Easing Your Transition to Windows 7

By Ken Fajans
published: Friday, January 22 2010

With the release of Windows 7, companies are looking to upgrade their operating systems without overwhelming their IT departments. For corporations with hundreds or thousands of users this can be a daunting task. But it doesn’t have to be.

Traditionally, upgrading your OS involved having someone from IT upgrade each PC on site. This causes a lot of inconvenience and downtime, along with frustrated employees who are ripped away from their work. The process can take weeks or months depending on the size of the organization and the size and skill of the IT department.

Recently, VSM spoke with Citrix CIO Paul Martine about their transition to Windows 7 and gleaned some insights and strategies that can help ease the burden of an OS upgrade on your IT department.

Virtualize - Rather than installing the upgrade on every individual computer, virtualization allows you to do it from one data center.  Hundreds of thin client and networked users can be transitioned at one time. Additionally, your IT department can test the applications beforehand to ensure compatibility and usability with your new OS.

Citrix used virtualization to upgrade over ¼ of their staff, 1400 users, to Windows 7 overnight. “With more and more users on Xen Desktop…that was the easiest transition,” Paul Martine explained. “When we implemented Windows 7, we just did a clean switch. So the next time they logged on they were logging on to a Windows 7 OS…It’s impressive when you think about how easy it is. Once you set up your infrastructure to deliver something through a VDI solution, it just takes such a burden off IT.”

Another benefit to operating in a virtual environment is the elimination of desktop OS sprawl, which can slow down and even cripple stand-alone computers. With application updates arriving frequently, it is useful to update them in one central location rather than at numerous individual workstations. “When you deliver an OS from the data center, you’re delivering a fresh operating system every time the user logs on. And you get consistent performance by doing it that way. So there is a benefit to the user, too.”

Virtualization helps not only with OS upgrades but with all application upgrades, updates and patches. These processes can be performed by one administrator working at one workstation. “I think customers that are using Citrix realize the benefit,” Paul told us. “And it’s not just the OS benefit. If I need to upgrade or patch Microsoft or SAP or any of these other commercial business applications, I do it once from the data center. And the next time someone accesses that application they’re getting the most current version.”

To ease the frustration that some users feel when they are thrust into a different computing environment, companies can host both the new and the old OS on their data center. This allows users to “downgrade” when they are unable to perform a task in the new OS environment and don’t have time to figure it out right away. These users can logout of the new OS, login to the version they are familiar with to perform their task, then switch right back to the new version.

Advertise – Let your employees know what is happening, when it is happening, and what they need to do. By keeping staff informed, they will be better able to handle the transition when it arrives. Detailed information can be delivered in a memo, email, through an internal website, or a combination of these.

This information is integral for the end-user whether your company is operating in a virtual environment or not. VDI users need to be informed so they aren’t surprised and confused when they log on and see a different interface. Stand-alone users can schedule their time better if they know when they will be having a period of downtime for the upgrade or better yet, they can schedule the upgrade at a time that is convenient for them.
Citrix created an internal website that informed employees about the upgrade process. It offered three different options for users not regularly using Xen Desktop to install Windows 7 on their computer: Schedule a time with IT; Perform the upgrade using a thumb drive provided by IT with Citrix software included; Or for Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) users upgrade with just Windows 7.

Empower the end-user – With little to no help from the IT department, tech-savvy users can perform the upgrade themselves. By developing scripts for the upgrade and putting them on DVDs or thumb drives, IT can take some pressure off by allowing employees install upgrades on their own computers. Of course, the IT department would have to remain available for users that may have problems or questions, but it relieves them of having to physically perform the upgrade at each machine.

This method does add a little more work for IT on the front-end because they must first work through any compatibility and security issues before distributing the upgrade and they should develop scripts and instructions that allow the user to perform the upgrade without any issues.

Paul Martine explained that Citrix uses this method often, including in their innovative BYOC program. “We always push towards self-service. My user base really likes the self-service concept and we’ve done that across several different initiatives.”’

Giving away that much control can be scary and has to be done with some limitations but there is no reason to fight your way against the current. “You have to get in your head you’re going to release some of this and you’re going to let the user do it.” Paul said. “That’s really the whole consumerization push and you can’t fight that, you have to embrace it. And you have to be smart about it. We don’t just let people have at it and do anything they want. Things like upgrading their OS, things like bringing their own laptop to work, letting them pick and choose which device they want. That’s terrific.”

Virtualization offers the path to least resistance when it comes to performing OS or application upgrades. In every aspect, it alleviates the workload for the IT department and allows for seamless integration of applications in the data center. Companies that use VDI solutions can upgrade applications over night without having to inconvenience employees with downtime during work hours or overwhelm the IT department with support requests. If you haven’t transitioned to a virtual desktop environment, maybe the time is now.