1. Get to know Windows 7 on a first-name basis.
Obviously, the first step is to gain personal experience. And that means more than just puttering around in the lab. Install Windows 7 on every workstation in your organization and on the machine you use at home for remote-access trouble calls. Force yourself to find ways to make everything work.
2. Learn Windows PowerShell.
It's safe to say that the single most important skill a Windows administrator will need in the coming years is proficiency with Windows PowerShell. Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 both have Windows PowerShell version 2 baked into the operating system and it's enabled by default. You should plan on installing Windows PowerShell v2 on your remaining servers and desktops so that you can use one script technology to manage your entire fleet. (Note that you won't be able to install PowerShell v2 on Exchange 2007 servers or workstations. These machines require PowerShell v1.1. But even v1.1 gives you access to a wide range of functionality.)
3. Plow through licensing.
If your organization didn't deploy Vista, you may not be familiar with the latest volume-activation requirements in Windows. If you're an admin in an enterprise with more than 25 desktops and/or five servers, if your organization takes advantage of a volume-license program such as an Enterprise Agreement or Select Agreement, and if you purchase Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate (or you upgrade to those versions as part of Software Assurance), you should do the following: Print out a short stack of Volume Activation documents from tinyurl.com/volact, pour yourself a few ounces of a bold Tuscan wine and start studying.
4. Focus on strategic improvements.
Once you're familiar with system administration using Windows 7 tools and you've set up the technology to activate your desktops, it's time to start planning for deployment to end users. The most important thing to do at this point—and I know you don't want to hear this—is to hold a meeting.
5. Expand the deployment scope.
Some of the best features in Windows 7 may require a few changes to your infrastructure. For example: High on my list of favorite features is the combination of Federated Search and Libraries in the new Explorer shell. These work together to provide a centralized and flexible view of distributed data.
6. Prepare for distributed security.
During your initial strategy meeting, set aside time to discuss how you want to handle the many distributed security features in Windows 7. You'll want to determine a course of action early in the project because those decisions will have a substantial impact on your test matrix.
7. Virtualize your desktops.
Imagine this: You've spent a few weeks or months designing your standard Windows 7 desktop image. You've worked hard to resolve technical issues and you've found ways to quickly move applications and user data between machines, reducing the migration's impact. (The User State Migration Tool, part of the Automated Installation Kit, is a good place to start for this kind of work. For a walkthrough demo, visit tinyurl.com/usmtwt.) Your field technicians are trained. The help-desk team is mollified with all the guidance you've posted on its SharePoint site. You're finally ready to start the rollout.
8. Evaluate enterprise features.
VHD boot, along with BitLocker and AppLocker, fall into a class of features that require Windows 7 Enterprise or Ultimate. The Enterprise SKU can only be obtained via a volume license agreement. If you own Enterprise or Ultimate, you should consider deploying a few additional features to improve security and streamline operations.
9. Build compatibility safety nets.
One issue that you should definitely hash out at your meeting of big brains is whether your organization is ready to deploy 64-bit desktops. New machines deployed as part of a refresh cycle are virtually certain to be 64-bit capable. You're probably putting at least 2GB of RAM into them at today's RAM prices, more likely 4GB if you were able to convince Finance to approve the slightly higher unit costs. The machines are likely to have dual-core processors, possibly even quad-core, with enough video memory to support Aero. These machines will perform very well with a 64-bit OS.
10. Remove your users' local-admin rights.
If you haven't already pried away your users' local-admin rights, now is the time. Yes, I know it's hard. Laptop users are especially difficult to wean because the help desk can't walk them through complicated fixes over the phone. But there's also that "shadow" IT organization—department gurus and admin wannabes who find applications that meet certain tactical needs, then scurry around with thumb drives installing the apps with no regard for interoperability testing. And don't even get me started on the kind of trash that average users install on their machines when they have local-admin rights. It's amazing how the most unsophisticated user, incapable of so much as a password reset without help-desk support, can find a way to install complex multi-tiered client-server front-end applications if the reward involves shopping or sports.
You Can Be Heroes—for More Than One Day
It's going to take a lot of work to prepare for and deploy Windows 7, but it helps that users really want the new OS. Those who have tried it like the new interface. They appreciate the fit and finish, the responsiveness and the new features.
The opportunity to be popular as a system administrator doesn't come along very often. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts. You should, too. Good luck with your Windows 7 deployment. Let me know how it turns out.
By: Bill Boswell (billb@microsoft.com) is a senior consultant for Microsoft Consulting Services in the Phoenix, Ariz., office. Bill's current assignment is serving as an IT Architecture and Planning (ITAP) advisor for a major airline.
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