We are pleased to announce that the beta versions of Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) 5.0 and a new MDOP product Microsoft User Experience Virtualization (UE-V) are now available for download fromMicrosoft Connect.
UE-V is an enterprise-scale user state virtualization solution that delivers a user’s personal Windows experience across devices, is simple for IT to deploy, and easily integrates with existing management tools.
Some of the main features of UE-V are:
Some of the new features in the App-V 5.0 Beta are:
These products will be part of a future version of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP). If you want to learn more about App-V 5.0 and UE-V now, check out the Windows for your Business Blog were we have posted even more information about the products.
Today, we are happy to announce that the DaRT 8 beta has been released for public download.
For more detailed information on this announcement, please read the recent Windows for Your Business Blog and Springboard Series Blog.
This is a public beta available to everyone that completes the short questionnaire. We are very excited about this release and encourage everyone to download it and try it out. You can sign up and download the beta installer files from the DaRT 8 Connect site.
DaRT will be generally available as part of the next version of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP).
If you have been following this blog you know that about five months ago we announced version 2.0 of the Microsoft Asset Inventory Service (AIS). This version added a lot of new features and an improved user interface. I am pleased to announce that we are releasing an update to AIS that adds additional features and functionality that will provide you an even better view of your enterprise's desktop software and hardware environment.
These new features and functionality include:
Extended License Management - In addition to Microsoft® Volume Licenses, manage Microsoft Retail Licenses, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) licenses for Microsoft software, and third-party software licenses.
Enhanced Reporting and Filters - Create detailed reports on your hardware inventory with new filters, including Manufacturer, Chassis type, Available disk space, Memory installed, and CPU speed.
Additional Language Support – On top of the current 11 languages we already support, we now support Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish, and Turkish in the Microsoft Asset Inventory Service console.
General Administration and Usability Improvements - Numerous user-interface and usability enhancements like the ability to right-click, drag and drop, and create custom views.
If you have an AIS account, we will begin updating your account to reflect the new features and improvements in the weeks following 10/17 and anticipate all updates will be completed before the end of the calendaryear. No action is required on your part. Five days prior, you will see an alert displayed in the Asset Inventory Service administrator console that indicates the date and time when your subscription will be updated. You will continue to go to https://manage.microsoft.com/ais to log in to the administrator console
If you want to learn more about AIS check out the MDOP Resource page and the online help page. You can also check out our AIS videos here.
I am happy to announce that the MDOP 2011 R2 is generally available today and can be downloaded from the Microsoft Volume Licensing website, MSDN and TechNet. This version of MDOP includes Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM) which is brand new to MDOP, and updates to the Microsoft Diagnostic and Recovery Toolkit (DaRT) 7.0, and Microsoft Asset Inventory Service 2.0.
Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM):
Building on BitLocker in Windows 7, MBAM will help simplify BitLocker provisioning and deployments, improve compliance and reporting, and reduce support costs. To simplify provisioning and deployment, MBAM integrates into your existing Windows 7 deployment process to help automate the encryption process. If you have already deployed Windows 7 but have not enabled BitLocker, you can now have your end users with standard user permissions can start the encryption process. You can also target BitLocker encryption by targeting hardware by make and model, making sure that only machines capable of meeting the encryption policy are encrypted.
To help improve compliance and reporting, MBAM provides reports out of the box that help you understand which machines are encrypted and meet your BitLocker organizational policy. We also provide an alternative to storing BitLocker recovery key information in Active Directory. Machines with the MBAM client will send BitLocker recovery key information to an encrypted SQL database.
MBAM will also help you reduce your support costs by streamlining key recovery for the help desk via a web page that allows the help desk to quickly get the user’s recovery key if they get into BitLocker recovery mode. The help desk no longer needs access to Active Directory. MBAM also creates one time use recovery keys. When a recovery key is retrieved and used, the MBAM client will automatically generate a new recovery key for that PC so that the original key cannot be used to gain access to the machine again.
Microsoft Diagnostic and Recovery Toolkit 7.0 (DaRT):
Building on our previous version to help drive the cost to support Windows based PCs even lower. DaRT 7.0 will speed up recovery and provide IT organizations with more flexible ways to deploy it. In this version we provide flexible deployment options like network boot (PXE), USB, or via the local recovery partition, on top of the CD and DVD method we already have. Just think, you can now walk an end user through the network boot process over the phone and help them troubleshoot their machine without leaving your desk. To make it even easier to not have to visit the user’s desk, DaRT also now includes software based remote control so can securely diagnose and recover PCs. DaRT also now gives you the ability to restrict end-user access to DaRT tools while making these same tools available to you. This is achieved using the remote control feature so end users cannot use the tools without the remote session being active.
Asset Inventory Service 2.0 (AIS):
Last but not least is AIS which is our cloud based asset intelligence solution that translates inventory data into actionable information through advanced software and hardware inventory scanning. In the new version we have improved scalability so that the service can support up to 100,000 clients. We also improved the user interface and localized it into 11 languages. AI 2.0 supports the inventorying of App-V packages, and improved the hardware reporting. As a cloud service we release this outside of the MDOP disc and I posted here that it went live in May.
To learn more about MBAM, DaRT, and AIS checkout the MDOP TechCenter on Springboard. We also have posted some new videos on many of the MDOP products. You can find these videos here.
If you have been following the MDOP blog for a while now, you have noticed that we have had a few beta releases of the Asset Inventory Service. Over these beta releases we got a lot of feedback on the product which has helped get us to today, where we are happy to announce that the 2.0 version has been released to the web.
For those of you not familiar with AIS, it provides a comprehensive view of your enterprise's desktop software and hardware environment. AIS helps reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) and improve license compliance through advanced software inventory scanning and by translating inventory data into actionable information.
Some of the key changes in AIS 2.0:
· Improved user interface built on Silverlight and localized into 11 languages
· Title normalization and version aggregation in software reporting
· Virtual machine and App-V package support in software and hardware reports
· Improved Microsoft licensing reports
· Better hardware reporting and the ability to view the hardware properties of a computer
If you are already using AIS, I recommend that you login at https://manage.microsoft.com/ais and download the updated agent. You will need to deploy this agent to the computers you want to manage in order for them to report their inventory.
If you are not yet familiar with AIS, you can learn more about it on the MDOP Springboard TechCenter and the AIS online help page.
Just over a week ago we announced the new version of the Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT), one of our most popular tools in MDOP. Today I’m happy to announce that the Beta has been released for public download.
For an overview of the DaRT 7 Beta release and preview of what features are in this release please see the beta announcement at the Official MDOP Blog and Windows for your Business Blog
This is a public Beta available to everyone that completes the short questionnaire. We are very excited about this release and encourage everyone to download it and try it out. You can sign up and download the beta installer files from the DaRT 7 Connect site.
We are looking forward to hearing about your experiences using the software in your environment. We are collecting feedback using surveys and feedback form on the site.
DaRT 7 Connect Surveys
DaRT 7 Connect Feedback
If you have any issues accessing the DaRT 7 Connect site or would like to have other members of your team have access to the site please contact the DaRT 7 Beta team at mailto:dart7feedback@microsoft.com
DaRT will be generally available in the third quarter of 2011 as part of the next version of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP).
I just returned from Las Vegas, where, this morning I attended Brad Anderson’s keynote address at the Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) where he announced the beta release of Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM). It was great to hear the audience’s enthusiastic response to the announcement and to see the high-level of interest expressed by visitors to our booth at MMS.
On top of the announcement, right before lunch, the lead MBAM program manager and I presented details about the product to MMS attendees. In the session, we talked about MBAM’s ability to help you deploy and provision BitLocker, improve compliance and reporting, and reduce support costs through helpdesk tools and allowing a standard user to perform basic BitLocker tasks. As part of that session we revealed how to go to get the beta install files and documentation (note that you need a Windows Live ID) and shared that MBAM will be generally available in the third quarter of 2011.
Now that you can get the beta, we hope that you download it and set it up in your test lab so that you can begin to see how it will help you better manage BitLocker. If you have any feedback, as you use the beta, we would love to hear it. The best way to share your thoughts with us is to use the feedback tool here.
From everyone in the MDOP team, thanks for your interest in MBAM.
Today at MMS, we annouced that we will release a new version of the Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT). DaRT 7 will be part of MDOP and will be released in Q3 of calendar year 2011.
DaRT 7 is the next generation of this popular product that is built to help drive the cost to support Windows based PCs even lower. DaRT 7.0 will speed up recovery and provide IT organizations with more flexible ways to deploy it.
Remote diagnostics and recovery
Flexible deployment options
Increased Customization
More information can be found on the Springboard blog where I sat down with Stephen Rose for a discussion about the upcoming release.Customer can sign up today for the DaRT 7 public BETA that will be released in early April.
Hello, I’m Dave Trupkin, Senior Product Manager for App-V and MED-V, the two Desktop Virtualization products in MDOP. Today is a very special day for everyone on the MDOP team here at Microsoft, and especially those who work on App-V and MED-V. This morning we announced the general availability of MDOP 2011!
You can access App-V 4.6 Service Pack1 and MED-V 2.0 as part of MDOP 2011 through the Microsoft Volume Licensing website, MSDN or TechNet.
App-V 4.6 SP1: Application Virtualization Made Easy, Fast and Predictable
As businesses deploy App-V, they convert their traditional applications to App-V virtual applications through a process known as sequencing. In this release, we’ve redesigned the sequencing process to make it even easier for new users to get started quickly. We provide step-by-step guidance for common packaging tasks, like creating a new package, updating a package, or packaging add-ins or middleware. We’ve also added diagnostics to help alert packagers to potential issues before they become problems. App-V 4.6 SP1 is our easiest to use release ever.
“Even people with absolutely no virtualization experience can sequence applications.”
– Holger Brink, Managing Consultant, Login Consultants
Check out more App-V case studies!
Up until now, the predominant way for App-V customers to share how they’ve packaged particular applications with App-V is with text-based “recipes.” These recipes can be time-consuming to document and to follow. In App-V 4.6 SP1, we’re introducing a new way to create App-V packages and to share packaging knowledge. App-V Package Accelerators allow App-V administrators to automatically create App-V packages from application installation files. App-V Package The sequencing learning curve is eliminated and sequencing time for large, complex applications is slashed. App-V administrators can easily share App-V Package Accelerators instead of recipes.
We will release Package Accelerators for several of our own products, starting today with Microsoft Project 2010. We’ll release others, including Microsoft Office 2010, in April. We’ve also partnered with Adobe to offer a Package Accelerator for Adobe Reader 9.4. There’s more to come.
We’ve also taken many of the App-V sequencing best practices and built them right in to the new Sequencer. We’ve made other things, like sequencing to old-style “8.3” directory names, a relic of the past. Finally, I’m pleased to announce that we are extending support for the App-V read-only shared cache to include RDS as well as VDI scenarios. With this new support, you can save storage space no matter which desktop virtualization technology you choose for server-based computing.
MED-V 2.0: Solving the last mile of application compatibility
Businesses around the globe are adopting Windows 7 and enjoying its rewards. The recent release of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 will accelerate deployment plans. As companies plan their deployment, they'll find that many existing applications will “just work” in Windows 7. Other applications may require upgrades or compatibility shims. Some older applications will be retired or replaced. For those applications that remain – the ones that simply must run on Windows XP – there’s MED-V. MED-V bridges the “last mile” of application compatibility between Windows XP and Windows 7, allowing older applications to run inside Windows XP compatibility workspaces, but still integrate seamlessly into users’ Windows 7 environments.
Don’t confuse MED-V with Microsoft’s consumer and small business compatibility tool, Windows XP Mode. MED-V expands on the capabilities in Windows XP Mode by adding enterprise features, such as the ability to use a custom Windows XP image, automating first time setup and controlling URL redirection for Internet Explorer.
With MED-V 2.0, there’s no dedicated infrastructure. MED-V workspaces are distributed and managed with existing systems, such as System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 or higher.
We’ve also made changes that let you allow your users to save their Windows passwords for seamless sign-on to their MED-V workspace. MED-V 2.0 also supports USB devices, including Smartcard readers.
“MED-V 2.0 is simple to use and fast. Its performance is great, and because it doesn’t require a separate server infrastructure, it can be quickly and easily deployed.”
– Jean Claude Akin, Software Engineer, Systems Certification, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd
Check out more MED-V case studies!
MED-V 2.0 integrates seamlessly into Windows 7, providing automatic publishing of applications from MED-V workspaces to the Windows 7 Start Menu. It also provides My Documents , Desktop, and network printer redirection, allowing legacy applications hosted in MED-V workspaces to work just like locally installed applications when it comes to opening, saving and printing documents.
And we’ve improved your Internet Explorer redirection options. IT administrators can redirect legacy web applications using wildcards (http://*.example.com), sites (http://www.example.com/hr), at the page-level (http://www.example.com/hr/benefits.asp) or by specifying a port (http://vpn.example.com:1234).
Our MVPs are talking about this exciting new release. They’re a fantastic resource for the community and they’re here to help you!
Just getting started? Check out the App-V 4.6 SP1 Trial Guide or the MED-V 2.0 Trial Guide. Need more information about App-V sequencing? Download the App-V 4.6 SP1 Sequencing Guide. You’ll also want to check out the new App-V videos that walk you through some of the new features, and the new MED-V 2.0 video series. For information about all of Microsoft’s Desktop Virtualization solutions, visit the Springboard Desktop Virtualization Zone.
We’re proud of our work and we would love for you to take the next step: download MDOP 2011 today and try App-V 4.6 SP1 and MED-V 2.0 for yourself. I’d love to hear your feedback. If you’re attending the Microsoft Management Summit in Las Vegas, March 21-25, 2011, stop by the Desktop Virtualization booth and say “Hello!”
Dave
This morning on the Windows for your Business blog, we announced a new product that will come to MDOP in a future release called Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM). MBAM will be available through the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack at a future date. A beta version will be available in March 2011.
Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring builds on BitLocker in Windows 7 and offers an enterprise solution for BitLocker provisioning, monitoring and key recovery. MBAM will help:
Simplify Provisioning and Deployment
· Integrates into existing Windows 7 deployment process: Organizations can integrate the MBAM client into their task sequence setup in System Center Configuration Manager/ Microsoft Deployment Toolkit or their other Windows 7 deployment tools. The client then automates the encryption process as part of the deployment.
· End Users Can Start the Encryption Process: For organizations that deploy MBAM after they have deployed Windows 7, the MBAM agent provides a standard user the ability to start the encryption process. This enhances the BitLocker out of box experience where the end user must have administrative rights to accomplish this.
· Target only the hardware you want to encrypt: IT Professionals can exclude hardware by make and model, making sure that only machines capable of meeting the encryption policy are encrypted.
Improve Compliance and Reporting
· Know how compliant the organization is: Security administrators and IT Professionals can understand which machines are encrypted and meet the organizational policy through out of the box reports.
· More secure recovery key storage: IT Professionals have an alternative to storing BitLocker recovery key information in Active Directory. Machines with the MBAM client will send BitLocker recovery key information to an encrypted Microsoft SQL Server database.
Reduce Support Costs
· Streamline key recovery for the help desk: MBAM provides a web page that allows the help desk to quickly get the user’s recovery key if they get into BitLocker recovery mode. The help desk no longer needs access to Active Directory to access BitLocker recovery keys when the organization is using MBAM.
· Use a recovery key only once: When a recovery key is retrieved and used, the MBAM client will automatically generate a new recovery key for that PC so that the original key cannot be used to gain access to the machine again
· Empower end users to do the basics: MBAM allows an end user with standard user rights to perform basic BitLocker tasks like changing their PIN or start the encryption process which saves them from calling the help desk.
If you want to be notified when the MBAM beta is available, you can sign up here (Windows Live ID required). You can also learn more about MBAM by visiting the Springboard Blog where we have posted Q&A between Stephen Rose and I where we go into more details about the product.
Hi, I’m Dave Trupkin, Senior Product Manager for Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) and Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V), the two desktop virtualization components of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP). Today I have great news. I’m happy to announce the availability of the MED-V 2.0 public beta, which you can download now from Microsoft Connect. Let’s take a look at what’s new in this latest release – features which are largely based on your feedback! - No dedicated MED-V infrastructure to deploy - MED-V 2.0 workspaces are deployed and managed using existing electronic software distribution (ESD) systems, including System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 R2 or higher. - Streamlined sign-on to the MED-V workspace - Users can save their passwords for seamless sign-on to the MED-V workspace. - Automatic application publishing – New applications deployed to MED-V workspaces, including App-V virtual applications, are available to the Windows 7 host automatically. - My Documents and Desktop redirection - Legacy applications work just like locally installed applications when it comes to opening, saving and printing documents. - USB device/SmartCard support - USB devices, including thumb drives and Smartcard readers can be shared between the host and applications running in the MED-V workspace. - New Internet Explorer redirection options - IT administrators can redirect legacy web applications using wildcards (http://*.example.com), sites (http://www.example.com/hr), at the page-level (http://www.example.com/hr/benefits.asp) or by specifying a port (http://vpn.example.com:1234) - Automated guest hibernation at shutdown – The MED-V workspace is seamlessly suspended when the user logs off or shuts down the Windows 7 host. If you have legacy Windows XP or Internet Explorer 6/7 applications that are slowing down your Windows 7 deployment plans, don’t let them stand in your way. The MED-V team has worked hard to ensure MED-V 2.0 is easy for IT professionals to deploy and manage and seamless for end-users to use. Download the MED-V 2.0 Beta today, test it in your lab and let us know what you think! Be sure to follow the MED-V Blog in the coming weeks, as we dive deeper into the new features you’ll find in the MED-V 2.0 beta. If you’re attending Tech·Ed Europe 2010, I’d love to hear from you in person. Stop by the Desktop Virtualization booth to see a demo of MED-V 2.0 or to just say “Hello!” Dave
Hi, I’m Dave Trupkin, Senior Product Manager for Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) and Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V), the two desktop virtualization components of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP).
Today I have great news. I’m happy to announce the availability of the MED-V 2.0 public beta, which you can download now from Microsoft Connect. Let’s take a look at what’s new in this latest release – features which are largely based on your feedback!
- No dedicated MED-V infrastructure to deploy - MED-V 2.0 workspaces are deployed and managed using existing electronic software distribution (ESD) systems, including System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 R2 or higher.
- Streamlined sign-on to the MED-V workspace - Users can save their passwords for seamless sign-on to the MED-V workspace.
- Automatic application publishing – New applications deployed to MED-V workspaces, including App-V virtual applications, are available to the Windows 7 host automatically.
- My Documents and Desktop redirection - Legacy applications work just like locally installed applications when it comes to opening, saving and printing documents.
- USB device/SmartCard support - USB devices, including thumb drives and Smartcard readers can be shared between the host and applications running in the MED-V workspace.
- New Internet Explorer redirection options - IT administrators can redirect legacy web applications using wildcards (http://*.example.com), sites (http://www.example.com/hr), at the page-level (http://www.example.com/hr/benefits.asp) or by specifying a port (http://vpn.example.com:1234)
- Automated guest hibernation at shutdown – The MED-V workspace is seamlessly suspended when the user logs off or shuts down the Windows 7 host.
If you have legacy Windows XP or Internet Explorer 6/7 applications that are slowing down your Windows 7 deployment plans, don’t let them stand in your way. The MED-V team has worked hard to ensure MED-V 2.0 is easy for IT professionals to deploy and manage and seamless for end-users to use. Download the MED-V 2.0 Beta today, test it in your lab and let us know what you think!
Be sure to follow the MED-V Blog in the coming weeks, as we dive deeper into the new features you’ll find in the MED-V 2.0 beta.
If you’re attending Tech·Ed Europe 2010, I’d love to hear from you in person. Stop by the Desktop Virtualization booth to see a demo of MED-V 2.0 or to just say “Hello!”
You can find a series of new step by step videos for both Advance Group Policy Management (AGPM) and the Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT) on the MDOP video page.
If your new to AGPM or DaRT, or just looking to get up to speed on a particular feature check them out. We have broken them down into small, feature by feature bites so you can either watch them all or just consume the ones that you want when you want to.
Let us know what you think of them.
Three months ago we posted about the open beta for the Asset Inventory Service (AIS) 2.0. To all of you who signed up, we want to say thanks for your help and participation. It was great to see to people interested in the improved user interface, the enhanced hardware reporting, and the other changes we made like version aggregation and support for App-V packages in the software reporting.
Today we are opening up the next beta of AIS 2.0. New to this beta is multi-language support. The languages we are supporting are English, French, Japanese, German, Portuguese – Brazilian, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Russian, Italian, and Spanish. To make sure that you see the language you want, you need to have your browser language preferences configured correctly. Instructions on how to configure your language settings in Internet Explorer 7 and 8 can be found here.
To sign up for the beta, please go to – https://connect.microsoft.com/site310/SelfNomination.aspx?ProgramID=3615&pageType=1
You will need to have a Microsoft Live ID to join. Once you have signed up and accepted the AIS pre-release online services agreement, we will begin the process of provisioning your AIS account and will send you an email within seven days with the account details. We ask participants to please submit their feedback to us on their experiences with the service and we will consider this input for future versions. Please be aware that all inventory data that you upload will be deleted once the beta is completed at the end of October.
After you sign up for the beta, I would recommend that you take a look at the new video we created for AIS 2.0. This scenario based video provides an overview of AIS and gives you an idea how AIS can help you manage you software and hardware inventory, understand your Microsoft license position, and introduce you to some of the new features in 2.0. You can find the video posted here on Springboard.
Over the last few months we've been delivering evidence to demonstrate the value of App-V, one of the six components delivered through MDOP. You've heard us discuss App-V in the context of our Desktop Virtualization strategy where we break down the layers so that virtualization itself is more consumable for the novice and the expert. When we talk about Microsoft's view on Desktop Virtualization we look at the following:
Overarching to these layers is Microsoft's strength in management. Our System Center family of products enables us to manage from desktop to the datacenter including but not limited to applications, devices - phones, servers, client systems, licenses, and inventory. A key differentiator is that System Center manages both physical and virtual assets using the same infrastructure.
This gives you a quick view into our Desktop Virtualization approach and where App-V fits into the bigger picture, now let's get back to App-V specifically and the value it provides. Apps that are virtualized, in most cases, can be used across multiple target mediums. For example, you can use your virtual applications on rich clients or virtual machines, in your Terminal Services environments, or in VDI. So your investment here with App-V reaps huge benefits. Just a short time ago we published the App-V TCO study where we demonstrated that on average, customers can realize a savings of $82 p/pc p/yr, pretty significant when you start to multiply that across thousands of machines.
We're also hearing that customers are shifting their approach to delivering applications on the desktop. For example, take a look at BMW's approach. CIO Magazine recently wrote an article that highlight's how BMW is using App-V in conjunction with their Windows 7 rollout. They have ~80,000 pcs across 24 production sites in 13 countries with 250 global branch locations, over a 1000 applications to deploy, with an average cycle time of 4 week-long packaging & compatibility testing per application. BMW's choice for deployment, App-V NOT VMware's ThinApp. Why???
BMW chose App-V because it is part of the MDOP suite and integrates smoothly with System Center Configuration Manager, Microsoft's software suite for managing large groups of Windows-based computers
"We found App-V streaming to be better than the comparable [VMware] ThinApp capability," says Dr. Martin Rudolph, Product Manager, Office Applications, BMW Group. "Packaging, testing, and delivering applications is so much faster, and by enabling zero-touch deployment, App-V helps us realize significant monetary savings."
Their approach, all new computers have the App-V client installed, including machines that are being upgraded to Windows 7. All applications — both virtual and physical — are available to BMW employees through an internal Web portal. Virtualization will now be the main packaging and delivery method for all applications requested by BMW employees.
In the end, Microsoft's App-V has helped BMW reduce application deployment time by 50 percent and compatibility testing by 90 percent — from six days to less than a day. By December 2010, more than 400 BMW applications will be virtualized, saving $200,000 that the auto maker spent each year on manual installations.
That is a significant shift in strategy from the traditional approach and we are seeing this with more and more customers. You can find some more examples of real world value at our case study site where there are over 100 cases of businesses using App-V in production NOW.
You love what you're hearing but still want more proof? Forrester applies their TEI Model to App-V to see how impactful this technology really is.
Well, you can see that we work closely with our customers to bring their stories to market so that others can realize the benefits that Microsoft technologies deliver. But sometimes you want to hear it from someone other than us. So we asked Forrester to apply their Total Economic Impact (TEI) model to App-V and see what shook out. TEI goes beyond just TCO and Forrester will explain the differences. Now, I should mention that this is unfiltered and unbiased discussions between Forrester and a number of App-V customers. We weren't on these calls, this was Forrester and the customer, direct, 1:1.
Ben Gray, Sr. Analyst and Jeff North, Principal Consultant at Forrester Research will share their findings via Live Webinar on June29 @ 9am PST. In addition, they will walk through their TEI methodology and tool that you can use to determine the value App-V can provide for your business.
Registration for the event is now available.
What are you waiting for? Check out App-V and realize the same great benefits as others!
Karri Alexion-TiernanDirector of Product ManagementMicrosoft Desktop Virtualization
In my last several blog posts, I’ve used a lot of words to tell you why I think the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) is a great way to optimize Windows 7 deployment. I’ve provided links along the way, of course, but I really haven’t told you about all the great resources that you can use to discover on your own what makes MDOP so great. I’ll fill that gap now.
The first resource is probably the most obvious, but I need to mention it anyway. The Enterprise products: MDOP page provides a good overview of the products in MDOP. This isn’t technical content. This is high-level descriptions of each product. All of Microsoft’s MDOP resources are probably within three or four clicks of this Web site, but I’m going to make it easy for you by aggregating some of the most notable resources right here.
For technical content about MDOP, there is no better place than TechNet. The Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) on TechNet Web page contains links to technical information on the entire suite of MDOP products, including Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V), Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V), Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM), and so on. If you’re striking out to learn more about MDOP, this is easily the best place to begin.
For the bigger MDOP products, like App-V and MED-V, there are a video series that provide in-depth demonstrations and are great for getting acquainted with them. These video series include:
· Application Virtualization (App-V) Video Series
· Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) Administration Video Series
In addition to these videos, a number of DemoMate demos are available from the Microsoft Download Center. In case you’re not familiar, DemoMate demos are simulations that can give you a reasonable idea of product’s experience without actually installing the product. While the following DemoMate demos are for older versions of MDOP products, they might still be useful learning resources:
· Application Virtualization DemoMate
· Asset Inventory Service 1.5 DemoMate
· System Center Desktop Error Monitoring DemoMate
· Diagnostic and Recovery Toolkit DemoMate
· Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization DemoMate
· Advanced Group Policy Management DemoMate
Of course, there isn’t any real substitute for installing the MDOP products in a lab environment. You can download evaluations from MSDN and TechNet. Volume License customers can download MDOP from the Microsoft Volume Licensing Site (MVLS). If you’re more interested in understanding the business value and the return on investment (ROI) of MDOP, then take a look at the variety of Microsoft Case Studies or check out the MDOP ROI Tool
This blog post wraps up my series of entries on how the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) can help make the move to Windows 7 a bit easier. Just to recap, I described the MDOP products that you can use during the Planning, Deployment, and Operating phases of your project to help make the work more efficient and less frustrating and possibly a little fun (yes, IT can be fun with the right tools):
Planning phase:
· Microsoft® Asset Inventory Service (AIS). AIS can help you better understand the hardware and software in your inventory while you’re planning Windows 7 deployment. This information can help you plan hardware upgrades, compatibility testing, application migration, and so on.
· Microsoft System Center Desktop Error Monitoring (DEM). DEM is an agentless monitoring system that can help give you a deeper understanding of the errors in your environment. For example, what are the top application errors that users are experiencing? By deploying DEM early in the Planning phase, you can establish a baseline for monitoring the stability of your environment during the Deployment and Operating phases. Nothing is better than real-world data when judging the stability of your deployment.
Deployment phase:
· Microsoft® Application Virtualization (App-V). By virtualization your applications, App-V can help make it easier to not only deploy applications but to also maintain them over time. Virtualized applications don’t leave a heavy footprint on computers, so removing and updating them is super easy. Deploying applications to users is a simple matter of assigning users to applications. Where this fits in to the Deployment phase is App-V makes packaging applications easier, sometimes reducing the packaging time from hours to just minutes.
· Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V). MED-V provides a solution for provisioning and managing virtual machines on desktop computers. As you know, virtual machines on the desktop are a great solution for running applications and Web sites that aren’t compatible with Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8, respectively. MED-V provides a solution around deploying and managing these virtual machines. By using MED-V to deploy virtual machines, you can take advantage of everything Windows 7 has to offer while continuing to use older applications.
Operating phasing:
· Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM). Group Policy is one of the simplest and best ways to take control of the computers in your organization. Organizations moving from Windows XP to Windows 7 will find that Windows 7 provides many more opportunities to manage settings. However, Group Policy doesn’t provide a role-based workflow for managing Group Policy objects (GPOs). AGPM provides that missing role-based workflow, allowing you to manage who can edit, review, approve, and deploy them in to production. I wouldn’t imagine using Group Policy in any environment without using AGPM.
· Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT). Things happen—especially when you’re touching so many computers when deploying Windows 7. For example, you might deploy a faulty device driver that previous Windows 7 from starting. A user might permanently delete important files when preparing for installation, and you need to recovery them. For many of these one-off problems, DaRT provides a set of tools that you can use to troubleshoot and repair them. Like AGPM, DaRT is super easy to set up, and it doesn’t leave a foot print on your infrastructure.
As I said when I first started this series of blog posts, don’t wait until you’ve already deployed Windows 7 to start using MDOP. The best time to deploy MDOP is when you begin planning deployment. You can learn more about how MDOP can help optimize Windows 7 deployment by reading the article Optimizing Windows 7 Deployment with MDOP. While you’re at it, give MDOP a test drive in a lab environment. Existing MDOP customers can download MDOP at the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC). You can also download MDOP at MSDN® and TechNet.
Recently we announced MDOP 2010 including App-V 4.6 and MED-V v1 SP1 and the feedback has been great! As customers make the leap from traditional applications to leverage virtualization to optimize their desktops, they are looking for ways to streamline their deployment. Today we are happy to share investments that will enable customers, partners MVP's and Microsoft to share their expertise!
Attachmate Reflection 2011 to Offer Native Support for Microsoft App-V!
Attachmate is the first software vendor to offer native support for Microsoft's Application Virtualization Solution. Attachmate Corporation today announced its next-generation terminal emulation software Attachmate Reflection® 2011, will soon be available for in App-V's native format for deployment within Microsoft App-V's application virtualization environment. For more information on see the full Press Release from Attachmate.
App-V Sequencing Community for recipe sharing now live !
Virtual applications are created using the App-V Sequencer, we call this process "sequencing". This is similar to "packaging" a physcial application using MSI. As with MSI packaging sometimes you need to follow certain steps or create "custom actions" to get the package to behave in specific ways when it installs, this knowledge is normally maintained by the individual creating the package. There are some similarities when sequencing virtual applications in that the individual has the knowledge in how to make it work. In the case of App-V the individual often creates a "recipe" which documents the steps they took to create the virtual application. The recipe allows the organization to share knowledge across individuals who are preparing applications for delivery and scale the knowledge throughout the organization.
Based on requests from the customers, partners and MVP's; we are extremely pleased to announce the launch of a new community driven Recipe Forum on Microsoft TechNet. This forum is intended for App-V IT Pros within the App-V community to:
You can now view prescriptive sequencing recipes for many applications at the Recipe Forum on Microsoft TechNet. In addtion to their announcement above, Attachmate has contributed to the recipe forum with a fully tested recipe for Reflection.
The CommUnity is successful when you contribute. Our MVP's, customers, product teams and ISV's have started the initiative, now we need the community to grow the shared knowledge. We highly encourage you to contribute your recipe's to the community!
Our Ask: CONTRIBUTE, SHARE, LEARN.
MED-V V2 Beta availability in Q4 2010!
Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) removes the barriers to Windows 7 upgrades by resolving application incompatibility issues from legacy LOB applications and Internet Explorer 6/7 web apps. MED-V v2 Beta will enable customers to pre-configure MED-V workspaces that can be delivered to user desktops via System Center Configuration Manager or any electronic software distribution (ESD) tools, and will also provide users with all the functionality of Windows XP Mode including seamless applications, USB support and printer capabilities.
Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) v2 Beta will be available in CYQ4, Customers wishing to participate in the TAP program that begins Mid-June can email medvtap@microsoft.com.
The MED-V v2 TAP program benefits you with:
We are extremely pleased by the momentum and the success of the MDOP technologies through the continued support of our customers, community and partners. If you are at TechEd 2010 this week, swing by the Desktop Virtualization booth to say hello, see a demo and share your feedback!
Enjoy!
Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) with Windows 7, Windows Server, and Office 2010 delivers a seamless user experience, streamlined application deployment and simplified application management. App-V helps transform applications into centrally managed virtual services to reduce the cost of application deployment, eliminate application conflicts and reboots, simplify your base image footprint to expedite PC provisioning, and increase user productivity. App-V 4.5 Service Pack 2 provides the latest updates to Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5 code line. This is the first time the team has delivered via Windwows Update App-V 4.5 SP2 introduces: Enhanced failover protection or disaster recovery of your virtual application infrastructure: App-V data-store failover protection enables administrators to quickly recover from disasters and/or recycle servers for maintenance. Enable highly available application infrastructure: App-V 4.5 SP2 load balanced management servers can now leverage SQL server mirrored data-store to support high availability scenarios for line of business applications; with automatic failover protection not available with the previous versions of App-V. Data replication is now possible across geography: this enables organizations to recover from site wide failures faster. App-V 4.5 SP2 clients can now deploy Office 2010. To learn more about this release please view the App-V 4.5 SP2 release notes and FAQ. App-V 4.5 SP2 can be deployed immediately to production and is available via Microsoft Update to MDOP customers and through Microsoft Volume Licensing Site (MVLS). If you want to evaluate MDOP, the MDOP software is available at MSDN and TechNet. To learn more about App-V you can visit the MDOP homepage and App-V TechCenter.
Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) with Windows 7, Windows Server, and Office 2010 delivers a seamless user experience, streamlined application deployment and simplified application management. App-V helps transform applications into centrally managed virtual services to reduce the cost of application deployment, eliminate application conflicts and reboots, simplify your base image footprint to expedite PC provisioning, and increase user productivity.
App-V 4.5 Service Pack 2 provides the latest updates to Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5 code line. This is the first time the team has delivered via Windwows Update App-V 4.5 SP2 introduces:
To learn more about this release please view the App-V 4.5 SP2 release notes and FAQ.
App-V 4.5 SP2 can be deployed immediately to production and is available via Microsoft Update to MDOP customers and through Microsoft Volume Licensing Site (MVLS). If you want to evaluate MDOP, the MDOP software is available at MSDN and TechNet.
To learn more about App-V you can visit the MDOP homepage and App-V TechCenter.
Previously in this blog, I’ve described how Microsoft® Application Virtualization (App-V) and Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) can not only help streamline the deployment of the Windows® 7 operating system but also help simplify the maintenance of the desktop environment after deployment. These are definitely big products, and they offer a huge potential to save you time and money. These are also the products that first pop in to many people’s minds when they think about the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP).
MDOP is more than just App-V and MED-V, however. Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM) and the Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT)—also part of MDOP—are no slouches. In fact, considering how little time and effort it takes to deploy both of these products, and how easy they are to use, they offer a pretty big bang for the buck. Put another way: Their return on investment is huge.
In terms of the Windows 7 deployment lifecycle, AGPM fits neatly into the maintenance phase—or Operate phase, in Microsoft Operations Framework parlance—of the deployment project. Most likely, you’ll be working with Group Policy after deploying Windows 7. Why not use the opportunity to take control of your organization’s GPOs by using AGPM?
All IT pros are aware of Group Policy, but if you’re moving from Windows XP to Windows 7, you might not know how far along it’s come and how great a tool it can be for managing your environment. By using Group Policy, you can define settings for Windows to enforce. For example, you can configure and deploy power-management settings to the computers in your organization, preventing users from changing those settings. Of course, most IT pros think of security settings when they think of Group Policy, and Group Policy certainly gives you a lot of flexibility and control of those settings, too.
Group Policy isn’t just a terrific way to enforce configurations, though. Because it enables you to configure user and computer settings automatically, it’s also a great way to get closer to the dream of replaceable PCs. Group Policy preferences bring you even closer to that dream, letting you manage settings, files, printers, and much more. You can even choose whether to enforce those settings or allow users to change them after you’ve configured them (hence the name preferences).
On its own, Group Policy is an excellent infrastructure for managing your environment, but Group Policy doesn’t provide many features for managing itself. It doesn’t provide a role-based workflow. That is, Group Policy doesn’t have a formal, built-in edit, review, approval, and deployment process.
AGPM adds the missing role-based delegation to Group Policy. You can delegate reviewer, editor, and approver roles per domain or per GPO. Additionally, AGPM gives you a workflow to manage the creation, editing, and deployment of GPOs in production. You can even edit and test GPOs offline, in a test lab, then easily move those GPOs into production and deploy them. Of course, AGPM provides version control for GPOs. Not only does version control let you audit changes, it also lets you quickly roll back changes that fail in production.
DaRT fits as well in the deployment phase as it does in the maintenance phase of a Windows 7 deployment project. Throughout the development of Windows 7, Microsoft focused closely on the fundamentals. As a result, Windows 7 is a very stable and reliable operating system, but even the most stable operating systems have issues from time to time. During deployment, you can use DaRT to troubleshoot computers that won’t start. After deployment, you can use DaRT for additional troubleshooting, as necessary.
DaRT is very easy to set up. It doesn’t even leave a footprint on your infrastructure. You install DaRT on your desktop computer, create boot media, then use that boot media to start computers that you’re troubleshooting. For example, if a computer fails to start because of a faulty device driver, you can start the computer with DaRT (leaving the installed Windows operating system offline), use the Crash Analyzer tool to find the faulty device driver, and use Computer Management to disable the device driver. Then, you can start the installed Windows operating system on the computer.
And troubleshooting computers that fail to start isn’t DaRT’s only capability. DaRt includes a number of tools that are useful when you want to work offline. For example, you can use DaRT to scan a computer for malware, recover deleted files, or disable unwanted services. Suppose a user has forgotten the password for a local account. You can use DaRT to reset that password.
Getting started with both AGPM and DaRT is simple. In fact, I encourage you to give both a try in a test environment. You can easily evaluate both products by using virtual machines. Existing MDOP customers can download AGPM and DaRT as part of MDOP at the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC), MSDN®, and TechNet. You could be up and running with each in under an hour.
Whew! The Microsoft® Management Summit is behind me and I can start looking forward to our 10-city bus tour. On a similar tour through Europe last year, we had a great time telling everyone we met about the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) and how it can make your life much easier (and make you a hero in your organization). The tour starts in May; I’ll definitely tell you more about it as the date gets a bit closer.
In the meantime, I wanted to pick up where I left off in my last blog post. Previously, I described how Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) can help streamline the deployment process. Sequencing for App-V—a process that’s similar to packaging applications such as .msi files—is straightforward. Deploying sequenced applications can be as simple as assigning them to users. Certainly, using App-V to deploy applications is far more efficient and less painful than using traditional repackaging techniques and including them in an image or using a distribution system.
The story doesn’t end there, however. App-V continues to add value even after your deployment has been stabilized and moving to a maintenance phase. App-V can help you better manage the application inventory. For example, imagine that you need to recall an application after deployment. Without automation, you must manually remove applications from each computer. Even with automation, you can never be sure that applications were completely removed; they leave footprints on the computer.
In contrast, App-V applications have no footprint. They are virtualized, so completely removing an application is as easy as removing the assignment. Afterward, the application is no longer available to the user—as if the application was never installed in the first place.
Because virtualized applications don’t have footprints, they’re also easy to update: Simply sequence the new version, and add it. App-V seamlessly updates the application, without affecting users, requiring downtime, or demanding a reboot. From users’ perspectives, the new version appears automatically the next time they launch the application. Compare this scenario to the process of updating applications in images (time-consuming) or deploying new versions of applications by using a software distribution system (disruptive).
As if streamlining application management wasn’t enough, App-V can have a more-direct impact to your organization’s bottom line. By using metering rules in App-V, you can better understand the licenses used versus the total number of licenses purchased. Metering rules can help organizations that want to ensure compliance with their vendors avoid over-purchasing licenses.
If you haven’t looked at App-V in a while, now’s the time to do so—especially if you’re already engaged in a Windows® 7 deployment project. Microsoft recently released App-V 4.6, which has several improvements, including:
· Support for true 64-bit applications
· Support for desktops and servers running 64-bit Windows
· Integration with Windows 7 AppLocker™, BitLocker® Drive Encryption, and BranchCache™
· Thirteen new languages to support global businesses
App-V and Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) are big products, and sometimes they cast a big shadow over smaller MDOP features such as Microsoft Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM) and the Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT). Both AGPM and DaRT can help make your job as an IT pro easier, though. AGPM provides a role-based workflow to Group Policy management. DaRT provides a powerful set of troubleshooting tools that can help you diagnose and fix problems with Windows 7 offline. Both products are incredible easy to deploy and use. I’ll provide more details about them in my next post.
After recently spending a week in Nashville and Dallas, talking to folks about desktop virtualization, I’m getting back from the Microsoft® Management Summit in Las Vegas. It seems like a terrible shame to spend a week in Las Vegas locked up in a conference room, giving demos and presentations , but the blue guys had to wait. For now, I want to continue talking about the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP), and how it can help make the move to the Windows® 7 operating system a bit easier.
In my last blog post, I described how MDOP can help you plan for Windows 7. For example, you can build an inventory to help you choose which applications you want to leave behind, making the transition less cluttered. You can build this inventory by using the Microsoft Asset Inventory Service (AIS). You can also use Microsoft System Center Desktop Error Monitoring (DEM) to help monitor the impact of your Windows 7 migration.
After the planning phase, a Windows 7 deployment project moves to the development phase. Whether or not that phase is formal in your organization, MDOP can help make it easier.
Managing application compatibility is one of the most painful and time-consuming parts of desktop deployment. Using AIS to build an inventory, and then rationalizing the inventory to reduce its size, is the first step in reducing the pain. But most organizations still go through the tedious process of testing each application and mitigating issues.
MDOP provides a different option. Instead of testing and mitigating each application on Windows 7, you can use Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (Med-V) to deploy unverified applications. After you’ve rolled out Windows 7 and caught your breath, you can revisit those applications: testing their compatibility with Windows 7, mitigating any issues you find, and deploying them natively. By using this strategy, you can move to Windows 7 more quickly, skipping much of the pain associated with application compatibility.
Application packaging and deployment is another chore. For a large-scale deployment project, you need to automate the deployment and configuration of many—too many—applications. First, you repackage applications so that they install and configure themselves silently. After testing them, you must decide how to deploy them: by including them in your image or by using products such as Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007. How you package and deploy these applications also has a significant impact on the maintenance experience later. (I’ll discuss this topic more deeply in my next blog post.)
MDOP has a feature to help improve this aspect of deployment, too: Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V). Our customers say that packaging applications for use with App-V (a process called sequencing) is easier and quicker than packaging the applications for native deployment. It isn’t uncommon to sequence a large application in less than an hour. However, the big win for App-V is deployment. Using App-V to deploy applications can be far easier than other deployment methods. For example, after sequencing an application, deploying it is as simple as assigning the application to a user or group. Recalling the application is just as easy, and App-V enables you to update applications without interrupting users.
Microsoft provides numerous free, powerful deployment tools for Windows 7. The Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 is the most notable example. For our Software Assurance customers that already license MDOP, I encourage you to dust it off and consider the value that it can add to these tools. In my next blog post, I’ll describe MDOP features that can help you better manage your organization’s desktop computers after Windows 7 deployment. For more information about how MDOP fits into the desktop deployment process, see Optimizing Windows 7 Deployment with MDOP.
The Get On The Bus tour is coming and we’re bringing some free SWAG!
We are giving away 50 copies of Windows 7 Ultimate for the first 50 Get On the Bus event attendees through the door at EVERY STOP! Don’t miss your chance to win a copy of Microsoft’s newest software offering plus some chances at some other great swag so hurry and register today at www.thebustour.com.
What is the “Get On The Bus Tour”? Well, it’s where Microsoft comes to you. We are coming to the East Coast May 21-June 4! Come spend some time with us as we travel the East Coast for a deep dive into Windows 7 and Office 2010, along with a specific path on how to get certified. Learn why Windows 7 has received rave reviews from IT organizations and why so many IT Pros are excited about Office 2010. We will show you best practices for deploying Windows 7 and how to keep it running efficiently after deployment. We will also take a tour through all of the Office 2010 features from an IT Professional’s point of view. Registration is free but limited at http://thebustour.com .
For the latest updates follow us on Twitter @thebustour
Disclaimer:
To receive your free copy of Windows 7 Ultimate, be one of the first 50 people who are US residents (includes D of C) or Canada 18+ to arrive at a Microsoft Get On the Bus Tour afternoon event. 50 copies of the software title are available. Limit one gift per person. This offer is non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other offer. This offer ends on June 4, 2010 while supplies last, and is not redeemable for cash. Taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the recipient. There is no shipment of your gift – all gifts will be distributed onsite.
In November 2009 we ran a small scale beta of the 2.0 version of the Asset Inventory Service (AIS) and got a lot of feedback on the product which has helped us get to feature complete. We are interested in getting even more input from the community, so today we are announcing an open beta for anyone (current MDOP customer or not) who is interested in trying out the service.
· Improved user interface
· Virtual machine and App-V package support in software reporting
This open beta is feature complete and localized in English only (additional languages will be made available in a future beta tests). We ask participants to please submit their feedback to us on their experiences with the service and will consider this input for the RTW version. Please be aware that all inventory data that you upload will be deleted once the beta is completed at the end of June 2010.
You will need to have a Microsoft Live ID to join. Once you have signed up and accepted the AIS pre-release online services agreement, we will begin process of provisioning your AIS account and send you an email within seven days with the account details.
“Get On the Bus” is back in North America!
Montreal, May 21 | Boston, May 24 | New York, May 25 | Philadelphia, May 26 | Washington DC, May 27 & 28 | Richmond, June 1 | Raleigh, June 2 | Charlotte, June 3 | Atlanta, June 4 | New Orleans, June 5
www.thebustour.com
The Get On the Bus Tour is back home and we’re kicking off our new tour with a visit to Canada! Montreal marks our first location on a 10-city North American road show en route to TechEd in New Orleans, June 7. Come spend some time with us as we tour the East Coast for a deep dive into MDOP 2010, Windows 7 and Office 2010, along with a specific path on how to get certified. Learn why Windows 7 has received rave reviews from IT organizations and is setting records as the fastest selling operating system in history. Find out why so many IT Pros are eagerly awaiting the release of Office 2010. We will show you both the best practices for deploying Windows 7 and MDOP 2010 and how to keep it running efficiently after deployment. We will also take a tour through all of the features of Office 2010 from an IT Professional’s point of view. It’s time to join us at a stop nearest you for technical training, professional networking, hands-on experiences, and real world guidance from industry experts sent to you from Redmond. Don’t miss your chance to “Get On the Bus!”
REGISTER
For your local event today!
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One of my friends has a cozy home near campus but recently decided to upgrade to a nicer place. Her new home has all the latest creature comforts like home automation and an upgraded security system. According to her, the best part is that it’s further away from campus.
When it came time to move, she discovered her attic was full of things she’d collected over the years. Rather than sort through it all, get rid of the junk, and move only the real treasures, she chose just to move it all to the new house. She ended up doing a lot of extra work packing and unpacking things that she didn’t really need or even want.
Her move is similar to your predicament: You’re busy packing up for the move to Windows 7. However, you’re missing a key opportunity to make the job easier by using the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP). You probably own it already. Pulling MDOP off the shelf and rolling it out during your Windows 7 refresh can help you do it more efficiently and less painfully. How? Over the next few blog posts I’ll show you how, but for now I’ll start with pre-migration, when you’re planning a Windows 7 rollout.
An inventory is the foundation on which you build a successful rollout plan. Not only does it describe where you’re going but also from where you’re starting. If you’re business is like many, though, you haven’t inventoried your computers in years. Yes, you probably have an inventory of each computer asset, and yes, you know they’re running Windows XP. But do you know what devices and applications are on them? You can’t plan for application and device compatibility without this information.
An intriguing statistic that we all know intuitively is that the top 20% of applications are on 80% or more of the desktop computers. These aren’t usually the applications that sneak up and bite you during a rollout. The other 80% of the applications—the ones that are less well known and less well tested—are the ones about which you need to know. Additionally, how much easier would your Windows 7 refresh be if you could easily identify and eliminate duplicate, unnecessary, and undesirable applications? Each application you can toss is just one less thing to do—one less point of failure.
MDOP includes a feature to help you complete this all important first planning step: The Microsoft Asset Inventory Service (AIS). Using AIS can give you a comprehensive view of the applications and devices on your desktop computers. In addition to the basic inventory, AIS can help you understand the usage patterns of those applications. Armed with that information, you can identify the top 20% and bottom 80% of the applications in your organization. You can eliminate applications to reduce the inventory, and you can better prioritize your application-compatibility testing efforts. AIS can help you translate your inventory in to useful, actionable information.
I also want to touch lightly on System Center Desktop Error Monitoring (DEM)—not because it’s a great planning tool but because it can help you more carefully watch for side effects during your rollout. To use DEM for that purpose, however, you have to prepare it in advance. DEM is an agentless monitoring system that’s very simple to deploy. It monitors failures and can help identify their causes and their resolutions. By deploying DEM early, you can compare metrics before and after rollout. This comparison can give you invaluable insight in to the impact of deployment. Back up that fuzzy feeling you have about the stability of your work with facts provided by DEM.
The time to deploy MDOP is when you begin planning your move to Windows 7. In my next blog post, I’ll talk about MDOP features that can help make the actual move easier. Until then, take a look at the article Optimizing Windows 7 Deployment with MDOP—it gives you roadmap for where I’m heading.