Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed (111 page)

time for this process at a later time.

If the organization chooses to keep the application, it might be kept in place on an older

version of Windows or moved to the new Windows Server 2008 R2 environment. In either

case, the administrative staff, help desk, and end users should be warned that the applica-

tion is not officially supported or officially compatible and might behave erratically.

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CHAPTER 17

Compatibility Testing

Creating an Upgrade Decision Matrix

Although each application will have its own inventory sheet, it is helpful to put together a

brief summary document outlining the final results of the vendor research process and the

ramifications to the network upgrade project. As with all documents that affect the scope

and end state of the network infrastructure, this document should be reviewed and

approved by the project stakeholders.

This document can be expanded to summarize which applications will be installed on

which network server if there are going to be multiple Windows Server 2008 R2 servers in

the final configuration. In this way, the document can serve as a checklist to follow during

the actual testing process.

Assessing the Effects of the Compatibility Results on the

Compatibility Testing Plan

After all the data has been collected on the compatibility, lack of compatibility, or lack of

information, the compatibility testing plan should be revisited to see whether changes

need to be made. As discussed earlier in the chapter, the components of the compatibility

testing plan are the scope of the application testing process and the goals of the process

(timeline, budget, extent of the testing, training requirements, documentation require-

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ments, and fate of the testing lab).

Some of the goals might now be more difficult to meet, and require additional budget, time,

and resources. If essential network applications need to be replaced with version upgrades or

a solution from a different vendor, additional time for testing and training might also be

required. Certain key end users might also need to roll up their sleeves and perform hands-

on testing to make sure that the new products perform to their expectations.

This might be the point in the application testing process at which a decision is made that

a more complete prototype testing phase is needed, and the lab would be expanded to

more closely, or exactly, resemble the end state of the migration.

Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit

As mentioned throughout the chapter, it is important to conduct compatibility testing

when upgrading or migrating to Windows Server 2008 R2. It is essential to have specific

knowledge about each server within the infrastructure and whether or not the server and

associated hardware and software are ready for Windows Server 2008 R2. Microsoft has a

free toolkit that will help accelerate your migration to Windows Server 2008 R2.

The MAP toolkit can assist with a migration or upgrade to Windows Server 2008 R2 by

conducting inventory, assessments, and reporting on servers throughout the infrastruc-

ture. In addition, unlike other tools, it can gather information without installing agents

on servers.

Lab-Testing Existing Applications

543

The following prerequisites are required for installing the toolkit on Windows

Server 2008 R2:

. Microsoft Word 2007 or Word 2003 SP2

. Microsoft Word Primary Interop Assemblies

. Microsoft Excel 2007 or Excel 2003 SP2

. Microsoft Excel Primary Interop Assemblies

. Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Office 2007

. Microsoft Windows Server Installer

. .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 or higher

. SQL Server 2008 Express

. Computer is not a domain controller

After the prerequisites have been installed, the toolkit can be downloaded from http:/

/technet.microsoft.com/en-us/solutionaccelerators/dd537573.aspx. Once the toolkit is

installed, you can create a server inventory report, which will identify currently installed

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operating systems. The report will also include detailed analysis of software and hardware

readiness and compatibility with Windows Server 2008 R2.

Lab-Testing Existing Applications

17

With the preparation and research completed and the compatibility testing plan verified

as needed, the actual testing can begin. The testing process should be fairly anticlimactic

at this point because the process has been discussed at length, and it will be clear what the

testing goals are and which applications will be tested. Due diligence in terms of vendor

research should be complete, and now it is just a matter of building the test server or

servers and documenting the results.

The testing process can yield unforeseen results because the exact combination of hard-

ware and software might affect the performance of a key application; but far better to

have this occur in a nonproduction environment in which failures won’t affect the organi-

zation’s ability to deliver its services.

During the testing process, valuable experience with the installation and upgrade process

will be gained and will contribute to the success of the production migration. The migra-

tion team will be familiar with—or possibly experts at—the installation and application

migration processes when it counts, and are more likely to avoid configuration mistakes

and resolve technical issues.

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CHAPTER 17

Compatibility Testing

Allocating and Configuring Hardware

Ideally, the budget will be available to purchase the same server hardware and related

peripherals (such as tape drives, UPSs, mobile devices, and applications) that will be used

in the production migration. This is preferable to using a server machine that has been

sitting in a closet for an undetermined period of time, which might respond differently

than the eventual hardware that will be used. Using old hardware can actually generate

more work in the long run and adds more variables to an already complex process.

If the testing process is to exactly mirror the production environment, this would be

considered to be a prototype phase, which is generally broader in scope than compatibility

testing, and requires additional hardware, software, and time to complete. A prototype

phase is recommended for more complex networks in which the upgrade process is riskier

and more involved and in which the budget, time, and resources are available.

Don’t forget to allocate a representative workstation for each desktop operating system

that is supported by the organization and a sample remote access system, such as a typical

laptop or mobile device that is used by the sales force or traveling executive.

Allocating and Configuring Windows Server 2008 R2

By this point, the software has been ordered, allocated, downloaded, and set aside for easy

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access, along with any notes taken or installation procedures downloaded in the research

phase. If some time has elapsed since the compatibility research with the vendors, it is

worth checking to see whether any new patches have been released. The upgrade decision

matrix discussed earlier in the chapter is an excellent checklist to have on hand during

this process to make sure that nothing is missed that could cause delays during the

testing process.

When configuring the servers with the appropriate operating systems, the company stan-

dards for configurations, based on industry best practices, should be adhered to, if they

have been documented. Standards can include the level of hard drive redundancy, separa-

tion of the application files and data files, naming conventions, roles of the servers,

approved and tested security updates, and security configurations.

Next, Windows Server 2008 R2 should be configured to also meet company standards and

then for the essential utilities that will protect the integrity of the data and the operating

system, which typically include the backup software, antivirus software, and management

utilities and applications. After this base configuration is completed, it can be worth

performing a complete backup of the system or taking a snapshot of the server configura-

tion, using an application such as Ghost, in case the subsequent testing is problematic and

a rollback is necessary.

Loading the Remaining Applications

With Windows Server 2008 R2 configured with the core operating system and essential

utilities, the value-added applications can be tested. Value-added applications enhance the

functionality of Windows and enable the users to perform their jobs more efficiently and

drive the business more effectively. It’s helpful to provide a project plan calendar or sched-

Lab-Testing Existing Applications

545

ule to the end users who will be assisting in the testing process at this point so they know

when their services will be needed.

There are so many different combinations of applications that might be installed and

tested at this point that the different permutations can’t all be covered in this chapter. As

a basic guideline, first test the most essential applications and the applications that were

not identified previously as being compatible. By tackling the applications that are more

likely to be problematic early on in the process, the testing resources will be fresh and any

flags can be raised to the stakeholders while there is still time left in the testing process for

remediation.

Thorough testing by the end users is recommended, as is inclusion of the help desk staff

in the process. Notes taken during the testing process will be valuable in creating any

configuration guides or migration processes for the production implementation.

NOTE

Beyond basic functionality, data entry, and access to application-specific data, some

additional tests that indicate an application has been successfully installed in the test

environment include printing to different standard printers, running standard reports,

exporting and importing data, and exchanging information with other systems or devices.

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Testing should be done by end users of the application and administrative IT staff who

support, maintain, and manage the application. Notes should be taken on the process

and the results because they can be very useful during the production migration.

Certified for Windows Server 2008 R2

17

Microsoft offers a program that enables vendors to innovate on the Windows Server 2008

R2 platform and related technologies. This program is called Innovate on Windows Server,

and it allows vendors, organizations, and partners to build, test, and certify that their

applications and products are compatible with Windows Server 2008 R2. Once certified, a

logo will be placed on the product stating Certified for Windows Server 2008 R2.

During the analysis phase of whether existing applications will be compatible with

Windows Server 2008 R2, it is a best practice to validate that the applications do carry the

Certified for Windows Server 2008 R2 logo by contacting the manufacturer. By having the

logo, application testing and additional analysis of a specific application is minimized

when upgrading to Windows Server 2008 R2.

The Innovate on Windows Server partner program can be found at the following hyper-

link: www.innovateonwindowsserver.com/Default.aspx.

Testing the Migration and Upgrade Process

This section touches on the next logical step in the testing process. After it has been veri-

fied that the final configuration agreed upon in the planning process is stable and which

applications and utilities will be installed on which server, the actual upgrade process can

be tested. The upgrade process is covered in Chapter 16, “Migrating from Windows Server

2003/2008 to Windows Server 2008 R2.”

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CHAPTER 17

Compatibility Testing

Documenting the Results of the Compatibility Testing

A number of documents can be produced during the compatibility testing process.

Understanding the expectations of the stakeholders and what the documents will be used

for is important. For example, more detailed budgetary information might need to be

compiled based on the information, or go-no-go decisions might need to be reached.

Thus, a summary of the improvements offered by Windows Server 2008 R2 in the areas of

reliability, performance visible to the user community, and features improved and added

might need to be presented in a convincing fashion.

At a minimum, a summary of the testing process should be created, and a final recom-

mendation for the applications to be included in the production upgrade or migration

should be provided to the stakeholders. This can be as simple as the upgrade decision

matrix discussed earlier in the chapter, or it can be more thorough, including detailed

notes of the exact testing procedures followed. Notes can be made available summarizing

the results of end-user testing, validating the applications, and describing results—both

positive and negative.

If the testing hardware is the same as the hardware that will be used in the production

upgrade, server configuration documents that list the details of the hardware and software