Infrastructure Optimization

Say it ain’t so…

SOURCE: John Coyne’s Embedded Blog : It’s the End for 3.11!!

It’s the End for 3.11!!

for those that were not aware, we recently announced that effective November 1st, 2008, OEM’s will no longer be able to license Windows for Workgroups 3.11 in the embedded channel. Now we all know that it’s been long gone in the standard (retail/OEM) channel, but one of the unique things in the embedded business is that we allow the classic OS products to be sold longer than the other channels. it’s *finally the end of an era!

One of the things I do on a weekly, if not more frequent basis, is talk about Application Virtualization, and even for someone who breathes this stuff, it’s getting pretty confusing out there, as new products are springing to market all the time.

There isn’t a good place that compares all the major players, and none of the individual product vendors seems to want to compare themselves. What we need is a good comparison chart!

I wish I had done this - but thanks to the good folks over at VirtualFuture.Info, it would seem that if I did, I would have just reduplicated efforts! Check it out:

Application Virtualization comparison chart | Virtualfuture.info

OK, let’s Google for an Application virtualization comparison chart… mmm, not there. Why not make one?Why not make one?
So we did. My colleague Matthijs Haverink and I have written a comparison chart with the following products:

* Microsoft Softgrid *
* VMware ThinApp
* Installfree Bridge
* Citrix Application streaming
* Symantec Appstream
* Xenocode Virtual Application Studio

* This is Softgrid 4.2. From version 4.5 it’s called App-V. When App-V is released, this chart will be updated.

This comparison chart will be expanded with other solutions in the near future, but this is a good start.
Over the next few weeks, we will publish a review of all products in the chart, starting with Installfree by Matthijs.

Feel free to comment on this chart and when neccesary, we will correct the chart.

Download the Application virtualization comparison chart. (pdf)

Those of you following MS’s excellent MDOP suite of applications should subscribe to this one in your favorite feed reader:

http://blogs.technet.com/mdop/

Not much there yet, but it just started. We’ll keep an eye on it!

We heard today that Compucom has agreed to aquire Getronics’ North American operations including operations in the United States, the operations in Canada and the Global Service Centre in Mexico.

You can see the press release from both companies at the following:

• Compucom: CompuCom Systems Signs Definitive Agreement
• Getronics:    Getronics enters into strategic partnership…

We are extremely  pleased and honored that Microsoft has recognized Getronics work and continued support in fiscal year 2008.

Specifically for our USA team, we were selected as a finalist in the category of   Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Systems Management (LiveID required) for our Getronics Virtualization Services : Enabling adoption and management of virtualization technologies in enterprise organizations.

For years, we have been doing a lot of work with SoftGrid which turned into MDOP’s Application Virtualization and is now called App-V, but most recently also with Virtual Server, SCVMM, Hyper-V… Lots of fun and potential in this area!

At the  global level, Microsoft has awarded us the 2008 Partner of the Year for Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Windows Desktop Deployment (LiveID required.)

Getronics was recognized for superior technology and innovation in Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Windows Desktop Deployment. The global Windows Desktop Deployment Partner of the Year award honours partners with proven expertise in helping our clients migrate to a Windows Vista Optimized Desktop. This award recognizes the partner that has successfully deployed Microsoft technologies with Windows Vista to help organisations more efficiently and cost-effectively deploy and manage their desktop assets. We were chosen from a pool of more than 2,000 entrants worldwide, and over 650,000 partners.

Getronics Australia was also a finalist in the Information Worker Solutions category.

Congratulations to our colleagues, friend and most importantly, our clients!

SoftGrid is no more. Microsoft has officially announced that the new name of the technology formally known as “SoftGrid” will henceforth be known as App-V. Well, at least until they decide to call it something else. (I’m looking at you, BDD/MS Deployment/MDT.)

The good folks in Redmond have called upon us “old-timers” to break the “SoftGrid” habit, and to get on board the App-V train. For reals this time.

Oh, and we’ve heard some really interesting news about SCCM R2 and SoftGrid - DANGIT - App-V integration today. Some things that are kind of game changing, and not all in a good way (from at least this old-timer’s POV.)

I’ve got a deadline tonight on a App-V Load Balancing question, and so I would ask that y’all stay tuned, and tonight, in the mirror, practice along with me, Candyman style:

“App-V. App-V. App-V.”

Although we typically work in the enterprise customer space, we have to acknowledge (and thank) the posting of www.virtualization.info team for their article “Is Microsoft MDOP slowing down virtualization adoption?” for bringing this issue to light.

The article speaks to the fact that that the small / medium business market segment has little to no choice if they want to take advantage of application virtualization technology.

Microsoft’s MDOP product offering - which, as you know, we love - is only offered as a bundle for those customers who have or purchase Software Assurance, a rather high bar for many small- to medium-sized business to hurdle.

This is a conversation, I myself, have had with several Microsoft folks, and am still hoping that at some point in the not so distant future they open up to the masses for adoption.

From  Microsoft’s business point of view, their decision to limit the product has not been a bad one: (6.5Million licenses sold to-date, the fastest selling volume-licensing product ever.)

I can’t say it has been a bad decision for them, but deep down I say, application virtualization should not be an option but the default standard!

Not to brag, but we’ve been preaching this message since we were knee-high to a rack full of blades. It’s good though: the more this story gets out there, the more everyone who listens will win.

Tech-Ed Keynote Highlights ‘Dynamic IT’ and Virtualization

June 10, 2008 • by Kurt Mackie

Microsoft’s Tech-Ed North America event for IT professionals kicked off today with a keynote address on enabling “dynamic IT.” That idea was the main concept emphasized by keynote speaker Bob Muglia, senior vice president of Microsoft’s Server and Tools Business unit. The talk, given in Orlando, Fla., also consisted of a number of practical demos that displayed the latest Microsoft IT management solutions.

It turns out that the dynamic IT concept is a ten-year Microsoft plan, which is currently in its fifth year. The aim of dynamic IT, according to Muglia, is to reduce IT maintenance costs and “drive business advantage” via Microsoft technologies. Muglia pointed to Microsoft’s infrastructure optimization models as a first step for IT organizations to become “dynamic.”

Read More: Redmond | News: Tech-Ed Keynote Highlights ‘Dynamic IT’ and Virtualization

Over my years as an IT consultant, it’s become clear that assessing a client’s infrastructure and systems is a time-consuming and tedious task. And, horror of horrors, what do you do if the client is not running any systems management software (read: SMS/SCCM, please!)? Well, you hunker down for some challenging work, and you pray that the IT staff will be responsive and already have some reliable data for you. It has also become clear, over my years, that this is often not the case.

If you are planning a Vista migration, or a desktop optimization, or hardware refresh, or are upgrading to Office 2007, or wanting to deploy an AppVirt solution, how do you decide if the environment is ready?

Well, from a MS POV, they have done a pretty darned good job of releasing tools to help: The Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT), the Vista Hardware Assessment tool, the Office Migration Planning Manager, etc. But these tools were always somewhat flawed: they didn’t work together, many deployed agents (which clients really, really hate if you do without telling them!) etc.

Our fantastic colleagues at Getronics in the Netherlands put together an awesome tool, called MOVE (Migration to Office Vista and Exchange) intended to help our consultants combine a number of Microsoft assessment tools (ACT, VHA, OMPM, etc.) into one system, and provide a unified report with easily understood charts and tables that could not only benefit IT folks, but was readable and “talked the talk” of Business Decision Makers.

MOVE is a great product, and adds real value to these disparate tools. However, from a deployment and client-friendlines POV, it is only as good as the MS Tools it aggregates and controls. For example, the agents are still there (I’m looking at you, ACT 5.0!)

We’ve used the MOVE tool on many engagements, and it’s a powerful way to demonstrate a lot of value and begin building a strong story on migration and optimizing your environment.

However, while we were out busting a MOVE, Microsoft was revving up to 3.0 it’s stealthy and similar product called “MAP - Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit.” MAP was an attempt to combine these tools into one interface and to begin incorporating some capacity planning for its server software as well. A VERY cool tool, if you knew about it, and could get permission to run it in your client’s environment.

Those of us on the using-the-tool side (as opposed to the writing-the-tool side) were worried that our investment in using MOVE was for naught, as MAP would soon supplant it in functionality. More on this in a moment.

Back to MAP 3.0. A few weeks ago, Microsoft posted on its Connect site a MAP 3.1 private beta. MAP 3.1 is hot hot hot. Check it:

The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit
(or MAP) is the next-generation version of the agent-less assessment
platform from Microsoft. In this new version, MAP has expanded its
capabilities into assessment areas of Hyper-V server virtualization,
desktop security, and SQL 2008 migration. In summary, MAP 3.1
assessment areas now include:

• Server Migration Reports and Proposals (Windows Server 200
• Server Consolidation Reports and Proposals (Virtual Server 2005 R2 and Hyper-V) (NEW!)
• Desktop
  Security Assessment to determine if desktops have anti-virus and
  anti-malware programs installed or if the Windows Firewall is turned on
  (NEW!)
• Application Virtualization Assessment Reports (Microsoft Application Virtualization, formerly SoftGrid)
• SQL 2008 Migration Assessment Reports (NEW!)
• Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 Hardware Assessment Reports and Proposals

The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit performs three key functions - including hardware and device inventory, compatibility analysis, and readiness reporting.

MAP
is based upon an agent-less infrastructure scanning technology that allows users to conduct a network inventory of their servers, desktops, applications, and devices - all without installing any software agents on each machine being assessed. This tool has the ability to discover machines within Active-Directory managed domains and forests as well as workgroups.

With the new user interface and enterprise-scale inventory engine, users can generate multiple technology migration reports and proposals for their OS migration and virtualization projects in a matter of hours.

Fast and Zero-Touch.
MAP provides secure network-wide assessment of a typical environment in a matter of hours instead of days, all without the deployment of any software agents on each inventoried machines.

Saves Pre-Sales and Planning Time.
For most IT consultants and Microsoft Partners, a detailed network inventory and assessment of servers and desktops would typically take days of manual labor. With MAP, they can now drastically reduce the time it takes for the same inventory to a matter of hours; allowing
them more time to focus their efforts on critical pre-sales engagement tasks. For IT professionals, it significantly reduces the time it takes to gather the information to make the business case for client and server migration as well as for their upcoming virtualization projects.

Actionable Recommendations and Reporting.
MAP offers valuable inventory and readiness assessment reports with specific upgrade recommendations and virtualization candidate reports that make it easier for IT migration and deployment projects to get off the ground and running.

From Desktops to Servers.
MAP provides technology assessment and planning recommendations for many Microsoft products including Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Hyper-V, Virtual Server 2005 R2, Microsoft Application Virtualization (SoftGrid), Terminal Services, System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007, SQL 2008, and also desktop security.

Try the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 3.1 Beta now.

Did you catch that first bit: “Agentless”?? I sure did. This makes these tools incredibly more useful and viable in a foreign (read: client) environment where you don’t have the luxury or permission to install agents on thousands of desktops.

Also - how about that last bit where it helps provide planning recommendations for all those server types. Note especially the Application Virtualization attention. Are you excited yet?

Ok, so whither MOVE? Word on the streets of Amsterdam is that MOVE is undergoing a major overhaul and will be integrated with MAP, meaning that the disproportionate value that MOVE brought to ACT, etc. will live on in its new iteration. The current version of MOVE is still very useful - some of the reports we do are fantastic. You should definitely see them.

We’re very excited to see what our sistren and brethren in NL come up with. For now, we’ll be putting the MAP 3.1 installer on our USB keys, nestled right up next to our MOVE installer, and bringing them to an environment near you.

I’ll be doing a review on the reports that MAP generates soon. Stay tuned.

Download it Now, or call me, and I’ll come out and show you how it works!

Hot off the presses, System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 has had a critical update that will allow it to manage Hyper-V RC1 hosts (but, as a caveat, will not allow you to manage RC0 hosts…)

[MSFT-BE] Arlindo’s Blog - IT Pro Evangelist : SCVMM 2008 Beta – Hotfix for Hyper-V RC1