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General Information
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February 12, 2010
• Vol.32 Issue 4
Page(s) 40 in print issue
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Are Your PCs Ready For Windows 7?
Devise A Plan For Making The Move
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| Key Points
• Use the various resources and tools provided by Microsoft to help determine if your PCs will be compatible with Windows 7.
• Testing is a crucial component of the Win7 migration process and should include not only testing of hardware but also all applications that will be used under the new OS.
• There are plenty of trade-offs to upgrading existing systems or buying new to accommodate Win7, so be sure to develop a comprehensive estimate before going forth with upgrades. | In a break from its past, Microsoft launched its newest operating system with few stability issues and a feature set that’s ready to rock in enterprise environments. Yet despite industry-wide confidence behind Windows 7, the upgrade process remains a tricky affair that generally demands strategy and patience.
“Windows 7 has been accepted with enthusiasm, and adoption is accelerating at a pace that will likely make it the key innovation in 2010. IT and data centers must react. Not doing so places systems in jeopardy of being incompatible [or] out of support or may force a mixed desktop OS environment. Fortunately, Microsoft and its partners have developed tools that, with appropriate planning, can make a Windows 7 migration easy,” explains Stephen Kolbe, president of Analysys (www.analysys.net).
Depending on a data center’s existing experience with the similar Vista OS, the move to Win7 can be one of direct, fairly painless integration or one that’s more careful and deliberate to ensure that systems aren’t overwhelmed by the change. Kolbe and other experts recommend devising a several-step process that can help managers walk their environments through the upgrade process.
 Compatibility Conundrum
Before the official migration to Win7 begins, it’s best to inventory the software and hardware currently in use and prioritize systems and processes, identifying required SLAs (service-level agreements) and upgradeability, Kolbe says. From there, managers should research whether the systems are indeed compatible with Win7.
"Not all hardware and software works with Windows 7. In noting whether hardware is ready for Windows 7, IT and data center managers can plan to replace or upgrade systems. However, even with the XP Compatibility Mode offered in Windows 7, considerations for non-compliant software can become much more complex, especially when custom-designed or older, out-of-support versions are in production. Data center managers should take this as a great opportunity to standardize and clean house, eliminating software and systems that are no longer in use,” Kolbe says.
Microsoft provides a basic online list of requirements for Win7 (see windows.microsoft.com/systemrequirements) that also provides requirements for the use of certain features such as BitLocker and the virtual Windows XP Mode. Further, the Windows 7 Compatibility Center (snipurl.com/u2xql) confirms the compatibility status of a massive range of software and hardware, and the downloadable Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor (snipurl.com/u2xr9) directly scans PCs for potential compatibility issues.
Bill Thirsk, vice president for IT and CIO at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., says that because his school was an early adopter of Vista, it was well-positioned for Win7 from both software and hardware perspectives. However, one concern was the hundreds of software titles that the school runs for its students.
“So, each was tested for compatibility and workability, the peripherals that are connected, and support availability for other functions, such as Cisco networking. We also had concerns about IE8, since there are no back-level 32- and 64-bit options. So far, so good,” Thirsk says.
The quickest path to success in most OS migrations is plenty of testing, and Win7 is no different. Mike Rozlog, senior director of Delphi Solutions for Embarcadero Technologies (www.embarcadero.com), says that at a very minimum, managers must check the software they plan to run on Win7, because although older software might work just as it did with previous Windows versions, other issues could be present.
“Things [could exist] like applications that check for the version of Windows and new security layers. This means checking the software to ensure the proper execution. Also, realize that some DLL and EXE [files] have been changed, removed, or replaced, so if your application relies on various Microsoft-supplied components, there could be incompatibilities,” Rozlog says.
Upgrade Or Replace?
Although Thirsk notes that Win7 will run on Microsoft’s minimum stated requirements, Marist College provides a more robust system to its users. He says that more RAM is generally a good idea for Win7, but it’s important to remember that the 32-bit version can accommodate only 3.2GB of RAM (even if more is installed).
If managers determine that their existing systems can’t handle Win7, they must make the decision to either upgrade or scrap them and buy new. Kolbe recommends developing a comprehensive estimate when contemplating a replacement and to keep in mind that although replacing systems with new models absolves IT from upgrades, it adds time through research, procurement, physical deployment, and migration of user data.
“In addition to the hard costs of the system itself, the cost of [adding] desktop support staff to complete the migration should be accounted for when considering an upgrade, especially if this involves outsourcing to a third party. The benefit? The system will run Windows 7 out of the box, and no upgrades are necessary,” Kolbe says.
He adds that in-place upgrades often require the purchase of an upgrade license at about $200, unless the data center has Software Assurance, which delivers upgrade rights associated with the license purchase from Microsoft. Finally, for data centers performing in-place upgrades, Kolbe suggests taking images of the systems, so that if the upgrade fails or doesn’t work as anticipated, reverting to the original system state will take only minutes. 
by Christian Perry
The 64-Bit Question
The Windows operating system has come a long way in terms of 64-bit technology and performance. Mike Rozlog, senior director of Delphi Solutions for Embarcadero Technologies (www.embarcadero.com), says that one of the primary concerns with Windows 7 migrations—and one that’s often overlooked—is whether those migrations should include 32- or 64-bit versions of the OS.
“Of course, everybody wants to move to 64-bit because there are some key advantages from being able to use more memory, being able to address more memory from a developer perspective, and being able to run more on a machine. However, if you move to 64-bit, you have to also ensure that all the drivers are available that you need,” Rozlog says.
Additionally, he notes that there are some instances where DLL files need to be compiled on the 64-bit version to work correctly. He recommends taking some extra time to ensure testing—especially stress testing on PCs—is completed to help smooth the migration to the 64-bit version of Win7.
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