Organizations today are in various stages of rolling out Windows 7, but no matter which stage they're in App-DNA™ technical resources often hear the same kinds of questions. You would expect questions like: Will my applications work when running on Windows 7? If there are application compatibility issues, can it be fixed and how do I implement that fix?

AppTitude solves these problems by providing application owners with detailed compatibility information about an application in just minutes. This core value alone accelerates Windows 7 deployments, reduces costs and eliminates risk by shining a light on the internals of every single application in an enterprise portfolio -- without having to manually test each and every one of the applications. This blog post isn't necessarily about manual testing for Windows 7 versus static analysis, but if you want to learn more about how AppTitude answers those questions, click here.

When working with App-DNA customers implementing the AppTitude application compatibility platform, another question that always bubbles up is *should* I fix an application or is it more cost-effective to replace or retire it? Whenever I get asked this question, the answer is always the same: “It depends.” This is a business decision that involves several parameters:

• What is the value of the application to the organization?
• Is the application expected to have a long remaining lifespan?
• Can the defects in the application even be fixed?
• For commercial applications, does the vendor have a Windows 7 compatible version?
• How much does it cost to upgrade to that compatible version and how does that cost compare to the cost of remediating and testing the existing version of your application?

AppTitude provides application intelligence to drive these business decisions. Generating this application intelligence manually without AppTitude would be a tedious, manual process that would require enterprise IT organizations to essentially incur the costs of trying to remediate a problem application in order to even determine if remediation is a cost effective solution. In basic terms, fix something to determine if you even want to keep it.  The reporting architecture in AppTitude provides intelligence to make these decisions at your fingertips. The most important reports for driving these decisions are AppTitude Action reports. AppTitude action reports give targeted information about which applications have defects, what those defects are, how they can be remediated, and the cost of implementing those remediations.  This information is invaluable in making a decision to remediate, upgrade, redevelop, mitigate or retire an application.

 Below is a very basic flow to highlight the kinds of decisions you have to make and where Application Intelligence is necessary to drive those decisions. The blue shapes are processes, decisions and data points driven entirely by AppTitude Application Intelligence. The  orange shapes represent decisions factoring in business specific data with Application Intelligence.  The green shapes represent processes that are optimized and streamlined.

The success of an application compatibility project is not measured just on moving the organization to Windows 7, but also in doing so in a cost effective and timely way.   Application Intelligence drives these cost decisions earlier in the project lifecycle where they can make a difference. AppTitude generates this Application Intelligence in just minutes per application.

Enterprises are off and running with Windows 7, App-V, XenApp and optimized desktop projects. The challenge comes in determining what applications to migrate, managing applications, application testing and application compatibility. Next week’s Microsoft World Partner Conference has an amazing track educating Microsoft partners on how to best help enterprises accelerate their move to Windows 7, as well as Internet Explorer 8, App-V and all of the related technologies.

What if Microsoft partners were given the opportunity to partner with App-DNA and, for no cost, access the award winning AppTitude™ application testing and application remediation platform to deliver to Proof of Concepts (POC)? What if it only took three days to assess application remediation issues?

App-DNA has a fantastic program that already exists today, called Launchpad and will provide a crystal clear view of an enterprise’s application estate.  This in turn will help systems integrators and service providers deliver the business case to move more quickly to the optimized desktop.  Partners will find more successful projects by gaining a truer understanding of what the enterprise application estate looks like, and better assessing the level of effort needed to properly give an accurate bid for the project. Customers and partners are more satisfied from a clear view of the project, an accurate price quote and a realistic timeline based on facts rather than “gut feel.”

App-DNA Launchpad is a quick-start application compatibility discovery program that brings together four high-value components:

EstateView™ - provides an instant portfolio readiness report on up to 1000 apps

EffortCalculator™ - details project scope and scale by using real metrics to calculate costs, duration and resource needs

CoreSample™ - assessment reports on 50 apps with full reports on 10 selected MSI apps with a deep ‘drill down’ on over 68,000 data points per app in 11 areas

What it means for Microsoft partner’s customers:

See exactly how ready a customer’s app estate is to migrate

Calculate what the migration proposal will cost and how long it will take

Guide resourcing decisions

Build an informed migration strategy – meet more deadlines

Interested in learning more about App-DNA Launchpad for Microsoft partners?  Drop us a line at info@app-dna.com to set up a time to talk at WPC next week or after the conference.

Microsoft announced at TechEd North America that Windows 7 SP1 beta would be released this month. IT groups everywhere are analyzing Windows 7 budgets, many of them giving quarter-end updates this week to let management know the status of the Windows 7, 64x and related application virtualization projects.  Much like the 10 p.m. news used to open with “It’s 10 p.m., do you know where your children are?” many CIOs are asking, “It’s July 1, do we know where our Windows 7 project is?”

One of the challenges IT teams face is how to determine the budget around application compatibility.  In a recent conversation, an industry leader told App-DNA™ that managing app migration from Windows XP to Windows 7 will be the single most expensive component of migration projects. Many articles and blogs have speculated hardware would be a big cost center, but many people underestimate the impact—and cost—of managing application migration and application compatibility for the Windows 7 project.

Get a handle on the reality of what’s needed for application testing and application compatibility – and the potential costs – with a free and straightforward Application Migration Workbook. App-DNA gathered insight from Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 customers, industry partners like Microsoft and Citrix, as well as systems integrator partners. The result is a resource guide complete with worksheets to help estimate the cost of manual testing vs. automation, the math on application churn, and the ROI on a day-to-day app management process.  Download the free ebook at http://app-dna.cambuilder.cw.com/Resources/eBooks/App-DNA-Migration-Workbook.aspx

Have your Windows 7 timeline figured out, but not enough pages left on the calendar this year? Check out how static analysis can speed the testing and remediation cycles of your project.

Comments? Questions? Worried about your timeline? Drop a line to info@app-dna.com or on Twitter @appdna – we’re happy to share insight to help you keep track of your Windows 7 project.

Citrix Synergy was a fantastic event last week. Citrix billed it as “the convergence between virtualization, networking and cloud computing and how it can solve real business problems” -- the event lived up to that and more. At Synergy, App-DNA™ talked with IT leaders about application compatibility and application remediation for Windows 7 projects, Citrix server migrations, XenApp work and more.  App-DNA is truly enjoying the interest brought by winning the Citrix Synergy Best of Show and Process Improvement Awards, but with that buzz comes many questions.  We wanted to answer the top questions we heard at Synergy, but also welcome more questions in the blog comments or via Twitter @appdna – we’ll answer them as fast as possible.

1.       Tell me more about what App-DNA does again? 

App-DNA designs, builds and sells the AppTitude™ software, which provides application compatibility, testing and remediation for enterprises adopting technologies like Windows 7, Citrix XenApp, Microsoft App-V, 64bit, Windows Server 2008 or IE8. Using AppTitude helps organizations avoid the expense and delay of traditional manual brute force based testing and cuts the time, cost and risks associated with deployment of OS migrations, software upgrades, and virtualization projects. App-DNA works directly with IT organizations and through worldwide SI partners and regional SI partners.

2.       How is AppTitude used for more than Windows 7 projects?

App compat is definitely a hot topic for Windows 7 projects, but application remediation is also vital for

-  App-V and XenApp projects  - determine the success rate of applications before you Sequence or Profile them, saving hours of testing and unnecessary tedious iterations.  Understand the potential issues with a package and address them in the initial package creation process

-  64-bit projects – whether Windows or in the data center

-  Server based computing, whether Windows Server 2008, XenApp, Terminal Services project

-  IE8 projects- still in beta, but consider how many web apps you’re looking to migrate? Test their compatibility before they go to IE8.

-  Business as Usual –new apps are added to your enterprise all the time, you need to ensure they will work well

-  Determining what technology to use for specific applications – AppTitude can show you the “best fit” – if an app won’t run well on Windows 7, should you try it on XenApp or App-V?  The understanding of how to best deliver an application in your enterprise environment will go a very long way when it comes to moving away from the physical desktop and organizations start leveraging technologies that provide virtual desktops such as XenClient.

3.       How do you align with the app compat info like Microsoft ACT and the Citrix XenApp compatibility list?

AppTitude complements the information that you find in the available tools. In fact, in addition to the information that App-DNA has collected over years of experience and the intelligence determined by our “DNA” research about the applications, AppTitude looks to external data sources like Microsoft ACT and the Microsoft app compat white list.  App-DNA is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and Citrix parter ( Citrix consultants use AppTitude in the field), so we work closely with both companies. For more information, check out this video featuring Chris Jackson, Microsoft’s “app compat guy.”

4.       Okay, where can I see App-DNA and AppTitude?

Check out these videos:

-  If you have 5 minutes: CitrixTV recorded an AppTitude demo at Citrix Synergy

-  If you have 15 minutes:  BrianMadden.com recorded an AppTitude demo at the Microsoft MMS conference

-  If you speak French: here’s a demo from Microsoft TechDays in Paris

-  If you’re interested in server management: view this Dublin PubForum overview

-  If you want a full web demo from AppDNA, contact us using the information below

If you’re attending Microsoft #TechEd, App-DNA will be exhibiting at booth #2244. Stop by and share your app compat questions and see AppTitude in action.

Intrigued? More questions? Use the comments, Twitter @appdna or contact us at info@app-dna.com

Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) 2010 is next week! The App-DNA™ technical team is eagerly anticipating conversations about your application compatibility and application remediation challenges, successes and questions. MMS is always a great venue to learn more about System Center, Windows 7, App-V, MED-V and what’s next from Microsoft. We enjoy catching up with old friends and making new friends – stop by and see App-DNA at Expo Booth #437 or chat with the orange-shirted App-DNA team at these MMS sessions.

Monday, Apr 19

Windows 7 - Gaining More Control Over Windows Installer Packaging Infrastructure – We’ve found organizations that follow MSI best practices have higher application compatibility ratios when testing their application estate for Windows 7.  Darwin Sanoy knows MSI inside and out -- check out his CSI:\>Windows blog

Tuesday, Apr 20

Considerations for deploying and managing applications in the cloud – Managing change is a key priority for IT teams. Well managed environments have faster deployments to new technologies – less time spent fixing problems that may slow down your adoption of cool new technologies like the cloud.  

Beyond Service Manager - Partner Solutions – as a System Center Alliance partner, App-DNA is always interested in what System Center peer partners are developing…

Virtualization - Ask the Panel of Experts – App-DNA helps enterprises with application virtualization compatibility, accelerating App-V implementations. We learn from your comments on the MDOP team blogs and we’re keen to hear the live questions of MMS attendees.

Ask the Panel of Community Experts -  Most panels include 4-5 experts, but this one includes a huge lineup of top contributors to the MyITForum message boards, plus industry leaders, and your really interesting questions.

Wednesday, Apr 21

App-V: Top 10 Most Common Customer Scenarios and End to End Review – If you’re not yet adopting App-V, find out how you can. Angie Anderson & Bill Morein have such in-depth knowledge – bound to be a great session. 

Thursday, Apr 22

Unblocking and Accelerating your Windows 7 Deployment Using MED-V – App-DNA works closely with Windows 7 app compat every day, we’re interested in helping accelerate your Windows 7 deployment.

Configuration Manager v.Next - Ask the Panel of Experts – The best part of MMS is sometimes going back to work on Monday with all of the information that you learned about v.Next- you’re the star at the coffee maker with all your new knowledge. Jeff Wettlaufer is still taking questions for this session - Twitter them to #mmsea01  

Friday, Apr 23

Sequencing Deep Dive: Efficiently Making your Applications Virtual – As App-DNA works with customers implementing App-V, the most popular questions are “what should I virtualize” and “how do I fix it if it won’t virtualize?”  

Also, don’t forget the keynotes, end of day Speaker Q&A sessions, Birds of a Feather, plus the amazing Hands on Labs! In all your scheduling, be sure to book time to stop by the App-DNA Expo Booth #437 to see AppTitude™ in action. Want to set a specific time with App-DNA? Contact info@app-dna.com

What sessions are you most interested in seeing? Share your favorites in the comments.  

Comprehensive planning and preparation make a huge difference in the execution of a successful OS migration.  Some organizations fail to achieve migration at all. They flounder as the complexity involved and time taken to move the users and applications is overwhelmed by the ongoing environment upkeep.  Lack of internal expertise and resources can mean that processes designed to manage the transition are incomplete or cannot be followed.  Projects are subject to delays and in some cases, application readiness is never achieved, preventing even a partial rollout.

Mapping out all of the vital processes, understanding the resources and expertise required and adhering to a well-formed program make for a highly successful transition.  Organizations that establish ongoing systems are able to retain an agile environment which can more readily adapt to future changes – and with less cost and disruption.

Windows Vista makes greater demands on hardware than Windows XP.  Windows 7, while better performing by all accounts, carries the same hardware specifications as Windows Vista [http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/get/system-requirements.aspx].  A number of tools are available to analyze your current desktop environment and classify the capability of existing workstations to support the new OS.  Accurate knowledge make for more accurate hardware budgeting and also may be used to identify areas within the business where early or deferred rollouts are advantageous.  Phasing the upgrade with hardware swaps enables more efficient rollout of the new OS to regional or functional groups within the organization.

With Windows Vista, the ability to maintain a single OS image for diverse hardware platforms became a reality.  The provisioning of the OS as a Windows Image (WIM) file means it can be tailored and modified prior to deployment.  Drivers required for different hardware platforms can be managed separately and injected late in the deployment process on a per-machine basis.

Taking an entire organization through a migration all at once is a risky proposition at best.  The more common approach is to identify logical (e.g. finance, sales) or physical (geographic office locations) collections of users and organize the roll-out along those lines.  The readiness of these groups can be determined in terms of applications used and their compatibility, along with current hardware and its suitability to run the new OS.  Breaking up the organization’s migration in this manner is an effective way to trial and mitigate issues in smaller groups and ultimately, complete the overall process with less operational disruption.

Solutions for moving a user’s files and settings from one machine OS to another have been around for some time.  This is recognized as a vital part of the user upgrade process, and Microsoft built it into Windows Vista.  There are also various ways to manage user state more centrally, rather than on a per-device basis.  But for most organizations, the ability to retain user data and settings stored on their local workstation will be the key objective, and both Windows Vista and Windows 7 provide tools for this.  Allowances should be made for temporary storage of this user data during migration, and systems put in place to handle any user data not necessarily stored in expected locations.

It’s important to factor in an educational process to allow users to get a feel for the new OS before it lands on their desktops.  Disruption and frustrated users result in a poor perception of the process and rollout of the new OS.  The immediate impact of the changed user interface on users accustomed to the old system is often overlooked.  This is where a little end-user training can go a long way toward resulting in a successful OS migration.