Windows 7 / Getting Started

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Configuration Plan

Determine which features to include in your configuration and how to implement these features to simplify the management of users and computers in your organization. An important means of simplification is standardization. Standardizing desktop configurations makes it easier to install, update, manage, support, and replace computers that run Windows 7. Standardizing users' configuration settings, software, hardware, and preferences simplifies deploying operating system and application upgrades, and configuration changes can be guaranteed to work on all computers.

When users install their own operating system upgrades, applications, device drivers, settings, preferences, and hardware devices, a simple problem can become complex. Establishing standards for desktop configurations prevents many problems and makes it easier for you to identify and resolve problems. Having a standard configuration that you can install on any computer minimizes downtime by ensuring that user settings, applications, drivers, and preferences are the same as before the problem occurred. The following list provides an overview of some of the features that you must plan to use:

• Management Desktop management features allow you to reduce the total cost of ownership in your organization by making it easier to install, configure, and manage clients.
• Networking You can configure computers that run Windows 7 to participate in a variety of network environments.
• Security Windows 7 includes features to help you secure your network and computers by controlling authentication and access to resources and by encrypting data stored on computers. These features include BitLocker Drive Encryption, Windows Firewall with Advanced Security, and so on.

Testing and Piloting

Before rolling out your deployment project, you need to test it for functionality in a controlled environment. Before you begin testing your deployment project, create a test plan that describes the tests you will run, who will run each test, a schedule for performing tests, and the expected results. The test plan must specify the criteria and priority for each test. Prioritizing your tests can help you avoid slowing down your deployment because of minor failures that you can easily correct later; it can also help you identify larger problems that might require redesigning your plan.

The testing phase is essential because a single error can be replicated to all computers in your environment if it is not corrected before you deploy the image. Create a test lab that is not connected to your network but that mirrors your organization's network and hardware configurations as closely as possible. Set up your hardware, software, and network services as they are in your production environment. Perform comprehensive testing on each hardware platform, testing both application installation and operation. These steps can greatly increase the confidence of the project teams and the business-decision makers, resulting in a higherquality deployment.

Microsoft recommends that you pilot the project (that is, roll out the deployment) to a small group of users after you test the project. Piloting the installation allows you to assess the success of the deployment project in a production environment before rolling it out to all users. The primary purpose of pilot projects is not to test Windows 7, but to get user feedback. This feedback will help to determine the features that you must enable or disable in Windows 7. For pilots, you might choose a user population that represents a cross-section of your business in terms of job function and computer proficiency. Install pilot systems by using the same method that you plan to use for the final rollout.

The pilot process provides a small-scale test of the eventual full-scale rollout: You can use the results of the pilot, including any problems encountered, to create your final rollout plan. Compile the pilot results and use the data to estimate upgrade times, the number of concurrent upgrades you can sustain, and peak loads on the user-support functions.

Rolling Out

After you thoroughly test your deployment plan, pilot the deployment to smaller groups of users, and are satisfied with the results, begin rolling out Windows 7 to the rest of your organization. To create your final rollout plan, you need to determine the following:

• The number of computers to include in each phase of the rollout
• The time needed to upgrade or perform a clean installation for each computer that you include
• The personnel and other resources needed to complete the rollout
• The time frame during which you plan to roll out the installations to different groups n The training needed for users throughout the organization

Throughout the rollout, gather feedback from users and modify the deployment plan as appropriate.