Understanding the ACT

Figure illustrates the architecture of the ACT. The following list describes each component of this architecture:

• Application Compatibility Manager A tool that enables you to configure, collect, and analyze your data so that you can triage and prioritize any issues prior to deploying a new operating system, updating your version of Internet Explorer, or deploying a Windows update in your organization.
• Data Collection Package An .msi file created by the Application Compatibility Manager (ACM) for deploying to each of your client computers. Each Data Collection Package (DCP) can include one or more compatibility evaluators, depending on what you are trying to evaluate.
• ACT Log Processing Service A service used to process the ACT log files uploaded from your client computers. It adds the information to your ACT database.
• ACT Log Processing Share A file share, accessed by the ACT Log Processing Service, to store the log files that will be processed and added to the ACT database.
• ACT Database A Microsoft SQL Server database that stores the collected application, computer, device, and compatibility data. You can view the information stored in the ACT database as reports from the ACM.
• Microsoft Compatibility Exchange A Web service that propagates application compatibility issues from the server to the client and enables the client computers to connect to Microsoft via the Internet to check for updated compatibility information. This service does not automatically fix compatibility issues, as it is only an information sharing system.