Help Desk Software
The migration to Windows 7 is becoming touted as among the largest migrations to happen in PC history. Some organizations are merely migrating as portion of attrition when new PCs are bought. Other people are searching at migrating significant sections of their organization according to specifications for a brand new application, whilst nonetheless other people are deploying Windows 7 to pick users who?re clamoring for the newest and greatest. Whatever your certain scenario, getting a solid strategy in spot is actually a need to. For our story, we?re going to set up a scenario which several of you are going to have the ability to relate to, after which walk you step by step by means of the high-level tasks that make up a profitable migration. Along the way, we?ll provide you with ideas and tools to obtain you there.
Our story
As the director of IT, you might be approached by the CFO, who requests that his whole department be moved to Windows 7 to support a brand new economic package. He has 1 major location at headquarters with 30 PCs, and 10 satellite locations spread more than a 50-mile radius with 5-10 PCs every. All PCs are running Windows XP. He is requiring that all existing software program on those PCs be supported on Windows 7, given that he has no spending budget for new software program. As an further wrinkle, he has lately replaced some of those PCs and consequently wants to know just how much of the existing hardware will support Windows 7.
Exactly where are you currently now?
Just before you may move forward, you may have to know exactly where you might be now. That consists of acquiring out how quite a few existing applications are basically getting run in his department, together with what style of hardware he has. Enter Novell?s ZENworks Asset Inventory and Asset Management.
ZENworks Asset Inventory is included within the ZENworks Configuration Management package. Asset Inventory will provide you with a detailed picture of the readiness of your hardware for Windows 7. The reporting function is phenomenal and will provide you with a lot of alternatives to run. In like fashion, it?s going to offer you having a software program inventory, listing all of the applications installed on every machine.
As soon as the hardware and software program inventories have been completed, Asset Management will take you to the next level. By entering all your software program licenses into the database, compliance reports might be run. Not simply that, but by tracking the history of the PCs for a time, you are able to see what applications are basically getting utilised. By way of example, contemplate a item like Adobe Creative Suite. Let?s say you?ve got 10 licenses, but a person inside your department was attempting to maintain end-users pleased and installed it on 20 machines. Once you use Asset Management to check usage, it reveals all 20 machines, as well as the truth that only five users are basically working with it on a normal basis. Asset Management has not just apprised you which you are out of compliance, but that you simply are over-buying software program licenses!
Within the case of our story, you need to run numerous reports and have a meeting using the CFO to present the findings, such as what hardware is ready for Windows 7 and actual counts of the software program which is installed in his department. He could possibly be surprised to find out that five of his staff have Quicken installed, despite the fact that it isn?t an application that?s applied by his department. According to your findings, strategic decisions may be produced about what requirements to be supported on Windows 7, and any compliance concerns that exist could be rectified.
Now both you and he have a clear picture of exactly where you?re going using the migration. Along with your list of necessary hardware, it is possible to start the ordering procedure. Likewise, together with your software program list, you?ll be able to start testing on Windows 7.
Testing plan
Very first, you have to set up an environment for testing. Distinct staff members must be assigned to this job and given a quiet location to function so they are able to concentrate for many hours at a time. Even though we in IT are excellent multi-taskers, in my expertise, attempting to function on a job like this whilst performing other issues is just not efficient. The job will likely be completed a lot more rapidly if the team is given the time they should concentrate.
Also, I firmly think in setting up checklists and getting individuals sign off on what they?ve tested. For instance, it?s not sufficient to learn if an application installs on Windows 7. You need to also verify that it runs, and document each and every function of the application that has been tried.
A bump within the road!
Let us assume in our story which you have now tested all applications, and 50% of them don?t run on Windows 7! Bear in mind that your CFO doesn?t have the spending budget to buy new versions. Now what? ZENworks Application Virtualization to the rescue! With ZAV, you may run the applications in their own wrappers, to ensure that all important files are contained therein. This makes it achievable, by way of example, to run Web Explorer 6 on Windows 7. You are able to even add within the right version of Java that an app requirements to ensure that the diverse versions aren?t stepping on every single other as they may possibly if they had been installed commonly.
ZAV also makes it probable to set applications to expire and run isolated from a USB important to ensure that no traces are left on the machine. This is especially helpful when giving end-users applications they should run on a property PC.
Test, test, and test again
Even though you realize your savvy IT staff will thoroughly test all applications to the top of their capacity, you?ll find bound to be some functions they miss. So following your IT staff has completed its testing, it is time to test once more. Locate 1 or two IT-department-friendly users and have them test a brand new Windows 7 machine with all applications installed. Maintain their old machine handy just in case any deal-breakers come up. Make sure to give them a testing worksheet, and ask them to sign off on what they tested. Folks have a tendency to need to let you know excellent news, and popping by and saying ?How?s it going?? normally yields a response of ?Oh, just excellent!? What you do not need to discover was that they played MineSweeper for a month and in no way really ran any of the apps!
Automating the rollout
Now it is time to start the rollout. ZENworks Configuration Management contains an excellent imaging component for your staff that enables you to image several PCs at 1 time. Add the ENGL Imaging Toolkit to the mix and you might have a effective duo to total your rollout.
Why do you?ll need the Toolkit?
For numerous organizations, a migration to Windows 7 is actually a fantastic approach to standardize the desktop. The ENGL Imaging Toolkit assists in this approach by automating the create of Windows workstations with:* A hardware-independent base OS image.
* Driver add-on images designed effortlessly with tools from the toolkit.
* A Novell client and ZEN agent add-on image and hotfixes add-on image which are very easily updated on a typical basis. (No must update all images within your library just for a alter in agent version!)
* Customized scripting to manage workstation naming.
* Customized application deployment based on end-user ownership or workstation functionality.
Working with the ENGL Imaging Toolkit, we have helped numerous customers get manage of their imaging and workstation deployment.
The rollout begins
With any alter as significant as migrating to a brand new desktop operating program, regardless of just how much preparation and testing are accomplished, you can find bound to be a couple of glitches. With ZENworks Configuration Management, handling those could be a breeze. Registry alterations, scripted modifications, even the full deployment of a brand new version of an application setup or virtualized application may be performed swiftly and with small end-user impact. Further customizations to the desktop and installation of printers could be accomplished by way of Windows Group and Printer policy.
Migrations may be fraught with pitfalls, but with some simple preparing, testing, as well as the addition of the fantastic tools mentioned in these articles, your migration will likely be a good results!
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Article # b0e31a06b5f0b06fc52e source: Dick Kenndey is a Help Desk Software specialist and he also can be asked for extra details in Help Desk Software you will be able to enjoy more from them on his web site ? February 20, 2012, 1:31 am
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Source: http://computers-technology.ufosoverbrooklyn.com/a-windows-7-migration-story-help-desk-software/
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