Windows 7 rollouts without the pain

Migrating to the next version of Windows can be a painful exercise for enterprise IT departments. That said, with support for Windows XP ending and with hardware refresh cycles kicking in, the move to Win 7 is unavoidable for most enterprises.

The good news is that there are specific tools built to help with Windows 7 deployments. We tested Acronis Snap Deploy 3 With Universal Deploy 3, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010, Prowess SmartDeploy Enterprise, and Symantec Ghost Solution Suite 2.5.

There are two basic approaches to a Windows OS upgrade. Disk imaging has been around since before Windows XP and works well if all your target computers are the same. For example, you’ve standardized on Dell Latitude E6420s with the NVIDIA 4200M graphics option. This technique, used by Symantec and Acronis, makes a sector-by-sector copy of the reference machine’s hard disk structure at a point in time. This also means it’s difficult to service the image later when you need to apply, say, security patches.

File-based solutions, using the Windows Imaging (WIM) file format that Microsoft introduced with Vista, are more flexible, because there are standard tools to format and service the disk image. Microsoft and Prowess take advantage of this format (as does Symantec in the latest release, which we tested).

Windows 7 migration: Tips and tricks

But the biggest difference between products is with driver management. At minimum, your resulting deployment media will typically contain enough drivers to boot the target computer. However, this shortcut requires post-deployment work to install hardware-specific drivers.

And when products allow extra drivers to be included – as do Acronis, Microsoft, and Symantec – this increases deployment time and the size of your media. One alternate is to inject specific drivers when a machine is provisioned. Microsoft and Prowess provide this option as standard, giving you the advantage of precise control and faster deployments.

We created a single image for testing that contained Microsoft Windows 7 Professional and Office 2010 Plus, along with Adobe Reader X and its latest updates. We built the reference computer in VMware Workstation 7.1 and then deployed it to Lenovo T400 and Dell Latitude E6510 laptops, and a desktop Lenovo M58p. As we followed the same script for all products, we noted the time to capture the machine, manage drivers, create media and deploy. Our evaluation also considered image file size along with a product’s flexibility and usability, which was reflected in the time to perform the benchmark tasks.

Acronis Snap Deploy 3 with Universal Deploy 3

Acronis is well known for its business (and personal) backup products. Snap Deploy takes the firm’s underlying imaging capability and surrounds it with a Central Management Console to help IT staff deploy new PCs and workstations.

In essence, the process involves making a copy of the reference hard disk (including the OS, applications, drivers, and settings) and is good for “bare metal” installations of new systems.

Although the concept is sound, there are two major caveats. First, you need to license Acronis Universal Deploy (adding 50% to the per-workstation cost) for the ability to add hardware-specific drivers. Second, this solution’s setup and use seemed overly complicated, requiring separate licensing and deployment servers and related modules. These restrictions aside, Acronis does work well if you have a few common hardware configurations in your organization.

At the management console, I captured the disk image for our reference virtual PC; you can also capture the hard disk of a networked PC. As with other products reviewed, Acronis’ version of a media builder helped me create a boot CD so that image could be applied to our test PCs. Alternately, you can boot from a Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) server that’s included.

Once target PCs are booted, there are two options for handling the actual deployment: the Windows 7 image can be read from a DVD or distributed from an Acronis Deploy Server; this uses multicast technology to handle simultaneous deployments over the network.

In this basic scenario, where users can update their own systems, I used the included pre-deployment utilities to configure system settings in the image, such as domain name, computer name and Security Identified (SID). Because end users skip entering this information, it shaves some time from the deployment; further, this automation could potentially reduce errors during a large real-world Windows 7 upgrade.

The standard Snap Deploy image didn’t boot on my test desktop PC because mass storage drivers were missing. In this case, Acronis Universal Deploy let me include the specific disk driver for my hardware. Still, this didn’t give me nearly the driver flexibility of Prowess or Microsoft solutions.

Snap Deploy doesn’t match the ongoing management provided by the Symantec Ghost suite. However, the Acronis centralized console let me run deployments remotely. After installing the Acronis agent on the test systems that were first reset to Windows XP, they appeared on the console display. Afterwards, I targeted them for the Windows 7 upgrade and started the process. Post-deploy, I could edit files and folders on the test systems from the console.

Performance of the console and server modules was fast; in a production environment, they could comfortably run from the same workstation. In total time, Acronis had the second fastest performance in our test scenario.

Overall, Acronis Snap Deploy lets you deploy Windows 7 manually or automatically from a central console. But at $25 per license (plus $12.49 Universal Deploy) costs can escalate for large rollouts. As with the bulk of the other solutions, it is a specialized IT tool – and one that’s not optimized to handle disparate hardware.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010

Microsoft clearly has a strong interest in helping IT groups ease their organization’s migration to Windows 7, and the company’s answer is the free Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT). It combines a central console, various utilities, and many training resources. The MDT 2010 Update 1 I tested adds Office 2010 support, and allows users to initiate and customize their deployment (MDT 2012 is in beta testing). The console (Deployment Workbench) user interface is understandable and wizards assist less experienced IT staff. However, MDT is tailored to deploy a few Microsoft applications – and the various required components aren’t tightly integrated.

In addition to the core MDT 2010 application, you need the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK). WAIK includes ImageX and the User State Migration Tool (USMT); ImageX creates virtual hard disk images, while USMT migrates user data prior to installing Windows 7.

After downloading and installing the components, you do most of the work from the MDT 2010 Deployment Workbench, which provides a tree view to help organize deployment assets, such as applications, OS files, scripts and drivers. I began by creating a Deployment Share, which invoked a wizard that gathered necessary information. For example, I was asked if an image should be captured.

Once the process completed, a set of folders appeared in the console. Here I added my clean Windows 7 OS files. There’s also a section for out-of-box drivers. In the Application section of the console, I added my Office 2010 files. I appreciated that Microsoft added a properties tab within a dialog (called Office Products) that let me configure a silent, unattended installation of Office 2010. However, to do the same with third-party applications requires manual scripting. And even with Office 2010, I had to manually edit a config.xml file to select the features that I wanted to install.

In the next phase you create a task sequence to deploy the OS. Again, a wizard gathers your responses to questions, such as administration password and applications to install, and builds the automation script. At the end of the process, MDT creates a LiteTouchPE image – which is booted on the client PC to start the Windows 7 deployment. The end user answers a few questions and after about two hours the new deployment was done.

Although I created a scenario to perform a clean Windows 7 install (new computer) you can also have a Refresh Computer option; the latter preserves a user’s existing data and settings, which is clearly important when moving from Windows XP or Vista.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 was the third-fastest in finishing our required tasks – when it worked. Unfortunately, reliability was spotty; on the very common Lenovo T400, I got the clean install to complete successfully only 20% of the time. While there’s no licensing cost for MDT, organizations need to consider the skills required to troubleshoot and build any specialized scripts.

Prowess SmartDeploy Enterprise, Build 1940

We found Prowess’ solution to be simple, efficient and reliable. SmartDeploy Enterprise includes four wizard-driven modules that you use to build your master installation, capture the image, add drivers and deploy the image. From start to finish, the whole process required a little over one hour.

Conceptually, SmartDeploy breaks the image you deploy into the original reference disk, what the company calls “Platform Packs” (driver sets for specific hardware) and a delta file that includes any software updates. In my experience, this resulted in fewer images – that were smaller compared with other products – which reduced storage and bandwidth requirements. You can deploy the final image from physical media or a file server. SmartDeploy, additionally, works with Windows Deployment Services, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, and system management tools, including Microsoft System Center.

To start, we built our single reference computer using the Capture Wizard. It walks you through creating the Windows 7 baseline computer using the virtual machine software you have installed – including basic setup defaults (such as a product key) and whether this is the original image or a differencing image. Capture Wizard supports all four major virtual disk formats and converts them to WIM format. Although most IT pros should know how to manually perform these steps, I believe the wizard saves time and reduces errors.

Next, it’s time to address drivers and any platform-specific programs, such as a custom Web conferencing application that is designed for a specific model laptop with a built-in webcam. Platform Manager fulfills this role, and it’s an award-winning performance. With Platform Manager you import pre-created platform packs Prowess provides (that cover a long list of computer models). Optionally, you can easily modify, or create new driver bundles, for custom-made PCs. Platform Manager’s easily navigated user interface let me see what drivers were included for each piece of hardware and adjust as necessary.

I really liked this centralized device driver repository for other reasons, too. It can provide needed drivers when booting target computers during the initial deployment stage and for installing the full complement of drivers to the target system. Also, Platform Pack technology appears to be very efficient. Several gigabytes of drivers and applications were compressed down to a few hundred megabytes.

The Media Wizard helped me quickly build my boot CD (SmartPE) and create offline deployment media. Lastly, I used this custom Pre-Execution Environment to deploy my finished image to the test computers. The process is almost hands-off — with the menu-driven SmartPE application asking where the media was stored (I had it on a file share, though cloud services are available as part of the product) and then the user accepted the defaults I’d created. When Windows rebooted, I confirmed that all the settings were applied and all drivers included.

You could also take advantage of Windows Deployment Services, or other Microsoft systems management tools, to install a SmartDeploy image. These hooks are important, say, if you are doing Windows XP upgrades.

In my task analysis, the time to perform most steps with SmartDeploy was similar to the other products – with the exception of driver management, which was about 25% of what the other solutions demanded. It’s a significant difference and reflected in the total test time: about 75 minutes compared to an average of 200 minutes for the other products. What’s more, Prowess’ licensing model is really different: you only pay for staff members who use the application (approximately $2,200 to $3,000 per technician, depending on support options). These two distinctions make Prowess SmartDeploy both the technology and value leader of the products evaluated.

Symantec Ghost Solution Suite

Ghost has been around since the DOS days of PCs. Over the generations it has become a staple of IT technicians – starting with disk cloning, and in later versions, to remotely manage backups of systems throughout enterprises.

In the deployment space, the latest Symantec Ghost Solution Suite 2.5.1 removes some past limitations – now it can perform hardware-independent imaging that includes automatically injecting drivers that match the target hardware. Moreover, this version supports Microsoft, VMware, Symantec Backup Exec, and PowerQuest virtual imaging formats.

There’s a strong case for managing machines with Symantec’s suite, such as taking an inventory of the hardware beforehand to ensure it is Windows 7 ready. The Ghost software is sophisticated enough to copy users’ data before a migration then restore it afterwards, which has the potential to minimize lost time for workers. The penalty for these extra features is a more complex infrastructure compared to other products – and the tool requires experience to master.

At minimum, there are four main steps to deploying Windows 7 using Ghost, and four or five tasks within those main buckets. The good news is that you accomplish this work using the central Symantec Ghost Console. For example, I began testing by taking an inventory of the managed test systems (they were reset to Windows XP, and must be running the Ghost client software).

Next, I selected our Windows 7 model computer’s VMware image (Ghost also supports WIM format). Then, employing various tools within the console, I performed various tasks, such as configuring Microsoft’s System Preparation Tool (SysPrep) to run on the test computers before installing the new image. These steps aren’t terribly difficult (and this solution handles a lot of the heavy scripting for you). But, as noted, the required actions are numerous so even experienced IT staff can potentially miss something.

The good part about this suite is that you can capture user settings (printer connections, Internet Favorites, and so on). It also has pre-built templates for 60 applications, so user settings can be applied once the Windows 7 image and applications are installed. Symantec manages this task with a local “client staging area” that holds the PC’s original content during an upgrade – a nice touch that minimizes network storage and bandwidth use.

With the migration templates and other prep work done, I ran the upgrade on my test machines over a network. Since Symantec does a good job handing multicast file transfers, the upgrade process itself required about 45 minutes to complete. Optionally, you can create bootable CD-ROMs or USB sticks to accomplish the deployment.

For maintenance, Symantec Ghost Solution Suite lets you explore your disk images (as long as they are FAT-based) and add, modify or delete files. The system also permits you to maintain a live reference system; that is, you can keep this system updated with the latest patches or application updates and then Ghost will use an image of this system when provisioning new PCs.

Symantec charges $20 to $50 per license (based on quantity and support option). Further, Ghost required the most effort (and thus time) to run through our test setup. Still, decision makers should consider the extra PC management features included in the Ghost Solution Suite.

Summary

The time to perform most of the deployment tasks we tested varied little among the four solutions – with one major exception: driver management. We typically spend hours getting configurations right for different hardware, but that wasn’t the case with Prowess. Smart Deploy driver packs and Platform Manager reduce the effort considerable, so getting the test systems imaged required about a quarter of the time demanded of other products. For that reason, we feel SmartDeploy is the best of the bunch. And for many projects, the company’s pricing structure (licensed by technicians who use the product) will put you ahead financially.

There are certainly advantages of Symatec Ghost, especially its PC life-cycle management. Acronis is good if your PC inventory varies little. And it’s hard to argue with a free download from Microsoft, but that masks the work required by those really experienced with Microsoft programming and server architecture. So while you should not dismiss alternative solutions, Prowess proved to be quick, easy to use and economical.

Heck manages portals for a large pharma company and writes about enterprise applications. He can be reached at mikeheck@comcast.net.