requires most organizations to change or upgrade up to 30% of their software yearly, enterprises need to deploy a better strategy for maintaining their application readiness process on an ongoing basis.

So understand which applications you are updating for Windows 7, and if there is an alternate version that will also support Windows 8, go for it. Microsoft is saying that what works on Windows 7 will work on Windows 8, but as a best practice you will still want to purchase and test these applications as if you had no assurances. And remember not to look at only those applications you're deploying to the endpoint device, but also those you run on browsers as that adds a whole new wrinkle for supported versions.

The advice for moving forward is relatively simple. Complete the migration to Windows 7 as already laid out in your project plans before even considering adding a new O/S into the environment. Once the migration to Windows 7 has begun, is progressing or completing, you should consider the downstream impacts of Windows 8 because even if you are not planning to roll it out soon, you better have a plan or it will roll out and roll right over you!

Planning your Windows 7 deployment

By: Randy Littleson

In my last post, I talked about Windows 7 Application Compatibility – 4 Things We've Learned. In this post, I want to look at the broader topic of Windows 7 deployments and some of the best practices and issues associated with it. Certainly Windows 7 application compatibility is near the front of that list, but there are other considerations.

One key factor that many enterprises must decide on is whether they are doing just a Windows 7 deployment, or if they are going to combine that project with others – whether it be BYOD, application virtualization, desktop transformation, or a host of other related initiatives.

A research SearchEnterpriseDesktop article on TechTarget entitled Despite BYOD and cloud, it's business as usual for Windows migrations had this to say:

Windows 7 was launched in October 2009, but it still accounts for less than 50% of enterprise operating systems. As of June 2012, Windows XP accounted for 44% of the enterprise desktop OS market, down from 56% a year ago and 64% two years ago, according to the latest figures from Net Applications, an applications vendor and research firm based in Aliso Viejo, Calif. Windows 7 accounted for 42% of the enterprise desktop OS market, and it's expected to pass XP adoption rates by the end of the third quarter of 2012.

These are global numbers. Windows 7 migrations have been happening faster in North America. Some estimates have adoption as high as 60% in North America with EMEA at about 46% of desktops and APAC coming in at about 20%.

It went on to say:

The trick -- and it's a complicated one -- is for IT to figure out how desktops, consumerization and mobility augment one another, then implement the technology to empower end users, all within a set budget.

From what I have seen, it appears that application virtualization is tightly aligned with Windows 7 migrations and is being done concurrently in a high percentage of cases. Many other initiatives are being implemented at the same time, but not as broadly as application virtualization. They tend to be distinct initiatives with their own budgets.

When it comes to actually planning the Windows 7 migration, there are two schools of thought on the best approach (you can access Microsoft upgrade and migration tools here). You can either push out the migration as the usual operating system update, or to do so as part of the PC refresh cycle. The jury is out as to which is best, but to have a clean image when migrating as part of the new PC cycle invariably simplifies the number of supported configurations, thereby decreasing drift in images. The ideal scenario, then, is going with the refresh cycle, but since many waited too long, they have to opt for the former.

According to a research report cited in an eWeek article entitled How to Successfully Migrate to Windows 7 companies indicated that approximately half of their IT staff were needed in the migration process and 54% used automation to simplify the upgrade. Many of the IT professionals surveyed felt automation was justified for any company with 10 or more PCs.

That same article cited planning, training and pilot testing as most critical to a successful Windows 7 deployment.

A huge benefit to those who still have to upgrade is the growing pool of resources based on the experiences of those that have already traveled this path. Tap into resources online and use social media outlets to compare notes so you can learn from their experiences.

Windows 7 Application Compatibility – 4 Things We’ve Learned

By: Randy Littleson

By now, many companies have successfully completed their Windows 7 migration and solved the Windows 7 application compatibility challenges that this project inevitably brings to bear. According to various sources, this is where Windows 7 migrations globally currently stand:

• According to a Microsoft spokesperson quoted in February 2012, one-third of business PCs have upgraded to Windows 7 since it was released in late 2009. Gartner predicts that Windows XP market share will continue to decline to under 5 percent by early 2013.
• Organizations that have not yet migrated (or started detailed planning) from Windows XP are "really, really late" according to Gartner. The same article quoted Gartner saying that "about 5 to 10 percent of the industry" is still not thinking about these migration issues.
• In a May 2012 webinar, Michael A. Silver, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner, said the issue of migration was still a big concern.
• According to Gartner, it typically takes six to 12 months to complete an OS migration.
• My own experience has been that North American companies seem to be further ahead, with Europe and Asia-Pacific slightly behind on the adoption curve.

On April 18, 2014, Microsoft will "end of life" Windows XP – which by that time will be more than 13 years old – meaning Microsoft will no longer support it or offer updates or patches. At the same time, Windows 8 is quickly approaching. However, Gartner believes most companies will skip Windows 8 altogether and even Microsoft acknowledges, "for the enterprise, the path to Windows 8 is through Windows 7."

As many companies have already completed their Windows 7 migrations, quite a bit has been learned about the processes, technical challenges, and best practices in ensuring a successful migration. I would like to share some of these best practices:

1. Establish an Application Readiness process—in order to manage the complexity of migrating all of your applications successfully to Windows 7, you need to establish an Application Readiness process. Such a process would include the following steps:
   1. Identify—identify deployed and used applications
   2. Rationalize—eliminate duplicate applications
   3. Assess compatibility—determine suitability for migration/upgrade
   4. Plan—plan migration in line with business objectives
   5. Fix and Package—convert applications to required format
   6. Deploy—deploy packaged applications (using SCCM or an enterprise app store)
   7. Such a process is essential to managing a complex project like this, but also establishes consistency and best practices for on-going Application Readiness processes. In a typical company, 30% of the applications change each year and need to be put through this same process, so establishing it now ensures that you have a successful migration and an on-going best practice process in place.
2. It's more than a Windows 7 migration—most companies have used their Windows 7 migration project to evaluate whether or not their applications are optimally deployed. Thus, most companies are combining Windows 7 migrations with application virtualization, private cloud and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) projects to solve compatibility issues, gain efficiencies and streamline ongoing application management processes. Since you need to evaluate and manage your entire application estate through the migration process, it's a great time to leverage these new technologies to gain further benefits.
3. It's more than just Windows 7 application compatibility—as a result of #2, the focus needs to be on more than just Windows 7 application compatibility. Holistically assessing application compatibility needs to be integral and baked into your Application Readiness process, and it needs to cover Windows 7 application compatibility, application virtualization compatibility assessment, web application assessment and virtual desktop assessment to ensure that all the desired destinations are assessed for each application. It appears that very few companies are standardizing on a single vendor for their virtualization and/or cloud infrastructures—choosing instead to go with the best solution for the type of deployments that they choose to utilize. Therefore, application compatibility assessment needs to be equally agnostic and help you assess the right solution for your needs.
4. Leverage the right tools to automate your business processes—like any critical business process, your Application Readiness process should be automated to the extent possible. Choose an Application Readiness solution that can help automate and manage this process through all phases as outlined above. Doing so significantly reduces the risk of human error and standardizes each step in the process.

Companies across the globe continue to move to Windows 7 at a rapid clip—but there remains a lot of work to do. Windows 7 application compatibility is at the heart of any successful migration project. Hopefully these insights, based on experience, will help you ensure that your migration is a success.