# Presentation: 258800

## CERNWindows 2000 MigrationWrap-Up

- HEPiX-HEPNT
- Fermilab, October 2002

- _[Frédéric Hemmer ](http://cern.ch/Frederic.Hemmer)__– __[CERN](http://cern.ch/)__ __[IT Division](http://cern.ch/it)_

## Outline

- Key design choices
- Mass Migration
- Difficulties
- Current Status
- Next steps
- Conclusion

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Design Choices

## Key Design choices

- Single Domain
- In place upgrade CERN domain to cern.ch
- Using Unix Bind DNS’s
- Done in July 2000
- Computer creation immediately stopped to work
- New user registration was half broken for 15 days
- Web redirection immediately stopped to work
- Migrating Servers from NetWare/NT4 first
- Allowed for Active Directory in Native mode
- Very difficult and time consuming Netware migration
- Mac namespace migration problematic
- Mac services using > 140 MB system memory
- Eventually splitted the home directories given the little use
- Development of Web Based Management tools
- To reduce support costs
- Integrated with corporate DB’s (HR, Network, etc...)
- Allows for privileged operations delegated to the users

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Key Design choices (II)

- Home directories
- My documents redirection to 8 servers or more
- Dfs name space (_[\\cern.ch\dfs\Users\<letter>\<username](file://cern.ch/dfs/Users/%3Cletter%3E/%3Cusername)_>)
- Offline folders enabled
- But not enforced
- SMS for desktop management
- All Hotfixes, SP’s and tweaks deployed thru SMS
- NOT for application management
- Application management thru Group Policies
- Combined with Security Groups for flexibility
- E.g. GP Deny Office 2000 vs. GP Apply Office XP
- Solves the controls PC problem
- Only Office, NAV, WinZIP, PrintPackage, RealPlayer and CERNWak assigned to machine
- Application installation thru MSI
- When available or packaged when needed
- Using ZAP files for the others (but still published thru GP’s)
- Rationalization of Applications negotiated with Users and Management
- Allowed for a comprehensive documented support model
- E.g. Adobe Photoshop discarded in flavor of Corel PhotoPaint
- Reformat hard disk
- Not a smooth update/migration
- Clean base, solves multiple partitions problems introduced with Windows 95

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Three Installation Methods

- With standard Floppy/ Network:
- Works for all supported platforms.
- To be started in parallel on several PCs when possible
- With** **CERN-made** **CD’s – when possible:
- Based on **SYSPREP** and cloning software
- Specific to each type of motherboards
- _Much Faster_ (90 mn -> 20 mn) - Allows to give more time to user.
- 3 generations of CDs were produced for 6 motherboards.
- Installations performed one at a time.
- Well adapted to single installations, as well as “bulk” migrations *(no network/server contention).*
- With CERN-made Disk Images for new machines
- Now standard method for any new PC delivered
- Image shipped to supplier
- Installation completed in less than 10 mn
- Sensitive to hardware changes
- For all the other cases ... unsupported
- Although Windows 2000 boot disks and/or Windows 2000 CD’s have been used

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Mass Migration

## Mass Migration

- Decision in 1Q2000 to limit the migration duration for 18 months
- Decision in 1Q2001 to split system teams and deployment teams
- Focus on coordination with user groups
- Focus on optimizing installation speed and quality
- Decided in 2Q2002 to outsource the routine work to an external company
- CERN requires competitive tendering ...
- Globally positive but lead to extra overhead and some bad experiences
- Some clashes with the existing outsourced desktop support contract

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Migrating Users

- Not only Installing an Operating System:
**User’s basic environment **(**IE** and **Outlook** settings)
- Users need a short hand-on session (Outlook) at the end of the migration.
- Several Training Initiatives
- Seminar campaign in Divisions
- Sessions for local administrators
- New W2K courses organized with Technical Training.
- Pilot migrations
- Organized in Spring 2001
- Time spent per User:
- 2.5 h with Floppy/network *(standard method)*
- 1.5 h with CERN-made Image CDs *(where possible) *
**=> ****2 h per user on average**
- Exhaustive Migration Procedure and related doc. published at: 			_[http://cern.ch/W2Kmtf/Docs](http://cern.ch/W2Kmtf/Docs)__ _

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## End User Migration Difficulties

- Many local files (on C:),** **including local Email folders !
- Forgotten Mail passwords...
- Obsolete Hardware & LHC Budget Reallocation Crisis
- Very slow PCs take longer to migrate (133 MHz, 200 MHz)
- Caused Paragon to do overtime, controlled by reducing the number of daily migrations.
- Delayed Application availability (e.g. MP5)
- Reaching common agreement within divisions/groups takes time.
- Existing Diversity...
- Non-standard hardware,
- Non-standard configurations (Dual-boot, etc...)
- Diversity comes progressively, but has a cost during mass migrations.

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Paragon Statistics

- Over 7 months: **1005** PCs were migrated by Paragon

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## User Survey (I) (234 answers - http://cern.ch/w2kmtf/Docs)

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Some Difficulties

## Infrastructure  problems

- Macintosh support
- Macintosh Services are not solid
- Could use SMB, but no Mac dfs client
- Logical name space broken
- NFS support
- Last Login date
- When using ancillary services
- NTFS Static inheritance
- Leading users to make mistakes
- Legacy data
- Not integrated in the dfs name space
- Application repository
- Too large for backup to complete
- Splitted on different servers, but replication sometimes problematic

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Application and desktop management problems

- SMS software metering does not scale
- But needed for our license agreements
- Office redeployment
- Redeployed at every service pack or hotfix
- Take 30 minutes
- Roaming profiles
- Slow down considerably logins
- Aggravated by large Outlook .pst files
- Leave undeletable prfxx.tmp files
- Laptops
- Standby/Hibernate problems
- Causing a blue or black screen (not the BSOD)
- Probably caused by graphics drivers
- Unable to save in My Documents

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Application problems

- Outlook pst files
- Even worse when in the roaming profile
- Norton AntiVirus
- Resources used
- Takes 45 minutes to complete
- Schedule not flexible enough
- Applications not using MSI
- E.g. Oracle which required a parallel infrastructure
- AFS client
- Installation not automated and complicated

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Microsoft related problems

- Way hotfixes and Service Packs are deployed
- Difficult to test Office SP’s without deploying to everybody
- They do not seem to use their own technologies (or the teams do not talk to each other)
- Seems to be targeted at the consumer
- Rapid changes
- E.g. Office 2000 will be n-2 in 2Q2003
- Licensing
- Difficult sometimes to be able to pay their licenses!

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Current Status

## Windows 2000 Evolution

**4446 W2k Workstations @ 6:00:01 PM - Sunday, October 20, 2002**

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Evolution

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Divisions Progress

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Windows 2000 Graphic Card Types

**159 Graphic Card Types**

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Windows 2000 Portable Computer Types

**44 Portable Computer Types**** ****(429 Portables in total)**

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Next Steps

- Windows XP
- Is compatible with our infrastructure
- ~100 PCs are currently running NICE XP prototype
- Really a must for laptops
- Not supported yet
- Need to develop a SMS upgrade procedure
- Office XP *(or Office 11?)*
- We will propose to deploy it in the coming months
- to anticipate Microsoft “version n-1” support policy.
- Long term Strategy:  *Avoid O/S migrations*
- Have new PCs delivered with Windows installed by the manufacturer
- New PCs join CERN domain to get CERN environment and applications
- Old PCs get progressively replaced over 3 (5) years.
- Evaluate SMS “Topaz”
- Could solve application usage monitoring problems

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002

## Summary

- W2K Infrastructure
- Apart serving Windows desktop and applications, is now becoming the foundation for:
- CERN Web Services
- Exchange 2K Mail pilot
- ACB & VPN prototype
- E-groups  (role based management)
- Authentication Service
- Good Manageability
- Efficiency in operating the service
- Various management tools
- “3rd level Staff / Desktop” ratio very low (~6/5000)
- Real **“**Mass**”** Migration to Windows 2000 is complete
- Remaining NICE 95/NT systems will be migrated using traditional channels
- Local support
- Progressive PC replacement
- But ~1000 PC’s remains to be migrated ... or switched off

- Frédéric Hemmer - CERN/IT

- HEPiX-HEPNT, October 2002