14 DAY TRIAL // With Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsoft is taking to the next level its efforts to streamline migration planning as well as deployment that debuted with Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. In this context, customers can access solution accelerators from the software giant designed to catalyze the embracing of the next iteration of Windows client and server operating systems, as well as adjacent technologies. At this point in time, the Redmond company is offering for download the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 4.0 and the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010 Beta 2, both tailored to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.
Baldwin Ng, Sr. product manager, Microsoft Solution Accelerators Team, explained that “MAP is an integral part of planning. We actually started off thinking that assessment is pretty easy to do, but as it turns out, trying to scale a discovery engine over 100,000 machines is no small task. People are using the MAP Toolkit for many different tasks, but I will just highlight a couple: for Windows 7 migration, we're getting close to releasing a Beta now, and I think that by the time the video comes out it will be ready for you to consume. And this tool will look at the massive number of desktops, analyze the hardware and device compatibility, or lack there of, and the highlight the computers that can go to Windows 7 without any hardware upgrades, highlight the PCs that will need some minor upgrades, and identify some PCs that are simply really old enough that the CPUs no longer match with Windows 7 requirements.”
Another example offered by Baldwin Ng involves the flexibility of the MAP toolkit. In this regard, consumers have the flexibility of adjusting the minimum hardware requirements to a higher level than the absolute minimum requirements of Windows 7. Microsoft introduced the feature in order to help companies tailor their environments to heavy-duty users who need more powerful configurations. But of course MAP is tailored to scenarios related to planning. When it comes down to deployment customers will have to turn to another solution accelerator from the Redmond company.
“Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 helps users consolidate all the tools that Microsoft provides to help with deployment. And also provides guidance on how to use those tools. There are two main scenarios. There's one for people that have an SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager) 2007 infrastructure where MDT just installs customs actions and task sequence templates on top of your configuration manager installation. And we also have a light touch installation scenario that uses the tools that are freely available and we built an MMC (Microsoft Management Console) snap-in called the deployment workbench that provides a consolidated UI so that the users can navigate through the steps of a deployment,” added Maryann Blake, MDT program manager.