New job project advice.

So i just started my new job at a hospital Yesterday. My supervisor already told me to start thinking and planning of this new project he is going to want me to work on with migrating some computers from xp to windows 7. What would you guys recommend would be the easiest and fastest way to do this with a lot of computers.

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Comments

jahaziel

Are you saving user data? I would either create thick image and deploy using WDS with multicast if possible. If user data is needed to be migrated I believe MDT with WDS might be the best solution.

pixa241

Well its barely my second day, but as far as I know the data they access is saved on the network unless they choose to manually save something on their local drive. For the most part it will not need user data as most of the pcs are what the nurses and all that use so everyone runs off of their respective programs. So the thick image sounds like the best way.

thenjduke

Pixa I would suggest maybe looking into running either VDI Solution for patient rooms and nurses workstations. I would suggest looking into VMWare View of XenDesktop. Lock down the profiles and put some security behind the situation. You can make one golden image and deploy that image to the terminals that company may decide to purchase. I work for a major healthcare organization and we deploy alot of our desktops VDI either XenDesktop or Vmware View and we made this change about 8 months ago in three of our major hospitals. The management loves it that we have so much more control over profiles and desktops and we have already begun to see cost savings the last two months. Management has also learn we do not have to change PC every three to five years like we were and seen that as a huge savings. Yes we may need to put the cost in the server equipment but I know for a fact that we will be running this way for at least seven years.

403Forbidden

Well it honestly depends on how many systems we are talking and what the current set up is. ThenjDuke works for a rather large organization, if OP works for a rather small one then the time/effort/money to put into the XenDesktop thing might out weigh the benefits. If you are just being told to do a simple upgrade from xp to 7 and don't need to save any of the data and you have a WDS with PXE on all clients then it becomes a lot easier... I would make sure to get some details from your administrator to determine EXACTLY what he/she wants done. Guessing that the profiles shouldn't be saved and then wipe-loading then realizing that you needed the profiles migrated could cost you your job.

Migrations are tricky, no matter what the books tell you in the real world things never go smooth. Someone always complains, something always gets "lost" and very few people are ever "Happy" during and after the change.

As for the advice, here are somethings to consider:
-How many computers are "A lot"
-Do you have a Server/Client Environment or are you in a Workgroup environment?
-Do you have images ready to go or are you have to install from retail disks or from volume licensing?
-Is WDS a possibility?
-Are user profiles stored locally? Do they need to be preserved or migrated?

Just some things to get you thinking.

Nothing wrong with virtual desktop systems, but the time and investment required not to mention the back end know how might not be the fastest solution. If your Administrator is looking for this to be done quickly because he is being pressured to have it done quickly then suggesting implementing something like XenDesktop will only make him grit his teeth and throw something at you.

Tl;dr

Ask your manager/admin some more questions about time frame, what needs to be preserved, and how the network system is set up. Use those answers to figure out where to go from there. WDS migrations with the aid of answer files and perhaps some minor scripting sounds like it would be the fastest if that is a possibility in your situation.

pixa241

403Forbidden wrote: »

Well it honestly depends on how many systems we are talking and what the current set up is. ThenjDuke works for a rather large organization, if OP works for a rather small one then the time/effort/money to put into the XenDesktop thing might out weigh the benefits. If you are just being told to do a simple upgrade from xp to 7 and don't need to save any of the data and you have a WDS with PXE on all clients then it becomes a lot easier... I would make sure to get some details from your administrator to determine EXACTLY what he/she wants done. Guessing that the profiles shouldn't be saved and then wipe-loading then realizing that you needed the profiles migrated could cost you your job.

Migrations are tricky, no matter what the books tell you in the real world things never go smooth. Someone always complains, something always gets "lost" and very few people are ever "Happy" during and after the change.

As for the advice, here are somethings to consider:
-How many computers are "A lot"
-Do you have a Server/Client Environment or are you in a Workgroup environment?
-Do you have images ready to go or are you have to install from retail disks or from volume licensing?
-Is WDS a possibility?
-Are user profiles stored locally? Do they need to be preserved or migrated?

Just some things to get you thinking.

Nothing wrong with virtual desktop systems, but the time and investment required not to mention the back end know how might not be the fastest solution. If your Administrator is looking for this to be done quickly because he is being pressured to have it done quickly then suggesting implementing something like XenDesktop will only make him grit his teeth and throw something at you.

Tl;dr

Ask your manager/admin some more questions about time frame, what needs to be preserved, and how the network system is set up. Use those answers to figure out where to go from there. WDS migrations with the aid of answer files and perhaps some minor scripting sounds like it would be the fastest if that is a possibility in your situation.

Ok well I have a lot more info now. The way my supervisor has it set up is all windows server 2003. They only have one Windows Server 2008 R2 which handles GPOs and that is it so WDS is not a possibility. I had set up MDT and tried testing it but got a bunch of errors so idk where I went wrong. We are going to be replace 150 computers and then refreshing 50 of them which would be more ideal if settings and data could be kept from xp to 7. I found a lot of guides on MDT and they all explain what it is but none really have a step-by-step on how to use. I saw the FOG project but that looks like it doesnt save anything from xp. All the new pcs are Lenovo Thinkcentres, and the current ones that will be refreshed are also lenovo thinkcentres just about a year older in model.

pixa241

****bump