White Paper Operating Windows as a Service processes

Transcription

1 Operating Windows as a Service processes Keeping up with the Windows 10 curve

2 Operating Windows as a Service processes for an enterprise The introduction of Windows 10 has been a game changer in many ways, especially in how enterprises service Windows. Instead of a large complex project every few years, keeping Windows current is now a continuous process where updates are released twice a year and are generally supported for 18 months. This means you may support multiple versions of Windows in your environment at any one time, deploying one version and performing compatibility testing on another. To have the most secure and productive OS deployed, it s recommended that enterprises keep up with the release cycle. However, keeping up with the curve will need a well-defined process and deployment strategy. It is crucial that the process is designed in such a way to manage the continual release of Windows 10 builds. This document focuses on how to operate a Windows servicing process. Please refer to the Windows as a Service Design white paper for information on designing and setting up the process. To support this robust Windows as a Service (WaaS) process design, enterprises need to first analyze the current environment to determine what needs to be updated. The next step is to define the validation tasks, as well as determine who will perform them and when. Finally, the process should be set up once and managed as a continuous process. Let s take a look at the key elements that need to be managed to successfully operate WaaS in an enterprise environment. The WaaS process will be executed for each new Windows 10 feature release from Microsoft. These are typically released every 6 months, so there may be an overlap between the deployment of one Windows 10 feature release and the validation of another. WaaS is a cyclical process; the recommended approach is to treat WaaS as an ongoing process rather than treating each feature update as a new project. The repeatable process to deliver WaaS can be split into three broad activities (Figure 1): Plan and prepare for the deployment Perform validation activities (pilot) Broadly deploy the feature update To operate WaaS as a repeatable process, consider the following activities. 2

3 Broad deployment rings Early adopter ring Validation ring Insider channels Applications Infrastructure Security Hardware Upgrade Plan and prepare (insider preview) New features Pilot (semi-annual channel targeted) Broad deployment (semi-annual channel) Figure 1. Repeatable process to deliver Windows as a Service three broad activities Operating Process 1: Plan and prepare for feature release Before rolling out any feature updates, even to test users, it is important to review the changes that are going to be applied and understand how the changes may affect your environment. The easiest way to get started is to sign up for the Windows Insider program to gain access to early builds of each new feature. The Windows Insider program will allow you to test the upgrade process on your hardware and make early determinations of whether there are any software compatibility issues. The program will also allow you to send feedback directly to Microsoft on any issues encountered. The Insider Preview builds can also be used to examine the new features and help determine how they will affect your environment and work practices. There are two main ways of implementing the Insider Preview: Install the Insider Preview on test machines (virtual or physical) and carry out normal testing. The advantage of doing this is that any instability in the Insider builds will only have an impact on test machines that can be easily rebuilt. Install the Insider Preview on a small number of user devices. This is a risk if the Insider Preview builds are not stable, so users may need to be warned. The advantage is that the testing will cover more complete and realistic scenarios. 3

4 Enterprise IT management groups should also consider using analytics to support the readiness assessment activities for each feature rollout. Several different analytics tools are available to identify compatibility issues associated with each feature release. The tools can determine the likelihood of applications having compatibility issues with the feature release and help to focus on specific applications for validation activities. Driver compatibility should also be analyzed at this point to determine whether there will be issues with any hardware models. Compatibility reports can be used to plan any changes to deployment rings that may be required due to issues identified at an early stage in the upgrade process. Having completed the initial analysis, there should be enough information to plan for the feature release. While there will already be a schedule of standard validation activities (critical business application, hardware models, etc.), the analysis performed earlier may identify specific applications or drivers that need to be included in targeted validation activities. All these validation activities need to be planned in the validation tracking tool in preparation for the upcoming validation activity. It is important to ensure that all the necessary contributors are informed and are confirmed as available for performing their scheduled activities. Thorough planning and preparation for these activities at an early stage will allow for a faster and more predictable validation cycle. It is important to have a plan in place for how to manage applications or drivers that fail the validation testing. A number of remediation options are available, but a plan needs to be prepared for addressing items that cannot be remediated successfully before the rollout begins. The organization needs to categorize the severity of the issue and implement responses accordingly. The following is an example of possible categorization and proposed responses: Severity Example Response Low Medium Critical Rarely used application appears to have lost some functionality A business-specific application is showing errors client is not working as expected Carry on with rollout as planned, and notify users that they may encounter some issues Move the users of the application to a deferral ring, and do not roll out the feature update to these users until the issue has been resolved Put the rollout on hold. Do not deploy the feature update until the issue has been fully resolved and thorough re-testing is complete 4

5 Operating Process 2: Perform validation against new feature release While it is not necessary to perform testing to the same extent as previous operating system migrations, validation activities must be performed before rolling out the feature upgrade. This activity takes place during the pilot phase of the process. The validation activity will be broken into two formats: Targeted validation activity of specific applications, devices and upgrade scenarios Early adopter validation of the working environment All the targeted validation activities need to be planned and tracked. Depending on what is being tested, this activity can take place on virtual or physical machines. For application testing, virtual machines will usually be sufficient. If any hardware drivers are being tested, then physical devices must be used. It would make sense to assign a dedicated team to prepare the devices for validation activities and then, using the tracking tool, notify all stakeholders of their responsibilities. In the case of targeted validation activities, each tester is assigned specific tasks to complete. The progress and feedback are logged in the validation tracking tool for each activity, and any issues encountered are escalated appropriately. Early adopter validation activity involves deploying the feature update to several production users and allowing them to carry on using their device as normal. These users are made aware of the process and of their responsibility to provide feedback. Any issues encountered during the feature upgrade process or issues encountered during ongoing day-to-day activities, over the duration of the broad validation, need to be recorded and addressed by the team managing the WaaS rollout. Remediation efforts to resolve issues that have been identified by the validation activities can take many forms, depending on the nature of the issue. In general, issues related to applications should be addressed with the application vendor or the application developer. The same goes for issues that are related to device drivers contact the manufacturer and determine whether a fix is available. Also engage in collaboration with Microsoft to help resolve issues. A number of resources and support groups are available to help resolve issues identified as part of validation activities. Each new feature release from Microsoft will include a new security baseline set of policies. It is advisable to include testing of new policies as part of the validation process. Any relevant infrastructure tests, identified during the design phase of the service, should be completed and recorded at this point in process. As Microsoft continues to develop feature releases, the efficiency of the installation process is improving. The level of interruption experienced by users during the feature upgrade process has been reduced significantly with Windows compared to previous upgrades. Operating Process 3: Broadly deploy new feature release Prior to broadly deploying the feature update, all key stakeholders should take part in a change review process to ensure that all prerequisites have been completed. Approval from the change management team should be mandatory before initiating a broad deployment of the feature update. Having completed the validation activities and put any relevant remediation actions in place, the feature update can now be rolled out to the broad base of user devices. The rollout plan should be driven by the deployment strategy that was designed as part of the setup of the service. 5

6 The service desk needs to be aware of the schedule of the rollout, and the support agents should be trained for responding to potential support calls related to WaaS. It is normal to expect a significant spike in service desk calls during the first broad rollout of the feature update. The majority of these calls will be resolved by providing information to users who are not aware of what to expect during a feature update. It is advisable to also plan for a number of escalated support calls to resolve issues that may occur to a small percentage of users during the broad rollout. Repeat the process As mentioned earlier, the current expectation is that Microsoft will release two feature updates per year. This means that to stay current, the WaaS process will be active throughout the year. In fact, there may even be an overlap between feature release rollouts. WaaS is an ongoing activity that should be planned for accordingly (Figure 2). Windows N Identify Validate Deploy Windows 10 Servicing Windows N+1 Identify Validate Deploy Windows N+2 Identify Validate Deploy Figure 2. Windows 10 Servicing a continuous and repeatable process Regular reporting on the status of the feature update deployments can be implemented using either the deployment tools or leveraging analytics tools such as Microsoft s Operations Management Suite (OMS). Reporting dashboards can provide a quick view of the state of the devices in the enterprise and the success rates of the feature deployments. 6

7 DXC Windows 10 Servicing helps reduce the complexities DXC Technology removes complexity from the WaaS release cycle by centrally assessing new features, ensuring that apps are compatible (highlighting those with issues) and managing the deployment process. Our Windows 10 Servicing helps you manage the process from ring management to remediation, minimizing the impact of the deployment effort while maximizing future productivity. Learn more at workplace_and_mobility We help you design the rollout schedules for the latest version of Windows 10 and provide governance and tooling to support that process with minimal effort and disruption. We ensure that the correct people are getting the correct version of Windows 10 at the correct time, so problems are identified and resolved before broad deployment. We will help you validate your applications, infrastructure and device hardware using an analytics-based approach that minimizes impact on the business and ensures a highly reliable user experience throughout the servicing life cycle. We also ensure that applications are remediated where possible to operate with the new versions of Windows 10. DXC communicates common problems we observe across clients to Microsoft and software vendors for resolution. Windows Servicing helps you optimize delivery of the new versions of Windows 10 whether your devices are managed through mobile device management (MDM) or by traditional policies. About the authors Colm Connolly is a Workplace and Mobility offering architect at DXC Technology, responsible for the development of standard offerings for both the traditional and modern workplace, and specializing in the area of Windows 10 servicing. Kevin Ryan is a Workplace and Mobility offering architect at DXC Technology, focusing on both traditional and modern workplace technologies, and specializing in the area of application readiness. About DXC Technology DXC Technology (DXC: NYSE) is the world s leading independent, end-to-end IT services company, serving nearly 6,000 private and public-sector clients from a diverse array of industries across 70 countries. The company s technology independence, global talent and extensive partner network deliver transformative digital offerings and solutions that help clients harness the power of innovation to thrive on change. DXC Technology is recognized among the best corporate citizens globally. For more information, visit DXC Technology Company. All rights reserved. MD_8454a-19. July 2018