OS Migration using Novell ZENworks®
Windows to Windows, Windows to Linux

Randal Bartsch

Technology Solutions Architect

Novell Canada, Ltd.

Anthony Kay

Technology Solutions Architect

Novell Canada, Ltd.

Session Objective

Customers are faced with the challenges of upgrading their Operating Systems and Office Productivity Suites.

This session will show you how Novell ZENworks reduces the costs and effort associated with the deployment cycles.

Agenda

ZENworks and the SOE

Windows to Windows

ZENworks Data Management

ZENworks Personality Migration

ZENworks-applied SOE

Windows to Linux

Current & Future

ZENworks Lifecycle

What's Happening & Why?

Organizations are upgrading to

Windows 2000/XP Professional or Novell Linux Desktop

at the workstation.

Key drivers:

•	Supportability of older OS platforms (Win95/98, NT4)

•	Updated corporate applications or line-of-business applications mandate a newer OS

•	Enhanced security and management of NT-based OS

•	Hardware and software updated for Year 2000 is now being replaced (Y2K+5)

•	Advantages of Open Source

The Business Side of Migrating

Manual Migration Cost = $400 per PC (6.9 hours)

Automated Migration process can reduce a new PC setup and installation costs by as much as 55% per year or $124.30 per PC

Leveraging best migration practices can lead to an 18% to 26% reduction in TCO

Developing a
Standard Operating Environment (SOE)

Defining your SOE

The “Standard Operating Environment” or SOE can mean many things to different people...

The goal of the SOE is easily delivered and maintained by using ZENworks; in fact ZENworks makes the delivery and maintenance of a SOE possible.

Deployment of a Standard Operating Environment lowers costs, improves service to end users and the business, improves productivity and finally provides a secure and stable platform for business applications.

the end goal is the same…

SOE components

Most Standard Operating Environments are built in a series of layers -

Operating System

Common Hardware

Security

Applications

ZENworks helps manage all layers on top of your hardware.
ZENworks works with your current infrastructure and with any existing processes.

SOE development

There are three main methods of deploying a base operating system ― each has merits:

Pure OS Image

SYSPREP Image

Unattended or Scripted Installation

Use when hardware is near identical Enterprise wide

Extremely rapid development of SOE

Fast installation (5-10 minutes)

SYSPREP allows for more varied hardware
SOE can be developed and customized quickly

Fast installation (15-20 minutes)

Install anywhere – almost hardware agnostic
Most complex to develop SOE

Slower installation (35-50 minutes)

Hardware variants = complexity, cost and testing

Base OS

Base OS

Base OS

Base OS

SOE development process

Applications

Security

Applications

Security

Break the SOE development process into manageable steps.

In this example the Base OS is built, customized and then approved by the various business group stakeholders.

Security and Applications are then applied to this approved base.

Each piece of the process should be iterative and should be approved by each team.

SOE development

Developing a good SOE can at first sight seem very trivial but with research can suddenly seem time consuming and daunting.

There are two strong recommendations to make you successful the first time:

Avoid political problems –

get your CIO to drive this down through your business

Break the SOE development into key manageable steps –

and get sign-off at each stage

SOE development process

Applications should be deployed using ZENworks; it is recommended that applications are layered onto the base OS rather than being included in the ‘monster image’.

Look at using an application overlay for deployment using the imaging process.

Security can cover everything from the inclusion of hot-fixes, security patches, application updates to how the user authenticates through to security settings and rights on the workstation. ZENworks provides strong, granular management of these settings using desktop policies and applications.

Base OS

Base OS

Applications

Security

Windows to Windows

Deployment and migration path

Targeting

Take personality

Deploy SOE

Apply personality

Ongoing

Lifecycle maintenance

Data Mgmt.

1

2

3

4

5

Deployment and migration path

Ongoing

Lifecycle maintenance

1

2

3

4

5

Targeting

Take personality

Deploy SOE

Apply personality

Data Mgmt.

Inventory and Targeting

Inventory of corporate workstations

Define suitable upgrade/ replacement/redeployment/ disposal strategy

ZENworks Inventory

1

Inventory and Targeting

ZENworks Inventory

Define suitable upgrade/ replacement/redeployment/ disposal strategy

ZENworks Inventory

Inventory of corporate workstations

1

Deployment and migration path

Ongoing

Lifecycle maintenance

1

3

4

5

2

Targeting

Take personality

Deploy SOE

Apply personality

Data Mgmt.

Data Management

Secure data access

Automatic data backup

Access data securely from any device any time, any place

Delta updates across all devices

2

Deployment and migration path

Ongoing

Lifecycle maintenance

3

1

2

4

5

Targeting

Take personality

Deploy SOE

Apply personality

Data Mgmt.

Personality Migration

3

Why Personality Migration is important...

OS migration costs drain IT resources

OS migration & PC rebuilds cost productivity

Vital component ZENworks PC lifecycle management

Precise PC targeting via defined requirements

Business Impact

Controlling the change management process

Not all users are created equal

Trends in laptop adoption, multiple devices

IT Impact...

Personality Migration

Calculating IT Impact…

# of users

(PCs) + (laptops)

X

Average

user skill

÷

“!@#&$®”

=

# of nights

you’re home

before 10pm

3

What is PC Personality?

Everything that makes a PC unique to the end user.

Think of it as your PC's DNA

Requires IT driven management, movement and maintenance

Business Impact

Controlling the change management process

Not all users are created equal

IT

Moving PC Personality

Windows 95

Windows 98

Windows NT

Windows 2000

Windows ME

Windows XP

FROM

Windows 95

Windows 98

Windows NT

Windows 2000

Windows ME

Windows XP

TO

3

3

Decoding Personality

User Accounts

User profiles for the current logged on user or for multiple users

Data Files and Folders

My Documents folder and all sub-folders

Desktop Settings

Taskbars, Shortcuts, Display, Wallpaper

Networks Settings

Dial-up settings, local network settings, TCP/IP and DNS settings, mapped network drives, folder and directory sharing

Printer settings

Local and Networking

Applications

Streamlined process for developing scripted support for your custom line of business, vertical and/or proprietary applications.

Settings for multiple versions of 78 applications

MS Office macros, templates, user preferences

E-mail address books, Web bookmarks

3

Take Personality

Desktop DNA executable and rules are read from server

3

Take Personality

Personality is stored on server

Personality data server can be NetWare® or Windows

3

Deployment and migration path

Ongoing

Lifecycle maintenance

1

2

3

5

4

Targeting

Take personality

Deploy SOE

Apply personality

Data Mgmt.

Deploy SOE

Target workstations are upgraded to new SOE – standard desktop OS, corporate applications and settings

OS and Applications delivered using ZENworks

4

Deploy SOE
Microsoft Office & OpenOffice for Windows

Use ZENworks' exceptional ability to:

target the installation of office suites to specific workstations

personalize office suite settings by modifying registry settings on the fly prior to application launch

TUT321

See also

TUT219

4

ZENworks Cool Solutions Community

ZENworks Software Packaging Best Practices

ZENworks Advanced Application Management

http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions

Deployment and migration path

Ongoing

Lifecycle maintenance

5

1

2

3

4

Targeting

Take personality

Deploy SOE

Apply personality

Data Mgmt.

Apply Personality

Target workstations and users read ZENworks unpack application

5

Ongoing lifecycle
Ongoing personality storage

Ongoing personality storage

Target workstations and users read ZENworks pack application

Desktop DNA executable and rules are read from server

Personality is stored on server

Ongoing lifecycle
Delivery of Standard Operating Environment

Failed machine is re-imaged; 20 minute rule applies

Apps are reinstalled

Ongoing lifecycle
Post re-image Personality Unpack

Personality is pulled from server and applied

Desktop DNA executable and rules are read from server

Rebuilt workstation has personality reapplied

Benefits of Automated Migration

Accelerate the move to a Standard Operating Environment (SOE) for lower support and training costs and increased staff productivity

Meet organizational requirements to be on the latest, more secure operating system

Reduce help desk costs (during and after the migration)

Reduce costs of sending technicians out to migrate each desktop or laptop

Reduce disruption to business and employees during the migration project

Reduce the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for desktops and laptops

Maintain and improve worker productivity by migrating user data and personal settings and by providing consistent service levels during and after migration

Guarantee that user data is protected through the migration by automatically backing up and synchronizing files

Windows to Linux:
A Discussion of What’s Possible

Got Linux?

ZENworks manages
both Windows and Linux workstations today

ZENworks stands out from the crowd by offering both Windows desktop and Linux desktop management today

Linux limited to software and patch management

Predictably, Microsoft is only interested in managing Windows desktops

Red Hat is only interested in managing Red Hat Linux desktops, not others

Equal Windows and Linux capabilities

ZENworks will offer integrated and feature-equal management of both Windows and Linux desktops in the future

ZENworks currently offers Personality Migration for Windows to Windows

In keeping with this, ZENworks will soon include Linux as a destination OS

ZENworks 7 Linux Management represents the beginning of a next-generation architecture to deliver feature-equality to both Windows and Linux desktops

ZENworks 7 Linux Management

ZENworks 7 Linux Management begins to deliver some existing ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management migration capabilities to Linux

ZENworks 7 Linux Management will allow Linux desktops and servers to be imaged

Ext3 and ReiserFS support

TUT322

“Advanced Imaging with ZENworks: Emerging Technologies”

See also

ZENworks 7 Linux Management

The new ZENworks imaging uses Linux as the host environment for the imaging engine

ZENworks 6.5 Currently uses the 2.4 kernel

The new ZENworks 7 Linux Management and ZENworks 7 imaging uses a 2.6 SUSE® kernel

Specific pieces of information about the workstation’s identity are “image safe”

Written by the ZENworks Imaging Agent

Accessible to Windows and Linux

Web Based ZENworks Control Center

Imaging Specific Control Center Features

The Migration Station

Let's face it, Windows and Linux are different animals

Migrating everything from Windows to Linux is a major challenge that will take time to solve

The Novell IS&T and Super Lab staff have been pioneering methods and procedures that have provided guidance to our ZEN development staff and consulting staff for Windows to Linux migrations

A solution called the Migration Station is their handiwork

The Linux Migration Stations are available at BrainShare® for attendees to do rapid on-the-spot migrations

What Can We Do Today?

Imaging

ZENworks 7 Linux Management will allow for imaging of Linux desktops

Data Migration

ZENworks Data Management (Novell iFolder®) supports Windows and Linux and can be used to migrate files

Coming Soon...

ZENworks “Brimstone”

The plan is to deliver full Linux Desktop management capabilities in this release, scheduled for 2006.

According to Gartner analysts, automated tools should strongly be considered for PC migrations because they reduce time and cost of migration projects, reduce technical risk, and ensure more reliable and consistent environments:

2003-12-08T12:43:39